lordcarlo

The car was running fine, all of a sudden when you stop......the battery light flickers on/off and it idles wierd like the car is going to die. Yesterday it happened and the car did die, when the wife tried starting it all it did was click. By the time I showed up the car started fine. About two months ago I did change the ignition switch.....can this have something to do with it? This current problem just started a few days ago. Thanks for any help!!

1992Si

The fact that it started later say's the battery is fine.

Sounds like the alternator is not charging it. So the fuel pump runs off the battery until it gets low on current and then the car stalls.

My guess is alternator.

lordcarlo

How can I check to see that it is the alternator?

1992Si

I think you can remove it and have it checked at some auto part stores. Call around and see if they do that.

I'm sure if you had a volt meter you could check it yourself.

lordcarlo

I checked the battery while the car was off and the voltage was 12.3....when the car was running it was 14. If I'm not mistaken this is not the sign of a bad alternator.

-slow ej-

agreed with ^ check the alternator by taking it out and to a parts store who offer free alternator testing

crazyguy

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by -slow ej- &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">agreed with ^ check the alternator by taking it out and to a parts store who offer free alternator testing</TD></TR></TABLE>
agree too.thats how i checked mine

dividedas1

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by -slow ej- &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">agreed with ^ check the alternator by taking it out and to a parts store who offer free alternator testing</TD></TR></TABLE>
ah why take it out to test it alot of places will test it with it right on the car. That is so much of a hassle for no reason. Make sure they test the battery first though cause they wont be able to properly test the alternator if the battery is crap

silversolb18

Sounds like the alternator

B18C5-EH2

Out of the car testing doesn't mean ****.

Testing the alternator with a tester that hooks up at the battery cables is the only way to really test an alternator. Alternators bench test fine all the time, but won't actually charge once in the car - see that happen a lot with aftermarket crap alternators.

Now as for the battery light it might as well have an alternator symbol on it, because it almost always means the alternator is dying.

The fact that the voltage tested at 14 sounds good, but if the alternator is charging at random it very well might have been charging the moment you chekced it, but not charging at other times.

I STRONGLY recommend a Denso alternator - OE part, cheaper than a dealership, and 100 times better than the World reman **** parts stores sell.

egsleepercivic

sounds like ur alt belt may be slipping