Lights dimming slightly when under load....

[R99]

Hi all

Just a quick question really...

Last night when I was driving home in the pitch black I noticed that whenever I changed from 3rd to 4th under load (i.e when accelerating through the gears) the lights dimmed slightly, and then came back to full brightness after around 5 seconds.

When I pulled onto my drive and moved off after opening the gates (slight incline) the lights did the same thing when under load in 1st.

Now, this could be a normal thing and to be honest I have noticed it occasionaly on my car before, but last night it seemed to be happening alot more than normal. Its probably worth pointing out that my car also has spotlights (OEM MINI items) which were supplied and fitted by my local dealer.

The dimming is not that bad and the lights are still pretty bright anyway

Regards,

James.

[ant1]

Altenator, or battery is on it's way.

[R99]

I really hope that is not the case, its under warranty (2006 car), but its still a major hassle. The car is booked in for its 1st service on Wednesday (just done 10k miles) is it worth mentioning to the dealer and getting them to check it out?

If it was the battery and not the alternator, would this be a warranty fix or not?

I appreciate any help / opinions people can offer,

Regards,

James.

[James]

Definately tell them and they'll sort it out, I mentioned loads of tiny things on my first service and it turned out I needed a new thermostat for the coolant which they replaced under warantee. My old polo used to do what you are describing but it was ten years old, that needed a new battery and alternator, as your car is just a year old I doubt you need a new alternator, but maybe a new battery