Seasons Greetings all,

Stock 2003 3500 TCD, auto xmsn, 124K. Started doing weird things lately. Sometimes when I put on the turn signal, it blinks fast like I have a bulb out, but only for a second or two, then it blinks normal. Sometimes when this occurs, it also dings, the ding like when you have left either turn signal on too long without turning. Sometimes when I first start it up it I notice the lights dim, then brighten, then dim. When this happens, I see a corresponding movement of the volt (amp?) meter. When it dims, the volts drop to below 14. When it’s bright, the gage reads just over 14.

I'm thinking a bad/ lose ground. Could my alternator be starting to go south?

Anyone ever seen these kinds of problems? What should I trouble shoot first?
Thanks

Vic

 

It sounds like you have a bad bulb on the left turn circuit.
The dimming is normal, it's the grid heater turning on & off when first starting.The heater cycles when the temperature falls below 50* F... Us "yankees" see that in October or even September . .

 

The grid heater makes me feel better. This is the first winter I have owned the truck. It only does it during warm up.

The bulb would make sense if it did it all the time but it only does it intermittently. I'm going to check for a corroded bulb socket when I get a chance