BJ74 strange idle behavior. (1 Viewer)

[MyCruiserisaHogBeast]

This is hard to describe. After I replaced the batteries and installed a new negative battery cable, the lights in the dash will flash like the engine has stalled when lugging the engine but not stalling, like when loping along in traffic. I’m not sure why this is happening. Any ideas?

(Don’t mind the oil pressure gauge, my oil pressure is fine the gauge is wonky)

 

[coldtaco]

usually means something wrong with alternator

 

[FJBen]

Yep alternator or more than likely the voltage regulator. Is yours external?

 

[MyCruiserisaHogBeast]

Yep alternator or more than likely the voltage regulator. Is yours external?

I believe it’s internal. How would I test? Obviously the meter on the dash is more of an “on” light but works fine. One of my old batteries froze during the cold snap last winter and was limping along at 7 volts, I held out as long as I could before replacing, the meter would bounce with lights and the stereo. With the new batteries the meter is back in the middle of the gauge and steady, so I know it’s working.

 

[Behemoth60]

Bad ground. It's always a bad ground. Check all grounds... battery to body.. body to frame, frame to engine. Those pesky electrons from the alternator need to traverse that treacherous gauntlet of ground cables. If you recently replace the ground cable, and it was working before, it probably needs some attention. Bad grounds are the cause of numerous intermittent/difficult to diagnose problems. So much so, that now when someone says "I have problem with an electri..." "It's a bad ground" is my instinctive response. Solves about 50% of the problems.