Dash lights and headlights "pulsing" ?????

[71 Bee Man]

Any advice is appreciated, I've got a 71 Dodge Super Bee with a 383 auto.

I haven't had anyone even look at it yet, but I'm wondering why my headlights and dash lights seem to "pulse" when they're on ? They just go brighter/lighter/brighter etc.The word "pulse" is the only way to describe it. They do it at idle and whilst driving.

Any ideas ? They don't dim so you can't see them, they just surge and pulse. Light is good.

Peter
Sydney, Australia.

[67RedCharger]

Peter, that sounds like the symptom for a regulator honking up.  Using a voltmeter, put it across the battery terminals and see if the voltage is pulsing from 12 volts to 14 volts, hoping your meter will be able to follow the pulses.  If the pulsing is too fast then the meter won't repsond. The bright cycle is when the regulator is providing 14.3 volts to the battery, and when it drops to 12 volts will be when the regulator is not offering a charge to the battery.

  ~ Don ~

[71 Bee Man]

Peter, that sounds like the symptom for a regulator honking up.  Using a voltmeter, put it across the battery terminals and see if the voltage is pulsing from 12 volts to 14 volts, hoping your meter will be able to follow the pulses.  If the pulsing is too fast then the meter won't repsond. The bright cycle is when the regulator is providing 14.3 volts to the battery, and when it drops to 12 volts will be when the regulator is not offering a charge to the battery.

  ~ Don ~

Thanks Don,

I'll give it a try in the morning. I'm hoping it's something as simple as that. It's not like I don't have lights or power, you can just visibly notice the lights going brighter and softer whilst they're on.


Peter.