heater runs off the engine coolant heat. its not electric

 

But the fan is, isnt it?

So I have two seperate issues here..

This was the first time this has ever happened with the heat and the headlights. Its was 7 degrees out.

I have roof rack lights and bumper lights but had those on for a year and never had this issue. It seemed to only happen if I brake hard.

 

check the battery, the alt does not handle sudden power surges, the battery supply's the extra power while the alt plays catch up..

 

What am I looking for? Its the the stock batt BTW.

 

check the air cabin air filter behind the glove box.

 

look in the little window on the top of the battery, there should be a diagram on the battery for what color means good or bad

 

do you own a volt meter?

 

No but I could grab one. I doubt the stock batt is bad at 34K. These Panasonic batts are supposed to be amazing.

 

most people don't drive around in 7* weather..

 

time and weather kills battery's not mileage..

 

does the voltage gauge on the dash move when you brake?

 

I dont know, Ill check tomm though.

 

X2 on making sure connections are clean.
This is a classic example of a power issue.
As temps get colder your battery gets weaker, that's why when you buy a battery you look at the CCA (cold cranking amps).
Most factory batteries are "minimum" for what the vehicle needs.

Stock batteries cannot handle being drawn way down and charged repeatedly, they're designed to just be maintained.

I killed my stock battery in the winter time winching people out of the ditch.
I now have a much larger deep cycle battery that can handle being drained and charged.

It's not an airflow issue. It's a power issue, specifically battery... possibly alternator.... mostly cold related.

What I also do at times is drive in 4th gear (I have an AT) and keep the rpm's up and charge the battery better as I drive.

Get the battery load tested as stated above.

Put your battery on a trickle charger overnight once in a while. I do this for mine even though I have a high output alternator too. The battery perks right up.

:cheers:

 

X2 on making sure connections are clean.
This is a classic example of a power issue.
As temps get colder your battery gets weaker, that's why when you buy a battery you look at the CCA (cold cranking amps).

It's not an airflow issue. It's a power issue, specifically battery... possibly alternator.... mostly cold related.

What I also do at times is drive in 4th gear (I have an AT) and keep the rpm's up and charge the battery better as I drive.

Get the battery load tested as stated above.

Put your battery on a trickle charger overnight once in a while. I do this for mine even though I have a high output alternator too. The battery perks right up.

:cheers:

^^^^ X2 this is solid advise and the best approach ^^^

Check connections - power and grounds
Load test battery
Measure and test alternator output

The cold limits the battery current output but heat is the real enemy of batteries, especially in the interruptible power supply industry. Ten degrees over seventy will half the life of the battery.

 

Ok, so today I checked and yes indeed the voltage meter on the dashboard panel dips when I hit the brakes.

 

its normal. my 13 does it too. it dims a little bit. its unregulated voltage so of course when you have more lights turning on (brakes), the voltage will take a dip.
all halogen head light cars Ive owned all did it. the only way to not do it is to have HID's cuz they are regulated.

 

This is the first time its done it in almost 3 years of ownership though.

 

Still shouldn't be doing what is being described. Maybe I just haven't noticed but I really do not recall ever experiencing this phenomenon and my Panasonic has been there since Sept. '06.

I would also advise checking the connections if you have not.

 

Hmmmm.... I guess I'm wrong.

 

revive.

been noticing this with my truck this year, I remember it a little from last year but it stands out more this year. had my alternator rebuilt over the summer with OEM parts. Just put a redtop in the truck. just did the big 3. still seeing this. have upgraded several of my little 194 bulbs to LED which id imagine helps a little at night.

I can hear my heater fan reving higher when start from a stop sign. Not sure whats causing this, wondering now if its a weak tensioner (140k). plan to change that out soon as well as idlers. ill report back once that's done. would like to get it handled before I go adding more lights and a winch.

 

If your headlights are dimming when you hit the brakes, I would almost think this is normal. Mine have done it slightly for as long as I can remember. Through 3 batteries and no matter what the weather is.

As far as the blower motor, I'm not much help. Good luck.