Wiring/Alternator Issue? Idiot Lights.

[DuoWing]

Ok, so recently I've been noticing that my Z's idiot lights, brake, door, fuel, etc are staying on. While driving. My ignition or charging light, or whatever it says doesn't work as the bulb is dead and I haven't pulled the cluster to replace it.

 

Anyway for the most part my lights will stay on, sometimes they'll go off after a moment or so, or they'll stay on for half the drive home. Sometimes all the way until I get home. Today I turned the car off and it wouldn't restart. Battery had about 11.6volts across the terminals. Got a jump and made sure everything was off, headlights, interior lights, etc. Battery was showing about 13.8-ish volts across the terminals. My Uncle was saying that's normal and that means the alternator is working fine, that it may be related to a ground or some kind of electrical problem causing a short. One thing I've noticed for a good while is that my dash blower motor will randomly cut off and start working again while driving. The blower issue has been going on for a while, but just recently did this problem with the idiot lights start.

 

After the drive back home with headlights on, headunit and speakers going, fan motor going, interior lights on, etc. I checked my voltage across my terminals and it was getting just about 13 volts. So this seems like the alternator is good. Turned the blower off and then I was getting about 13.25 volts, and the idle then started to smooth out. Would the fan motor shorting or arcing be enough to cause issues like this?

[woldson]

It is odd that your alt is putting out fine and your dummy lights would come on. Hummmm. Check fuseable links and connections. Ignition switch may be the issue.

[Zedback]

Hi, Other side of the world but had the same thing happen weekend before last, warning lights all came on while on the freeway yet the car continued to run ok. However over the next ten minutes the temp started to rise. When I got home and checked under the bonnet I found the harmonic balancer on the crank pulley had completely delaminated and it's the pulley ring that drives the alternator and water pump. Replaced the crank pulley Saturday and raced it around a motorkhana course Sunday with no more problems. Looking back over the past month I had been experiencing odd charging problems and I'm wondering if the crank pulley has been slipping for a while when at speed, but had been ok at idle. I'm no expert so might be coincidence but probably worth checking out.

[roger.svoboda]

there are some posts about this somewhere. If I remember right it has to do with alternator not charging the battery correctly. when this happens all the lights come on. check to make sure your battery cables (pos and neg) are both clean and free of corrosion, tight both ends. On the zx the ground cable (neg) should go from the battery post to a bolt on the frame just below the battery box and then to the starter. Many times people cut off the frame ground and go direct to the starter thus creating a poor ground situation. If this is the case on your car I would try going back to the original configuration (negative post to frame to starter). clean everything up good to ensure good electrical connection and bolts are tight. be sure battery clamps themselves are mechanically sound. If you have one of those clamp on the cable one size fit all type. throw it as far as you can and put in a well made new cable. the oem strap type connectors have a habit of cracking from overtightening and look okay on casual inspection but don't actually give you a good connection.