And everything goes dim....

[ahh00]

Especially in the winter but even in the summer, Vader (my 2nd gen) will be running fine and then everything will go dim, blower gets slow, and the volts drop to about 12.7 It will happen for only 1 to 3 seconds at a time and then everything will return to normal. It doesn't matter if I just started the car, or if its all warmed up. It is very annoying when traveling late at night and the headlights go dim and then back to normal so frequently. I don't think this would be a battery problem. Sounds more like an alternator. Has anyone else had this problem?

[Custom88]

my Aurora does the same thing. there was another topic around here too discussing the same thing. no one seems to know what it is

[ahh00]

I had an olds service manager tell me that there is an updated alternator for the 3.5. Maybe I'll just bug my warranty company until they replace it. After all...it is a covered item for me and I did pay out the ass for the "kick ass" warranty.

[ahh00]

Side note!!!

What's the best way to get around the RDS system
for an aftermarket radio and keep the steeringwheel
controls with an aftermarket HU?

[Custom88]

ahh00 said:

I had an olds service manager tell me that there is an updated alternator for the 3.5. Maybe I'll just bug my warranty company until they replace it. After all...it is a covered item for me and I did pay out the ass for the "kick ass" warranty.

I did some searching and found the same thign about an updated alternator on the Aurora. The Intrigue apparenty suffers from the same problem and the cause of the problem is the air injection pump that is used for emissions. Apparently when that kicks on it uses so much power that the lights dim because the alternator is not able to respond quickly enough to the voltage drop.

What's the best way to get around the RDS system
for an aftermarket radio and keep the steeringwheel
controls with an aftermarket HU?

there's really no problem installing the aftermarket headunit. There is a ribbon cable that attaches to teh factory headunit and that will need to be detached from the dash cavity to make room for yoru wire harness. you will need to use power from the cigarette lighter as a switched power source (the factory harness does not have one). You will lose your chime and onstar if so equipped! The RDS is just the Radio data system which is basically radio station names displayed on the radio display, etc. The GM Class 2 Data Bus ribbon cable is what you need to worry about.

[betonthis1]

ahh00 said:

Side note!!!

What's the best way to get around the RDS system
for an aftermarket radio and keep the steeringwheel
controls with an aftermarket HU?

This is what you need to install if you use an aftermarket stereo and want to keep the steering wheel controls.

www.crutchfield.com/S-nE8GItrBAbX/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=118900&I=127SWIX