Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Couple of questions...

I notice on my Zetec powered Mystique that when I take my foot off the gas pedal and begin to decelerate my electrical power seems to fluctuate a little. It is especially noticeable with my headlight on, they will dim slightly but then return to their normal brightness. However the power fluctuation is not subject to the headlights alone, I notice it on my dash lights and radio lights and other lights as well. Is this normal? Is my battery bad? Is my alternator bad? Or do I need to replace my negative battery ground cable?

Note: I am not running anything aftermarket like a big power consuming sound system.

Another question: Is it possible to eyeball when the timing belt needs to be replaced, like you can with the serpentine belt? What specifically do I look for?

Thanks,

The power problem your speaking of can be any off the three things that you listed. Mine was the wiring loosing it's sheilding and the ground cable rotting away. Luckily it was covered under warrenty.

As far as the Timing belt it's a good idea to replace it around 60K when the manual says. You can check it to see if there are cracks like the Serpentine belt but hte tell tail slapping on start up (Pre 98) will let you know.

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: