Former User

If fuse 15 blows again, read this TSB.

scarney

i have just got the car, and did a wire tuck, so i shouldnt have any problems, or hope not lol thanks for the tip, should come in handy in this thread

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

keepin it going...

Former User

Have you multimeter checked all of the charging system wires (see circuit diagram in post #9) for shorts and opens?

abelkayn

you dont have to replace the whole fuse box to replace the ELD! its the brown box inside the underhood fuse box, just unscrew the two big amp fuses on top and below it and it pulls right out the unplug it from the harness, if you can get it from a wrecked car it will take less than 5mins to replace.

Also have you checked the charge wire that goes from your alternator to the fuse box? its like a thick 8 or 10 gauge wire, sometimes they get corroded on the inside and that can cause resistance issues. this is especially commen in cars that have after market stereo systems with amps and speakers

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

no, not yet...i just dont know where exactly on the wire i need to check. my engine harness is still like new i bought it from honda about 2 years ago...

OMG your a lifesaver....im gonna go to the junkyard and get like 5 of them since they are so small they will probably charge me like $1.00

i have NOT checked the charge wire, when i replaced my alternator a few months back, i looked at the wire and it looked in decent condition...and the engine harness in my car was bought NEW from honda 2 years ago.

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

ttt for a weird problem

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

no one else is having this problem?? i know you are...

JmurGSR98

Just threw a code 20 on my integra. Going to replace the brown box and see if that fixes it.

hybridb18

yes i have had the same problem on a few civics i have owned... I fixed the problem, u have to cut one of the alternator wires AT the ECU. problem solved, lemme see if i can dig up the info on which wire it is... Im actually having this problem on my 96 coupe right now, just been too lazy to look it up, lol

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

please dig it up and post it up!!! please

hybridb18

CUT THIS WIRE at the ECU, problem solved no more flashing lights!!!
OBD1 its pin #A16 ACGC
OBD2a its pin #A19 ALTC

not sure about OBD2b

kzelisko

It should be known that those alternator tests at advance auto parts are almost useless. They merely check if the alternator is putting out any volts or amps above 12.8 v. If you have a weak alternator or a bad diode or anything like that it won't report it. I work at an advance and i have seen that test come back as fine and the vehicle stills has a bad alternator.

Former User

OP: This is not a fix to the problem. It's much like pulling out your CEL to fix a bad sensor. The ELD is an energy saving device that turns the alternator off when it is not needed. I'd think most want the ELD function to improve gas mileage and performance. What I am saying is that you should really fix the ELD problem rather than hiding it.

hybridb18

true, but from what ive seen some cars dont even come with eld's so i dont see what the harm is. YEA, it is the wrong way to fix the problem. The ELD is there for a reason..... Cutting wires usually is not good, but if youre that desprate to fix the problem, the easiest way is to cut the wire.

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

bump because other people can check out all this good info

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

UPDATE: i replaced the ELD "brown box" in the under-hood fuse box. and the lights are still dimming

RyanA

Yep. News flash: The ELD is a POS. I have had 5 or 6 96-00 Civics. Every one of them did the light dimming. Some did not do it as much, but they all did it. I guess if you are not very observant, you probably don't think your car does it. IF you pay attention at all, you will notice that at least 95 out of every 100 cars do this. When I put my new swap in my car, I did everything to "fix" the problem. Cleaned every single ground. Cleaned every single grounding point. Got brand new OEM Honda alternator. Changed to a different ELD. EVERYTHING. My car still does it.

Honestly, many Hondas have not used it and I have not noticed any difference on the alternator life span. Bottom line is this: Once the battery is at regulated voltage, the alternator will back off. I honestly think that if the ELD turns down the voltage and lets the battery discharge, it's having to do more work to get the battery back up to the higher voltage when the ELD turns the alternator back up. Kind of like going up and down a hill instead of driving on flat land. Driving on flat land is the same amount of effort the whole time. Going down a hill is easy (ELD turning votage down) but you still have to go back up a hill (ELD turning back on).

My question is this: If you remove (depin) the ELD wire from the ECU, will it throw a CEL or not? If not, I'm at the point of just eliminating the POS. The regulator in the alternator will still keep voltage where it needs to be. It will just be around 13-14 instead of 11 or 12.

Ryan

98greensi

question for you guys about the eld, i have a 97 cx hatch it does not have a eld but i put in a 2000 b16a2, ran a d16y7 harness and repined the ecu, the car does not have a eld and no wire for it in the wiring harness, (pin a19) and it throws a code 20, running the p2t ecu so it's looking for an eld, (so i would assume cutting/depining this wire would not get rid of code 20) anyone else know how to fool the ecu to thinking there's one there to get rid of my cel??

thanks, ps i friggin hate cel's

Former User

The ELD was designed to increase fuel economy not to increase the lifespan of the alternator.

The ELD never allows the battery to discharge. The ELD is a sensor that measures the amount of electrical load on the system and sends this information to the ECU. When the electrical system's demand for voltage is low, the ECU uses the ELD information to tell the alternator to output only 12V because the normal 14V is currently excessive. A good analogy for this type of control is your electric company. When electrical demand in a community is low, your electric company would lose money if it were to supply 100 megawatts of power when only 40 megawatts would suffice.

You will throw code 20 if you disconnect the ELD. Seriously, the small ELD-controlled voltage drop should be imperceptible. If you are having noticeable dimming and brightening, you more likely have an alternator circuit problem.

red96civicex

iTrader: (3)

i really honestly think its because im converted to obd1 using a conversion harness....car my car never did this until i went to obd1

i think im gonna find someone with a obd2 ecu and drive around and see if it still does it...

cruizinmax

iTrader: (2)

I too am having this problem. I have a 99 civic dx it did not do it at all on the stock motor. I swapped to a ls motor and converted to obd2a. Everything was ok. I recently swapped a gsr head onto the ls block and now I have the dimming issue only with the GSR ecu. I have not yet checked fuse 15.

batallic

i dunno man my vin says its made in alliston, ont, when i checked throught the jumper with a paper clip 2 long flashes which is 20, to be specific its a 93 Si (CDM)/ EX usdm

RyanA

No, my problem is I'm **** as hell and I can notice a transition from 12 volts to 14 volts. Honestly, unless you are just non-observant, it's pretty easy to see a difference in light output when you raise or drop your voltage by 2 volts. That is a LOT. I'll lose my .2 mpg, what can I do to say FU ELD?? Want a good example of 12 volts to 14 volts? Go outside and turn on your headlights with the car off. There is 12 volts. Now, start the car. What did the headlights do when the voltage only raised 2 volts? They got noticeably brighter.

On my volt meter, the ELD is doing exactly what it should voltage wise. I just can't stand listening to my blower motor and cooling fan change speeds and notice my dash lights slightly dim then come back. Honestly, Honda did a **** poor job of making the voltage transition seamless. They could have tapered voltage up or down slowly so you could not notice the lights or fans changing speeds. However, they do it like a light switch, it's on of off, not variable. Pretty sad.

So, Ron, any idea what to do if you are one **** ****? Can a circuit be made to trick the POS ELD or the ECU? I currently get between 34-37 mpg on the highway with my 4.785 final drive ITR swap. I'll "settle" for only 33-36.... LOL.

Former User

Ryan, is your electrical system stock or modified in any way? What year?

Under what conditions have you found that the ELD drops the voltage in your system?