Pulsating headlights 07 civic

Asked by Civicmase07 Dec 12, 2018 at 01:51 AM about the 2007 Honda Civic Coupe EX

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hey guys, the headlights on my 2007 civic have been
pulsating for a while now but tonight it was the worst.
Tested the battery with a multi meter and it read 14. We
disconnected the negative terminal and the car remained
running, which I was told if the car had died that would
mean bad alternator, the weird thing is when we re
connected the negative wire to the battery it temporarily
fixed the pulsating headlights... The more power I drew
(heat, stereo, etc,) the headlights would temporarily dim
then brighten back up. Revving the engine SOMETIMES
stops the pulsating. And like I said they dont always
pulsate. Tonight was very cold and it was the craziest I've
witnessed my headlights do that. Almost as of the var
needs to warm up? But sometimes I pull into my drive and
can see them pulsating after driving home from work. I
have yet to replace the battery or alternator, just looking for
some advice or maybe someone who experienced the
same thing and fixed it themselves?

6 Answers
22,660

Guru9FSV8 answered 6 years ago

Clean all your grounds on your car. Doing a voltage drop test can narrow your issue to what connection. Sand to bare metal. How are your terminals on your battery? Corrosion? Could be a wire with high resistance. You should be able to find this with this voltage drop test.

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Civicmase07 answered 6 years ago

Voltage drop test? Like I did on my terminals? Terminals are clean... could it be the wrong size battery? And would disconnecting the negative make the car IMMEDIATELY die of it is the alternator?

Mark helpful
22,660

Guru9FSV8 answered 6 years ago

YouTube this voltage drop test and you will get a complete guide to each step. ChrisFix and South Main Auto have good videos on this topic.

Mark helpful
159,355

Bob answered 6 years ago

Disconnecting a battery terminal from a running vehicle is one of those stupid short cuts that shouldn't be done. Disconnection the negative battery cable while the engine is running can send a surge or spike of electricity through the electric system and this may cause very expensive issues. The battery normally acts like a buffer for these surges and spikes. Question? Are the pulsating headlights stock or aftermarket? If they are stock I would think the alternator may have an issue with one of the diodes. Get it tested.

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Civicmase07 answered 6 years ago

Headlights are stock. I'll clean all grounds and connections in the morning. Thanks for the help guys. It just looks like changing this alternator is going to be a bitch without it being in the air and I just dont have the cash at this time... hoping someone had similar problems and there was an easy fix.

Mark helpful

Civicmase07 answered 6 years ago

Also sometimes as I arrive home I can see them pulsing against the garage door. Turning them off and then back will stop it, but then as I rev the engine the begin pulsating again... sound like alternator forsure to anyone following this thread? Could it be my battery?

Mark helpful

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