austinwith96civic

i am going to take my alternator off friday so i will let you know it thats it. i think it is

palmbayeg

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NOFX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
lol

How did they read it wrong? You plug the scanner in, turn the car to ACC and wait for the codes to show up. Then (at least in Autozone; been awhile since I was at Advance) you can put the code into the computer inside the store and print out the most likely reasons for said code to show up.

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I forgot what they told me it was, but when i changed the o2 censor the light went off and they told me it was somn else. I think it was just the guy that was helping me, i dont blame advanced for that.

moco_machine

just tried a new alternator and it does the same ish. So its not the alternator...

sageuvagony

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by moco_machine &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just tried a new alternator and it does the same ish. So its not the alternator... </TD></TR></TABLE>

Try replacing the alternator then....

J/K.. Mine kinda does that. The difference in light during idle and acceleration isn't THAT different but you for sure can see the lights dim a little. Same with the brake lights. They cause my car to idle lower. It never really bothered me much. My 5 Farad capacitor in the back tells me my car is at 12v when turned off and around 13-14v when turned on at idle. I haven't checked the voltage reading when I press on the brakes or accelerate. I'm gonna try that out later.

moco_machine

Hah, yea my volts start out at 13.8 at idle, when my car gets warm it drops down to 12.8 and when i turn my parking lights on it keeps droping to like 12.5 and when all the lights are on its down to 11.7 or so...

austinwith96civic

distributor problems maby. or a bad ground. that would suck because that could be anywhere

moco_machine

how many grounds are there?

NOFX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by palmbayeg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I forgot what they told me it was, but when i changed the o2 censor the light went off and they told me it was somn else. I think it was just the guy that was helping me, i dont blame advanced for that.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Remember that a lot of the employees get paid similarly to a McDonald's employee and some of us are probably even hired from McDonald's.

We don't have to be certified in anything save for what Autozone teaches us, which is largely based on corporate propaganda.

slvrcvc93

There are Several but 2 to the engine one on the valve cover and the one on the transmission. The others are internal in the wiring harness. The voltage regulator is what gives you an accurate output on the gauges. an option is change those and put net ones. or if those are good add another close to the fuel injectors. Something that I have seen and I cant stress enough are shorts on the wiring harness.

Whenever I do a swap I take the wiring harness and section for section I take off the old black tape and wire loom look inside the section of wiring. I check for brittle wires because remember your car can be up to 15 years old if its a 92 with the same harness. Plastic does dry out also oil, heat from the engine, cleaners all that does damage electrical wiring. If everything looks good I use electrical spray cleaner, clean the section than I put the wire loom back on and re wrap it in fresh new 3m electrical tape. Its the only way to be sure that its not a short in the harness. Also use electrical grease to make connections easier and keep ends from rusting.

Just my 2 cents

For NOFX well I understand what your saying but separating the do it your self weekend mechanic from the people who have actually worked on cars for a living makes the difference. So yea its Great Autozone reads you you check engine light and can clear it for you but whose to tell you whether or not this person even knows what to sell you or is knowledgeable? you don't know that your basically taking there word for it. The same goes for the web were just sharing our experience in what we've seen and trying to share some know how and how 2.


Modified by slvrcvc93 at 4:29 PM 8/28/2008

NOFX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slvrcvc93 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">For NOFX well I understand what your saying but separating the do it your self weekend mechanic from the people who have actually worked on cars for a living makes the difference. So yea its Great Autozone reads you you check engine light and can clear it for you but whose to tell you whether or not this person even knows what to sell you or is knowledgeable? you don't know that your basically taking there word for it. The same goes for the web were just sharing our experience in what we've seen and trying to share some know how and how 2.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Most Autozone employees don't work on their own cars. The business wants you to know minimal information about cars before you're hired, but if they see something else, they will still hire you without automotive knowledge.

I'm saying to NOT treat Autozone employees like they should be able to fix anything on your car. If they could, they would be making at least three dollars an hour more somewhere else.

I don't see how anyone would think an eighteen year old kid at Autozone is an expert at figuring out all your car's issues.

moco_machine

will it be easier to get a rywire engine harness?

moco_machine

Alright already about the autozone employees! i dont give a ****!! talk to someone else who cares on ANOTHER THREAD!!

NOFX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by moco_machine &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Alright already about the autozone employees! i dont give a ****!! talk to someone else who cares on ANOTHER THREAD!!</TD></TR></TABLE>
We're not talking to you.

Threads often spawn related conversations.

moco_machine

EXACTLY! THIS IS MY THREAD!!!

moco_machine

AND WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT ISNT RELATED!!!! SO KICK ROCKS

B18C1EM1

I would try to test your battery and see how that turns out......a bad battery will kill a brand new alt right away....Is your alt belt tight enough? If your battery turns out to be good.... You Should start to look for a wire shorting out somehwere in your harness... I had this same prob in the shop i work at were I put on two brand new alt's and they kept haveing the same prob you did....so after the 3rd time of taking off the alt I started to search through the harness and there was a wire that was shorting out on the firewall. Once i fixed the wire and that was the end to the prob.... Also like the other people said if something has happened to one of your grounds that will cause this prob.... So there isnt much thats gonna cause your prob so just narrow these things down.. good luck

Sr420Det

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NOFX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I For example, I was supposed to be made a manager about six months ago, but the store has gone through three different store managers now and well, I have a genetic condition that makes it difficult to make me a manager apparently.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn thats funny, I seem to have the same condition. Is there a support group for us?


Modified by Sr420Det at 1:16 PM 8/29/2008

moco_machine

thanx for the info! i'll look into the harness and see what i kind find.

ahobbs

back on topic, next person I see about autozone employees......-%

boondox_saint

Are you running under drive pulleys? How dim are you talking.

moco_machine

All i have a 3.5" racing crank pulley. It does'nt get that dim, but dim enough to were you can tell because when i step on the gas from idle all lights brighten and my turbo timer shows the volts drop down to like 11.7 or so when all the lights are on.

B18C1EM1

It's not gonna be your pulley's unless it's the one on your alt and its not tight enough to the point it's createing slack in the belt which in turn would than cause this prob. But to me thats about the only time a pulley will cause this.. It's either his battery is going out on him, there's a short in a wire somehwere, bad ground connection, or when you got your new alt and put it on it was already bad which i have seen happen before. Hope you figure this prob out soon

austinwith96civic

ok this might sound stupid but go out to your car. pop the hood and disconnect your battery cables. it there is any greese or corrossion use sand paper and get them as clean as you can. then connect your battery again and this time tighten both connectors as tight as you can. once you do that try and move them with your hands and if you can't they are tight enough. then start it up and tell me if that helped

boondox_saint

If you have a under drive pulley and not just a lightened one then that could be causing it. Some of these under drive your accessories by 20% or more so you are not putting as much power to your alternator. I had a set of aem under drive pulleys used to be able to see it with my power windows and lights. At idle you really are not getting the same power out of your alternator until you are at higher rpms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underdrive_pulleys

1slowhx

Check your Battery, or check the on/off switch in the car. Or the fuse under the hood. The only other thing i can think of is there may be an exposed wire that is taking the electrical current away from the lights.