Why Are My Car's Dashboard Lights Flickering?

Finnegan Chevy Buick GMC can help you learn why your car's dashboard lights are flickering.

If you observe your lights dimming while driving, it's probably because of a failing battery. In the rare case when it's not the battery, there are other trouble areas that are likely responsible for the issue. Whether it's your battery or something else, you should get the problem diagnosed and repaired as quickly as possible. When your car lights aren't working correctly, you could become a hazard to yourself and other drivers. The three places dimming lights generally happen are:

Interior lights
Headlights
Dashboard lights

Because the battery is the easiest component to replace, this is where a technician will look first. If the battery is on its way out, bring it to us so we can diagnose the issue and get the specific OEM parts for your vehicle. While most cases result from a dying battery, there are other factors to consider.

Headlight switch going bad

A dying light switch, whether it's the interior lights dimmer or the headlight switch knob, also needs to be considered if you have flickering car lights. In some situations, just replacing a worn switch might solve the flickering light problem, especially in vehicles with excessive mileage or older vehicles. If your car is new, there's a chance it could be symptoms of a bigger issue with the electrical system. Diagnosing these concerns can feel overwhelming, so if you are experiencing any problems with the lights flickering on your car, bring it in immediately. Our trained technicians will thoroughly diagnose the problem and give you options for fixing the flickering dashboard lights.

Alternator

Flickering lights can also be signs the alternator is going bad. Consider this, you have battery power to start your vehicle, but the alternator supplies the power that keeps your car running. If you have an older car with halogen headlights, you may see them slowly get dimmer with a failing alternator. For newer cars equipped with LED or HID lights, they may flicker on and off or just stop working altogether.

Bad bulbs or fuses

If the vehicle battery is not the cause of your flickering car lights, you might be dealing with a failing bulb. Light bulbs are an easy fix and present an opportunity to upgrade to new energy-efficient LED bulbs. If it is a bad fuse, you may be looking at a larger problem than you had originally anticipated. In most cases, a fuse only dies when there is too much electricity runs through it. For example, if the anti-lock brakes are installed with a 10amp fuse, and the brake system receives over 10amps of electrical current, the fuse will fail. In this situation, your anti-lock brakes could fail due to the blown fuse. If there's a fuse that consistently fails, bring your car in so we can diagnose the bigger, potentially more serious problem.

Schedule Service for Chevrolet Buick GMC Near Sugar Land

Finnegan Chevy Buick GMC is one of the most trusted destinations for all your Sugar Land Chevrolet Buick GMC service needs. No matter your vehicle's make or model, we will gladly provide the service it needs. Our helpful staff is standing by to assist you. Visit us in person or online to schedule your service appointment.