b4 i went out this weekend i started my car and drove it down the street then the lights in the dash....just turned off and on....and it was fine all night....then i was driving home on the freeway....all the lights dimmed and my car just turned off....i used my friends Si to jump start.....it worked as son as i took the cables off my car turned off....so i traded battery's and it would crank over and truned on for like a sec and turned off....idk my dad said it might be the alt....any suggestions....thnx...

 

any 1

 

It does sound like a bad alternator. Get it checked and see if its good or bad.

 

Igniton Switch

I Only say that because the same thing happend to me and they tend to go bad in Preludes, also It wouldnt hurt to check your alternator at any auto parts store or something

 

ignition switch....??...howmuch did it run....and how hard is it to replace....

 

there's a good chance your car is included in the prelude ignition switch recall. it's a free replacement and you'll have to get it replaced sometime anyways.

 

well my car is a 94....how do i find out about...the recall

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bb_one &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It does sound like a bad alternator. Get it checked and see if its good or bad.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree, I'd check the alternator first. What you explained happening is pretty much the classic dead alternator scenario.

 

check the main relay, then check the alternator. take it off and bring it to autozone they can test it.

 

same thing happened to my girlfriends car this week.

bad alt~

 

i would say alternator as well. i experienced similar symptoms. replaced alt and that was all she wrote. why would you say relay first? or was that in no particular order of probability?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mattsnooz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i would say alternator as well. i experienced similar symptoms. replaced alt and that was all she wrote. why would you say relay first? or was that in no particular order of probability?</TD></TR></TABLE>

why would i say relay first...because its the easiest thing to do, you always start at the bottom and work your way up.

Unless your greasing headers, then you just jump right in.

 

First thing I would check is the harness that plugs into the alternator. Mine worked its way out one time. It looked like it was in all the way, but it wasn't.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlownH23a &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

why would i say relay first...because its the easiest thing to do, you always start at the bottom and work your way up.

Unless your greasing headers, then you just jump right in. </TD></TR></TABLE>

check your main relay but im sure its your alt

 

i'd have to agree with the switch.. your car should still run with just batt power. try wiggling your key to see if you can get t to repeat the problem. a switch is like 60 bucks from advanced its not that hard to replace.

 

thnx for the info...yah i had to order the alt.....175.....lol....there goes my $ for my front lip...lol

 

sounds like the ignition switch like mentioned b4. i was driving down the highway when the car just shut off, left me stranded a couple times laster that day too. with mine it was something like the key was making contact because it would move back a bit or something.. more that likely thats what your prob is. i paid about 100 for mine.

 

lol why would it be an ignition switch? the car started when he jumped it, remember?

You found out allready...it was your alternator. I'm just kinda put off by all the bad diagnosis going on. If the ignition switch was bad, why would the car start when jumped, and then die when he TOOK OFF THE CABLES? the scenario was that the battery was dead since his car was running off the battery (the alternator was no longer working). When it was jumped, he started the car off his friend's car. Then when the cables were removed, the car died...because his battery had nothing left. Lol that's a diagnosis right there. How is it "starting at the bottom" with the igntion switch? Thats like saying "well, this hotdog wont cook because the flame in the grill went out...so i guess instead of checking the grill, i'll take off my pants to see if my boxers are blue...that way im starting with the most common problem, and the easiest one to check."

You might also need a new battery, BTW.

HOWEVER!! i would like to know about this ignition switch recall deal. My friend's prelude wont start....nevermind i think i might just start another thread about it. thanks for the idea!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">lol why would it be an ignition switch? the car started when he jumped it, remember?

You found out allready...it was your alternator. I'm just kinda put off by all the bad diagnosis going on. If the ignition switch was bad, why would the car start when jumped, and then die when he TOOK OFF THE CABLES? the scenario was that the battery was dead since his car was running off the battery (the alternator was no longer working). When it was jumped, he started the car off his friend's car. Then when the cables were removed, the car died...because his battery had nothing left. Lol that's a diagnosis right there. How is it "starting at the bottom" with the igntion switch? Thats like saying "well, this hotdog wont cook because the flame in the grill went out...so i guess instead of checking the grill, i'll take off my pants to see if my boxers are blue...that way im starting with the most common problem, and the easiest one to check."

You might also need a new battery, BTW.

HOWEVER!! i would like to know about this ignition switch recall deal. My friend's prelude wont start....nevermind i think i might just start another thread about it. thanks for the idea!</TD></TR></TABLE>

well lets see he said he switched battery's and it ran for a sec then cut back off. he also stated that his lights on the dash cut off then came back on and it ran fine like that the rest of his night,,until he was heading home,, i suspect that the lights flickered on'n'off just like my lude's did one night, and just lost all power and coasted to the shoulder. yes it does sound like the alt but like i said before he swapped in his bud's batt and it still didnt run,, the dash lights are the biggest indacation (to me) that it's the switch, just because i've been there and sounds exactly what events i experienced. as for misdiagnosed maybe but it was to close to what happened to me.

 

damn.....pretty much every 1 was right....i took my alt to autozone they tested it.....it was bad.....bought it cost me 175....well...me and my friend put it in....runs good sat and today...then i go to a gas station....after a long day of PnP my friends head...and same **** it wouldnt want to start....it would turn on but it woudlnt stay on...after a while my gf said what did they tell u on ht...i was like hey it might be the ign switch....by the time i go back to my car....my friend turns the car...on....turns it off...and big *** smile hey dogg its ur ign switch...i was like damn....so it would stay on with the key turned on all the time.....so yah hopefully get it fixed tommrow....everyones....comments helped thnx alot....