could some kind soul take a guess as to what might cause an intermittent (sometimes
on, then off after a little driving) illumination of dashboard warning lights (check
engine, transmission, oil, etc..etc..)
I did replace alternator when about a year ago these all came on and it was easy to
detect as there was a little smoke coming from the old alternator and after
replacement, all was well
now I may drive for days, all is well, then some evening (this happens mostly when
driving with headlights on at night), the lights come on and after a few miles they
shut off
battery is almost new and all connections appear solid, should I pull and replace all
fuses?
trooper 93 with 3.2 liter dohc v6 and 74k miles
thanks for any suggestions
Erik-Jan Geniets - 13 Feb 2006 17:33 GMT
> could some kind soul take a guess as to what might cause an intermittent (sometimes
> on, then off after a little driving) illumination of dashboard warning lights (check
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> thanks for any suggestions
Sounds familiar. On all my Troopers the alternators were always the
weakest link.
Looks like the alternator again to me. Is not impossible for a rebuilt
one to break down after a year of service. Not sure though so let
someone check this first.
Good-luck,
Erik-Jan.

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Erik-Jan Geniets - 13 Feb 2006 17:34 GMT
> could some kind soul take a guess as to what might cause an intermittent (sometimes
> on, then off after a little driving) illumination of dashboard warning lights (check
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> thanks for any suggestions
Check also for bad connections to the alternator.
Erik-Jan.

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http://www.fotograaf.com/trooper
Nina - 13 Feb 2006 19:45 GMT
> Check also for bad connections to the alternator.
will do (smile) - can you give me a couple pointers on how-to detect a "bad
connection" ?
Erik-Jan Geniets - 13 Feb 2006 21:57 GMT
> > Check also for bad connections to the alternator.
>
> will do (smile) - can you give me a couple pointers on how-to detect a "bad
> connection" ?
If there is one, check the connector just outside the alternator. It
contains 3 to 4 wires normally.
Disconnect it. Check if every wire is well connected to the connector
half. Check if the contacts are clean etc.
Erik-Jan.
David - 17 Feb 2006 17:25 GMT
>> > Check also for bad connections to the alternator.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Erik
Nina
Check or have someone check the voltage across the battery with the engine
stopped and the engine running. It the voltage should be higher with the
engine running around 13.5 V I think
Did all the bulbs light up for a few seconds when the ignition was turned on
before the fault developed. If they did my guess the problem is to do with
the unit which controls that function.
An awful lot of connection problem in vehicles are to do with the earth
connections i.e the connection to chasis. Please excuse me but I have no
way of knowing your knowledge level or experience. Electrical circuits
usually need at least two connections to make them work. For basic stuff on
cars like bulbs etc. that often consist of a wire from a switch which is the
positive. The negative is often connected by a bolt or screw to the chasis
or body of the car to which the negative of the battery is connected.
These earth or chassis connection can easily be not very good because of
paint between the contact and the body, corrosion, rust etc. If it looks
like there is any rust or dirt in the vicinity undo the connection and clean
both the contact surfaces with some sandpaper or a fine file (used gently).
I had ongoing problems with a mod someone had done to my Trooper caused by a
poor eart contact.
Good Luck
David