# high rpm problem



## md200sxser (May 10, 2004)

i have a 96 200sxser and whenever i get above 6000 rpm's at night the lights both the interior and headlights dim. i dont think this is normal but im unsure so if anyone can give me feedback i would appreciate it.


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## Lucino200sx (Apr 30, 2002)

Check your battery terminals, make sure the + and - are on tight, then check your alternator, and make sure the drive belt is tight... 

just my 2 cents

Lucino


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## theimportscene (Jan 29, 2003)

md200sxser said:


> i have a 96 200sxser and whenever i get above 6000 rpm's at night the lights both the interior and headlights dim. i dont think this is normal but im unsure so if anyone can give me feedback i would appreciate it.


what lucino said... i had the same problem; i checked the connections, but no results until i replaced the alternator :balls:


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## nizzan4u2nv (Apr 14, 2004)

Sounds like an alternator problem.


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## B14_Stealth (Aug 14, 2003)

i second that


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## Bryan200sx (Jan 23, 2003)

bad grounds? when the alternator spins at high revs it might not be grounding out as good as it can ( im taking a guess here ) might be worth checking out hook it up to volt meter. do your RPM's jump a lil when ur turn your lights on regularly?
my 2 cents


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## stevja1 (Jan 25, 2004)

Bryan200sx said:


> bad grounds? when the alternator spins at high revs it might not be grounding out as good as it can ( im taking a guess here ) might be worth checking out hook it up to volt meter. do your RPM's jump a lil when ur turn your lights on regularly?
> my 2 cents


Hey.. I love bringin theads back to life, but I was wondering if there are any updates...

I've noticed that my car has had the same problem. I didn't think anything of it, but I though that maybe the low voltage could affect high rpm performance... anyway... was this issue ever resolved for any of you? I just replaced my alternator, and both do this. The belts are tight. I'm thinking it might be a bad ground or something. Anyway.... back to the point, has somebody found a solution?


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## B14_Stealth (Aug 14, 2003)

does the battery light or the air bag light come on when you accelerate/ or when the lights dim?


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## stevja1 (Jan 25, 2004)

B14_Stealth said:


> does the battery light or the air bag light come on when you accelerate/ or when the lights dim?


Thanks for the quick reply.

Nope... I danced that dance before. The old alternator did that, and sometimes at idle, or when I was lightly accelerating. It was because I had the belts on too tight, and it fried the bearings. The Voltage Regulator went out and I had to get a new alt.

With this, as I accelerate, the lights (not hi-beams), gradually go dimmer, and when the car shifts, I notice a big difference in the intensity of the light.

I'm betting that the higher RPMs require a significant amount of power to make the spark plugs spark as fast as they do, and that in combination with poor grounding is what is causing it. I've checked my battery cables, and they have some corrosion in them. I need to get new cables or something... I'm hoping that will work. I also imagine a good optimus battery would help too. Those are the only things I can think of.

The alternator I pulled out of a car with 50k miles on it in a junk yard. It was covered, and had been there for a month tops. It has a 90 day warrenty on it, so if it is the alt, I could still take it back.


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## B14_Stealth (Aug 14, 2003)

hmm interesting...
have you changed yoru spark plugs or spark plug wires ?


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## stevja1 (Jan 25, 2004)

B14_Stealth said:


> hmm interesting...
> have you changed yoru spark plugs or spark plug wires ?


About a month ago, I changed the plugs and rotor and cap. Wires are still there. Those are the next ones to go. I hope to get a grounding kit at the same time as I do the plug wires. I can't afford to do it now, because I just paid car insurance and registered my car. That is an interesting thought though.


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## Coheed (Oct 12, 2004)

It isn't a grounding problem most likely. I had the same problem and i changed my alternator. PROBLEM SOLVED! :thumbup:


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## stevja1 (Jan 25, 2004)

Coheed said:


> It isn't a grounding problem most likely. I had the same problem and i changed my alternator. PROBLEM SOLVED! :thumbup:


I think our respective problems may differ slightly. I recently changed my alternator also. (About 2-3 months ago). I still want to try the grounding kit, and if that still doesn't work, then maybe I got a bum alternator.


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## SXY_SR20DET (Aug 21, 2003)

Okay guys, as far as I know, when your lights dim and stuff ant high RPMs, then it means that you're sucking too much power for the alternator to handle. Now both suggestions are valid in this case. Personally, before replacing the alternator, I would look at all your grounds. See if any wires have lost their insulation, see if there is any corrosion anywhere. Check to see if all contacts are secure and stiff (AKA no loose connections).

If all things are in working order, then I would check your alternator. Usually a lousy contact or ground is the issue, especially if you have had no issues before and this is just a recent problem.

Just remember that the alternator only puts out a certain amount of charge. If the draw is too large, then you will see things dim. Mine dims when I redline, not that I should be doing that anyway. 

Hope this helps!


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## stevja1 (Jan 25, 2004)

I wanted to follow up on this and make it complete.

I installed a grounding kit yesterday. The original ground wire was corroded to all the way to the end. It has been replaced by a four gauge high fiber count wire. I also ran a seperate ground to the alternator. My lights at night seemed brighter, and the sound system is more crisp. When I hit high rpms though, lights start to dim still, so I'm beginning to think it's the alternator. (Which sucks cause this is a fairly new nissan one.)


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## Nismo1997 (Dec 26, 2003)

My car is starting to do this :thumbdwn:


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## payk (May 5, 2004)

yeah they are right , the alt can only put out so much power with lights and efi and sound system so high revs would generally overwork it and cause your lights to dim (which is better than having your EFI stutter) so it is probably normal and the stock alt is onyl good for about 60 watts output anyways so to avoid that you need to get an upgraded alt that puts out 120 watts or more to handle Hi DB soundsytems and lights along with the EFI stuff
but unless your lights start dimming to the music i dont think the alt is going bad just being overworked


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