[I've had this problem before, and figured it was my battery. My bat. was dead or dying, so i replaced it with a Red Top. figured that was the end of it...]

i'll be driving and my voltmeter will flip out. from 14.5 volts to 10-12. back and forth, then my h.u will turn off for a few seconds then back on again. whats up?

also, i'm not sure if this is normal, but frequently when i stop at a red light, my voltmeter will fluctuate. i'll stop and it'll move from 14-12 and back and forth. as soon as i hit the gas it goes back to 14-14.5. :huh: whats w/ that??

do i need to check all my wiring, or what?

Bump... anyone?... anything??

Things turning on and off intermittently sounds like a short somewhere.

it'll spike out like crazy, back and forth, then turn off and on....

alternator?

could be... but wouldn't it do it more often then maybe once a month? (didnt mention that) its really weird.

beyond brakes and oil this weekend, i think thats my next investment. a new alt. mine as well hit up mr. alternator for one..

It sounds like the voltage regulator, but that is built into the alt. so you need to replace the whole thing. But it would be pretty consistant. Try putting a voltmeter on the battery directly to make sure its not something else first. If things are turning on and off it really sounds like a short after the battery, or some huge draw from somewhere . DO you have a stereo system or just an aftermarket HU?

aftermarket. i do have a system, but it does it wether the amp is on or off. (had it happen with each)

Alternator or it could just need a tune-up bad!!! Do you notice the rpm's drop when it voltage goes crazy?

yeah i'm thinking it's a bad ground someplace.
even if alternator kicked out. and u went down to 12 volts
you cd player shouldent shut off. it's suppose to run at 12 volts

I am thinking there is a short someplace/bad ground.
and if thats the case. good luck troubleshooting that.
But replacing the alternator would probly be the easiest attempt at fixing it.

no rpm drops at any time. my car still runs like a champ. it could possibly be the connections i have in my fuse box. i gotta find a better way to do those...

but i don't have time or money right now, so it totally sucks balls.