Hey guys my civic has been having weird problems with voltage like at night the lights will dim way way down and stereo will cut off... sometimes its like revlimits at 4500rpm instead of 8500, I checked voltage at the battery (new) and its got like 12.59 at idle, 12.90 at 4000rpm and 12.83 when the cars off, I think i have a bad alternator or something like that... can anyone give me info or back my theory?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 11secEk &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey guys my civic has been having weird problems with voltage like at night the lights will dim way way down and stereo will cut off... sometimes its like revlimits at 4500rpm instead of 8500, I checked voltage at the battery (new) and its got like 12.59 at idle, 12.90 at 4000rpm and 12.83 when the cars off, I think i have a bad alternator or something like that... can anyone give me info or back my theory?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The voltage are within factory specs. Sounds like you have a loose or damage power wire or ground somewhere.

 

man i have checked over everything like 10times, i do 12volt wiring all day at work, it seams like a intermitate problem thats why i was leanin toward the alternator

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 11secEk &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">man i have checked over everything like 10times, i do 12volt wiring all day at work, it seams like a intermitate problem thats why i was leanin toward the alternator</TD></TR></TABLE>

have you tried running the engine on and in diagnostic mode and then pull the battery cable off the battery and see if the engine is still running? If it doesn't the the alternator is your culprit.

 

it still runs but it only reads like 10volts on the poss. wire

 

Sounds like a bad internal voltage regulator. New alt. There was a rash of these on 97-98 civics. there was a TSB on it.

 

yea thats what i think it is aswell, but the alternator i have has a OBD1 style plug and i really dont wanna cut my harness if i dont have to but a new ones like 200bucks

 

did they have that problem on 97 integras because thats what year my gsr motor is

 

I would say it's your alt. as well. Turn the ingition switch to the on position and check for voltage on the BLK/YEL wire of the alt clip. If there is voltage there proceed to check for voltage between the main alt cable and a body ground. If this all checks out and when the car is running the voltage at the batter doesn't exceed 15.1v your alt is most likely the culprit.

 

thanx, i love talking to people on here..... its nice to know someone else has a clue besides me,I already checked that stuff out, and in result im about to change the alternator i think Thanx

 

Yeah that would probably be the best bet. I had a similiar problem but I wasn't getting any charge because there was a break in the main charging cable. I should have checked that before having the alt rebuilt.

 

O well atleast you know now, well thanx for the info guys i think im goin to head out in the garage and get some work done