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Does anyone ever notice your headlights dim a good bit when you turn the A/C on or maybe even the heat?

I've noticed it for awhile and it just makes me mad. Is it normal if so what causes it? If not what do I have to do to fix it?

 
Rep Power: 289

yes it is normal. Your alternator and battery can only give you so much power. So the more items you have running off your electrical system at once the less power everything gets.

 
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is there any way to make it not so bad?

 
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upgrade your factory grounds to 4 awg and buy a deep cycle battery. But nothing will eliminate it. Because your a/c will work better than it did b4 but when you turn on the radio and headlights a % of the new more power will go to the other items. so your a/c may be working better with the new bat and grounds and everything on but you will still notice the a/c weaken when you turn on acc.

 
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can you send me in the right direction to buy those grounds. thanks alot nick95673

 
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retrofit some valeos in some TYCs, a good HID kit, and then try it

 
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http://www.7thgencivic.com/memberrid...imageuser=8177 this wire replaces the stock engine ground. then run another wire from the body to the negative terminal battery.
http://www.7thgencivic.com/memberrid...imageuser=8177 then run this ground back to the negative terminal on the battery.
http://www.7thgencivic.com/memberrid...imageuser=8177 then run another wire from the tranny to the negative terminal battery.
http://www.7thgencivic.com/memberrid...imageuser=8177 thats what your battery terminal should look like when all is done.

just buy some 4 awg from a local stereo shop and (8) 4 awg ring terminals.
you can also buy an hvs kit.

^all are from gearbox's pics

 
Rep Power: 289

o and look gearbox is getting rid of his hvs http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=234029

 
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thanks I knew I saw those pics somewhere that helps alot I think I might try it since it seems real easy and cheap.

 
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I have some blue 4awg wire in the shop, $.99 a foot, however much you want. Ring terminals with black or red cover sleeves, $.99 each.

I also have ground distribution blocks that you can tie all grounds to and then run a lead to the battery if you want, give me a few min to get the images uploaded and I'll post pics and prices.

 
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Okay, here's the ground block I have available:



Six 4awg ports, One 0awg port. You don't have to use the 0awg port if you don't want to, but if you locate the block close to the battery, you won't need much 0awg wire.

Wiring Supplies has the wire and ring terminals you can use to build your own ground kit.

 
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you can run a bigger alternator or deep cycle battery also if you have amps you can add a capacitor

 
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My voltage drop from 13.8V to 11.8V at full throttle with A/C OFF. The deeper I press the pedal, the lower it drops. But even I hit the pedal a little bit it still droped to 12.4V. When I turn A/C on, the voltage doesn't drop, what's wrong?

 
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Funny that you mention this, when I'm bored, I flick the window swithces for the driver and passanger windows at the same time to see the light dim. I noticed that since I first got the civic, and I still find it funny that these cars do that.

 
Rep Power: 259

yeah well all of little things here and there running I didn't realize that it could draw that much power to see a difference with the performance of those things.

I really hope that by upgrading my grounding wires it will lessen the problem.