Shawnee Mission Kia can show you what makes the lights on your car or truck flicker.
If you observe your vehicle lights flickering while driving, it’s probably because of a failing battery. If your car battery is normal, there are other common trouble spots that may be responsible for the issue. Whether it’s your battery or something else, you should have the problem repaired ASAP. When your car lights aren’t working correctly, you may become a danger to other drivers.
The 3 areas flickering car lights generally occur are:
Interior lights
Headlights
Lights on the Dashboard
Since the battery is the most convenient component to replace, this is where a technician will look first. If the battery is dying, bring it to us so we can properly diagnose the problem and get the right parts for your vehicle. While there are cases caused due to a dying battery, there are other culprits to consider.
If your battery isn’t the reason for your flickering car lights, it could be a dying light bulb or a bad fuse. Dead 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 could be looking at a more significant problem than you had originally thought. In most cases, a fuse only dies when there is excess electricity flowing through it. As an example, if the anti-lock brakes are connected to a 10amp fuse, and the fuse gets more than 10amps of electricity, the fuse would fail. In this example, a blown fuse could cause your anti-lock brakes to fail. If there’s a fuse that consistently fails, bring your car in and we will thoroughly diagnose the larger, potentially more serious problem.
Alternator
Lights flickering on the dash may also be one of the signs that your alternator is failing. Think of it this way, you have battery power to start your vehicle, but to keep your vehicle running, the power is supplied by your alternator. If you own an old vehicle with halogen headlights, you may see them gradually get dimmer with a dying alternator. For newer cars equipped with HID or LED lighting, they may flicker on and off or just stop functioning altogether.
Headlight switch going bad
A failing light switch, either the interior light dimmer or the headlight switch knob, also needs to be considered if you have flickering car lights. In some uncommon situations, replacing a worn switch may solve the flickering light problem, especially in vehicles with excessive mileage or older vehicles. If your car is newer, it could be symptoms of a bigger issue with the car’s electrical system.
Diagnosing these concerns can be overwhelming, so if you are experiencing any issues with flickering lights on your car, bring it in immediately. Our trained technicians will thoroughly investigate the issue and give you options for fixing the flickering lights.
Schedule Kia Service Near Kansas City
Shawnee Mission Kia is an ideal place to get vehicle service in the Kansas City area. We happily service all vehicle makes and models. One of our factory-trained technicians will inspect your car or truck to determine if there are any needed repairs and will suggest the best resolution for you and your vehicle. Schedule your car or SUV service online or in person today.
