Headlights = Dim interior lights

[Russinating]

Hey all.. probably first post in this section so hopefully someone can shed some light (no pun intended).

Basically, whenever my headlights are on my interior lights are dim (this includes speedometer, rev counter, roof light and even stereo\clock display (goes almost completely blank)). My headlight brightness seems fine and I noticed it about a week or two ago. Everything else seems normal.. music is unaffected (volume/distortion wise).

Is it simply a dying battery? Anything that can be done other than replace?

Car is an S reg Clio. Cheers in advance

 

[rG-tom]

sounds like alternator to me, get a multimeter accross the battery terminals and see how much the voltage drops when you turn various things on

 

[MikeHunt79]

Maybe - you are getting voltage drop due to the internal resistance of the battery.

Leave it on charge overnight and see if it still does it.

 

[Firestar_3x]

You need to run a battery tester on the car with the engine on and off, this will tell you if its an alternator or battery fault.

I think halfords will do this test for free.

 

[Phil W]

Has the car got an interior dash lights dimmer?

 

[Russinating]

Has the car got an interior dash lights dimmer?

Well I feel sheepish

 

[Howard]

Hang on, this is normal on most cars isn't it? On every car I've owned, things like LCD displays dim when you put the lights on, i.e. at night, to stop unnecessary glare from the interior

 

[Finglonga]

Hang on, this is normal on most cars isn't it? On every car I've owned, things like LCD displays dim when you put the lights on, i.e. at night, to stop unnecessary glare from the interior

Only the Clock and stereo, the interior light shouldn't though.

 

[MikeHunt79]

Hang on, this is normal on most cars isn't it?

Yes, but if the battery or alternator is shot it will dim a lot more than normal

Less volts = dimmer bulb