O2 and Battery light?? Random flickering

[CorsePerVita]

One night on my way home I noticed my battery light AND O2 light both flickered for about 5 seconds then stopped. It was very very cold outside, at first I thought it was a fluke. I found a place to pull over and hopped under to feel if the O2 wire came loose, it was fine. I obviously didn't have the tools to check the alternator.

Upon getting home I checked the battery charge which was fine.

For weeks the car did not do it. It was fine.

The other morning I was driving around town and at the light when the car hit idle, a few times the battery light and O2 light flickered at me.

I could understand if just the battery light flashed and I was dealing with some sort of charging issue. But the O2 light as well?

It's done it a few other times since then. Only at idle. It is hard to know when it will do it. The car seems to not run any different at all and doesn't appear to act any differently. Starts fine, runs fine.

I cleaned the ground off and found no corrosion on the alternator connections when I first got the car (along with the rest of the grounds on the car) and the battery seemed fine with a multimeter when I checked it.

I will check the charge with the car running and see what it measures with the multimeter. However, why would the O2 light be flickering at me too when the alternator light flashes? I've looked all over and can't seem to find any rhyme or reason as they are separate devices. Aside from the fact that the O2 and the rest of the lights are all on only when the key is "ON" and now when the car is actually started, perhaps something is reading as it is off???

[Joe Bob]

Your idle may be adjusted a bit low and when cool falling below the rpm needed to keep the bulb off. You have a voltmeter, what numbers are getting? What is your idle speed?

As to the O2 light.....which light are you refering to? I have an 83 and don't have an O2 light....

[CorsePerVita]

Good point on the idle speed. it does sometimes get a bit low. I might need to see if I need to adjust it. As to the voltmeter, the battery was 12.5V - not sure what it is with the car running. Haven't checked. I'll report back some numbers when I get some solid numbers.

On mine I have a light marked "O2" between my tach and speedo. Looked OEM to me, unless it was later added?

[Joe Bob]

12.5 at rest

13-13.5 at idle

no more than 14.2 at 2500 rpms.

I'm running a 3.6 in my SC, but if I remember....a 3.0 idles at 950 rpms.....it also could be a decel valve that is snapping shut to fast or a leak in the vacuum line.

[CorsePerVita]

Hmmm i'll double check my vacuum lines. I replaced them all, but that isn't to say that something hasn't happened or one hasn't come loose.

[psalt]

On mine I have a light marked "O2" between my tach and speedo. Looked OEM to me, unless it was later added?


The O2 sensor light is OEM, it is merely a counter that reminds you to replace the O2 sensor at 30 K miles and has nothing to do with the status or operation of the lambda system. You need to hook up a dwell meter to the test connector if you want to know if the O2 sensor is working correctly and if the mixture is set correctly.

[CorsePerVita]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

12.5 at rest

13-13.5 at idle

no more than 14.2 at 2500 rpms.

I'm running a 3.6 in my SC, but if I remember....a 3.0 idles at 950 rpms.....it also could be a decel valve that is snapping shut to fast or a leak in the vacuum line.

Ended up with 12.5 at rest and 13.2ish at rev. So those figures are fine.

I think this may be idle related as sometimes the car does go very low upon idle.