BearKiller

Ever since we got the wife's truck, when it is idling, the headlights, parking lights, marker lights, and interior lights constantly brighten, then dim, then brighten, then dim.

It cycles very rapidly.

They don't go out, just dim; well, not really dim, just dimmer than bright.

It will do this regardless of engine temperature, even after a long trip and still warm; so, I don't think it is a intake-heater issue.

Is this a normal "DODGE" thing, or a warning of trouble to come??

The battery is always hot and the amp gauge always shows good, at least I think it does.

Thanks.

tomd

I think its normal. If my truck is cold and warming up I notice the same thing. But then it goes away after warm. How about you?

90firstgen

Same here. I think the voltage regulator is at fault... just a hunch

haloman

I believe mine does the same thing except mine go up and down with the idle, like in tune with it, but it doesn't do it under load, accelerating in gear. A revup in netural will just make the lights pulsate faster. Any thoughts on that?
My battery is good and volt guage reads good.

BRUISER

Wierd I noticed mine started doing the same thing tonight.. it is about 30 degrees here..

rustbucket

My 93 has been doing that for quite a while,so I replaced the reg.today problem has went away. My truck has a seperate reg.instead of going through the ecm like it was to begin with on 93s.

johnny5.9

Mine does the exact same thing and has since I got it. I have been told that it is just a dodge thing and some did it since new. As a note though, there are two different pulsations were talking about here. The one just mentioned and the one associated with the cycling of the air intake heater which is of a much slower cycling and ends when the vehicle warms up. I wonder if maybe its a voltage regulator issue.

Begle1

Sounds like it is a voltage regulator problem then. I've never seen this happening before, but I think it'd drive me crazy.

When my voltage regulator went out my low beams burned out in a matter of minutes. Maybe the pulsating is a sign of a regulator going bad; if that's the case, I'd recommend a change before it goes really bad and turns you're 14 volt system into a 40 volt system.

KRB

Mine did that. Got so bad that people thought I was flashing them or was the police!
I thought I was chasing down a bad ground but it turned out to be a corroded fuse on the fenderwell. I think it was originally an inline that had been replaced with a pop-in 30amp. Can't remember what it went to exactly.
Still does the very minor but noticable flicker but nothing like before.