2 questions

[Sharpie]

Link users: What do you have your A/C idle set at? Mine won't keep a steady idle, it goes up and down between 900K and 1700K rpms.

Has anyone ever seen their Battery light and ABS light come on. It's been doing this since Hallett, and the battery has never failed and the volts are where they should be. It only lights up for the first 10 or 15 minutes the car is running. I have seen them come on and off at different times. Any ideas?

[Flyin96M]

It sounds like you have it set to high and it is hitting the limit and knocking it back down. I have read about this happing when it gets cold out, but not the A/C. That said I can's see why the same wouldn't apply. I have the A/C Idle % set to 12 on my 96, but I'm not sure how that would work on a 1.6.

As for the battery I have no idea. I would put it on a trickle charger over night and see if it goes away. I do this to mine every once in a while as I read that given the nature of the gel cell that the alt. won't ever fully charge the battery if it goes low. This could be why it stays on for the first 10 min or so.

As for the ABS light does it turn off when the bat light does?

[Sharpie]

Thanks Justin. My a/c idle was set at 0 and it would stall the car when you let off the gas, Kags and I put it up to 200, thinking it meant rpms, that raised to keep a steady idle with a/c on. I had put it down to 150 and it still did it, but I put it at 105 and that seems to have helped. Yours is at 16 wow, does that mean that # isn't related to RPM's?

My dad's car did the cold fluctations in Albu during the winter.

As for the two lights, I haven't seen them in the last 2 days. At first the ABS light and Battery light did come on and off at the same time, but I did see the battery light on when the ABS wasn't.

It still needs work, but I can't lay off driving it, not that the weather is so nice. I just keep checking fluids and making sure all is well.

[Flyin96M]

Yeah I don't think it is related to RPM's but rather just a correction factor. The manual says to adjust it by one or two points each time and see if it helps. So I would say 200 is a bit high. Have you downloaded the most recent tuning manual from FM? I would highly recomend it if you haven't. Also do you have Data Log Lab? I really prefer this for making adjustments as it is all really clear.

[Sharpie]

No Data Log lab, but my dad has it, we just have to be in the same city. It was easy to use. The manual I have is from January of this year, and it doesn't give a clear idea of where to start at all. It just said adjust. 105 kept the idle steady, but that was this morning, I'll see what it does this afternoon. Thanks again!

[Flyin96M]

Hey Sharpie I thought I would bring this post back to life as this weekend I read in my factory manual why the ABS light is on. If the ABS computer detects insufficient voltage the ABS light will turn on and the system will not operate until the voltage returns to spec.

[Sharpie]

I had read that too, but the voltage meter shows a full battery 12+ to 14 volts. I've tried the ABS and it still works, so I guess I'll just wait til the battery dies or something blows up

I haven't been seeing the lights on as much lately. When I get under boost it seems to flash on for a few seconds and then go out

[Flyin96M]

Have you tried pulling the codes from the ABS computer?

[Sharpie]

No, I sure haven't. I didn't realize I could

I did just find this, not much help, but mine did start after replacing the speedocable also. I'll see if the thread turns up anything.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=157995

[TurboDuane]

Sounds like you may be having a regulator problem in the altenator. The battery should show 12.5 to 13.5 volts when car isn't running. It should be between 14.2 and 14.6 volts when car is running.