Hello, I drive a 2001 chevy Tahoe and I had an issue where the volt meter was bouncing and the headlights would flicker while driving. I took it to a mechanic and they said the alternator was going bad, so I had them replace it. They said battery was good and everything looked normal. Now a week later, the problem is back and I am trying to figure out where else the issue could be coming from. Looks like all the cables have good connection. Could this be caused by a bad tensioner on the serpentine belt? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Welcome from Florida. I would have the battery tested. Check your battery cables at both ends.

 

Thanks, checked the battery and it is good. I am wondering if a bad ground connection could cause this and if so, how to find it and correct it?

 

Not a bad idea to disconnect the ground/negative cable and ensure that all the connections are clean and shiny, like to use steel wool. Ground spots can include body, chassis, and engine.

I did all that on my 1988 Mazda truck last year.....

 

Thanks for the replies. It turned out to be a bad alternator after all. I replaced it and now my volt meter is steady and headlight flicker is gone.

 

Great !!! Mechanic was apparently correct but just got a crappy new part first time !!!