quickster

so this is probably the alternator, because i have cleaned the tb, iacv, ficv, egr ports, new battery tested and optimal, changed the battery cables. the car still idles rough under electrical load, especcially when i blow my heater on full blast or use my power windows or turn on the brights. it like idles rough for a second and then work itself out. whats up with that? its not normal...

i blew out my multimeter when testing the battery lol, so i havent really tested the alt. i had autozone test it but it wasnt under any load and they said it was fine. alts are spendy, anybody have any pointers? i guess i could just deal with it, its not making my car break down on the side of the road or anything, but its a performance issue that bothers me.

dafang

I had rough idle problems for the last year or so. My alternator went out last week. After replacing the alternator, the idle is now as smooth as can be. I had not associated a rough idle with a failing alternator.

h0p3l355dork

Yeah... this happened to me as well. I thought the rough idle was due to spark plugs so I replaced the whole set on my 6th gen v6. Needless to say, the problem was still there after the plugs so I just ended up replacing the alt. Granted, I noticed a slight hum and dimming of headlights/interior lights too.

quickster

how much was it to replace your alt?

h0p3l355dork

I did it on my own so it was just the cost of the part... I got a Haynes manual and just went at it with a friend on weekend. It's not that hard to do personally but if you aren't at car junkie AT ALL, you'd probably have to take it to a shop.. shouldn't take more than 2 hours. It took me a few hours longer just because I was finding a way to take it out without removing the radiator fan. I ended up having to remove it anyway...

dunnskii

just wondering, what would be considered as "rough" idle. I am having aprob w/idle also, except mine is a up and down idle after starting...???

dafang

My idea of a smooth idle is having to look at a tach to confirm if engine is running. My accord is 19 years old with 190,000 miles. It now runs smooth. A rough idle is when the whole car vibrates, which is what I had before.

dafang

The new alternator was $99.99, I spent about 2 hours replacing it. The worst part is the confined condition to access it. I had no problems with the radiator. I unbolted the cruise control and the power steering pump and move both to side, no need to disconnect any electrical or hoses. Then I was able to unbolt and disconnect the alternator and slip it out.

HonBeer

The radiator fan is two bolts and a plug! Very easy and oh so simple my 10 year old could remove it.

dunnskii

ok so the up and down idle isnt rough.When it duz the up and down its generally between 1100-1600 then settles to like 600. Any ideas

quickster

how did you get a new alt for $99? Or where? I looked on majestic honda for a OM alt and it was like $550 on sale!

Is there a cheaper OM replacement?

dafang

O'Rielly, Autozone, Advance Auto Parts all sell alternator for $99. I got mine from Autozone because it is only a half mile from my house.

quickster

werd, yea they have an om brand for like $30 more in portland. sweeeet. thanks!