Lights flicker with turn signals (was: Peggy Sue's +/- situation)

["Dick Benjamin" <DickB@xxxxxxxxx>]

No, you don't polarize the modern systems (that is, anything  with an
alternator!)

The flickering of the lights with the turn signal is a sign of varying
voltage in the system, true, but it has nothing to do with a failure in the
regulator.  However, changing the regulator to a constant voltage type as
discussed here ad nauseum WILL eliminate the flickering because now the
alternator will instantly compensate for the changing load as the turn
signals blink (especially on the 67s, with 6 bulbs-a-blinking on each
side!), but the car as designed works just fine with the old stuff, and has
for many years, usually.

If the flickering bothers you, by all means change to the newer regulator.
Your ammeter will still follow the changing current drain, as indeed it is
designed to do (I mean it will still twitch in time with the blinker).

I kind of like it, in fact in daylight it is the only way I can tell if the
blinkers are operating (looking at the ammeter), because I am color blind
and can't see the fender top indicators in daylight.

Dick Benjamin
----- Original Message -----
From: "David A. Barker" <d_barker@xxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 7:22 PM
Subject: Re: IML: Peggy Sue's +/- situation


> Hi All,
>    It's been a long time since I had regulator problems, but, if I
> remember correctly, when the thing is shot, you'll notice that when you
> have a turn signal on, your dash and headlights will flicker in time with
> the blinker, and also your ammeter guage needle will "wiggle" very
> noticably in time with blinker, too. Also, the ammeter will show that the
> system is discharging slightly. If it does all that then I would
> definitely go for the regulator. When I get confused, I muster up all my
> car expertise and start throwing parts at it starting with the cheap
> stuff!:-) Memory being what it is...to the rest of the IML...do you still
> have to "polarize" the regulator?
>
>
> Dave
> 67 HAZE GREEN Sedan
> Covington, Wa.
>
>