Lights still flickering - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

robdtoyota · 03-12-2010, 02:53 PM

Has anyone heard of a fix for the Avalons that are plagued with flickering headlights? The inside lights along with the headlights flicker rapidly while the car is running. Not when the car engine is turned off. I have a 2000 Avalon. I have seen this complaint before but I have never read a solution. If you can help, please write back. thanks - Rob

azsimonsez · 03-13-2010, 10:36 AM

I replaced my alternator and my flickering seems to be gone. I'll check more closely and let you for sure, but I'm pretty sure it's fixed.

robdtoyota · 03-14-2010, 10:44 AM

Thanks, Simonsez. I appreciate it.

Riick · 03-19-2010, 07:57 PM

Hasn't happened with my Toy, but was a problem with an old BMW I have.
On that car, pulled the alternator, and was going to rebuild it, but with that particular French alternator,
could not source parts. So, after cleaning up the innards and all connections, put it back on the car.
Whoops, now worked FINE.
Apparently there was a poor connection somewhere.
May even have been the simple connections from the alternator to the rest of the car, or the Ground.

Since I doubt you want to take apart the Alt yourself, suggest you swap out alternator with a rebuilt unit.

/

jfmoran · 09-22-2011, 06:22 PM

I had the same problem-cleaned the battery terminals and looked to clean the ground, but the wire snaked underneath the air/cleaner filter-so it looked to be too much work. I decided to add a ground. I had 3/4 inch copper braid which I obtained lugs for from home depot. Then added the ground to the nearest place, which turned out to be a channel on the rain gulley on the frame.(note, not the engine) I cleaned the 10mm nut area with abrasives and bolted it back down.
I was not at all convinced it would do anything, but to my amazement the light on the dash and the headlights were much brighter and the flickering ceased altogether.
Hope this helps others!!

robdtoyota · 09-22-2011, 07:35 PM

Thanks, JM. I will try that this weekend. It stops for awhile and then starts again. I will post the results. Rob

whanner · 09-28-2011, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfmoran

I had the same problem-cleaned the battery terminals and looked to clean the ground, but the wire snaked underneath the air/cleaner filter-so it looked to be too much work. I decided to add a ground. I had 3/4 inch copper braid which I obtained lugs for from home depot. Then added the ground to the nearest place, which turned out to be a channel on the rain gulley on the frame.(note, not the engine) I cleaned the 10mm nut area with abrasives and bolted it back down.
I was not at all convinced it would do anything, but to my amazement the light on the dash and the headlights were much brighter and the flickering ceased altogether.
Hope this helps others!!

so you added a ground from the battery to the chassis or alternator to the chassis?

jfmoran · 09-28-2011, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whanner

so you added a ground from the battery to the chassis or alternator to the chassis?

Added from the battery to the chassis ground at the nearest point with a 10mm existing bolt in the rain gutter.

whanner · 09-28-2011, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfmoran

Added from the battery to the chassis ground at the nearest point with a 10mm existing bolt in the rain gutter.

ok...thanks. I tried it on mine but it didnt seem to help. my alternator may be week.

rsroark · 11-14-2011, 11:34 AM

I recently took my wife's 2001 Avalon to the Toyota house to get checked out. The lights (interior and exterior) flicker. Seems much worse at higher RPM's. I wanted to share the info I was given and see if anyone agrees with what Toyota told me. First off, we tried the following repair attemts: Swamped batteries with my Camry which is fine - no luck, Installed a new alternator - no luck, checked battery grounds, and other grounds and even installed a new ground to test - no luck. The shop then opened a ticket with the corporate division. Took about 24 hours and the corp. office responded. They basically said this is a known issue and is no repairable. They said to unplug the air fuel ratio sensor - which we did - and bam the flickering stopped. I thought that would be the fix - to replace the sensor but they said that it isn't the sensor that is bad but the circuit itself. They said they have tested replacing the sensor and even the wiring harness but no luck. Can't believe this issue is not repairable. I decided to call the corp. office back. They basically said there is no recall and just keep my eyes out for a techincal bulletin. Well, no way there will be a new bulletin on a 2001..... They did say the issue will not hurt anything and shouldn't cause any other issues. however, it seems like it has gotten worse. If anyone has seen this please let me know.

***TrailDust*** · 11-14-2011, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsroark

I recently took my wife's 2001 Avalon to the Toyota house to get checked out. The lights (interior and exterior) flicker. Seems much worse at higher RPM's. I wanted to share the info I was given and see if anyone agrees with what Toyota told me. First off, we tried the following repair attemts: Swamped batteries with my Camry which is fine - no luck, Installed a new alternator - no luck, checked battery grounds, and other grounds and even installed a new ground to test - no luck. The shop then opened a ticket with the corporate division. Took about 24 hours and the corp. office responded. They basically said this is a known issue and is no repairable. They said to unplug the air fuel ratio sensor - which we did - and bam the flickering stopped. I thought that would be the fix - to replace the sensor but they said that it isn't the sensor that is bad but the circuit itself. They said they have tested replacing the sensor and even the wiring harness but no luck. Can't believe this issue is not repairable. I decided to call the corp. office back. They basically said there is no recall and just keep my eyes out for a techincal bulletin. Well, no way there will be a new bulletin on a 2001..... They did say the issue will not hurt anything and shouldn't cause any other issues. however, it seems like it has gotten worse. If anyone has seen this please let me know.

Merged your thread with an existing thread regarding this issue. You may also want to read through this thread as well regarding flickering lights (whether internal or external).