Hey, new here as you can tell, and trying to avoid a big hassle when I know its possible that it is something small.

I have a 90 CRX si, it had an engine swap with a b16a. The wiring seems normal, although theres possibility it has been rigged differently.

When I just have the battery on, the engine off, everything works fine, although sometimes, when I press the brake pedal, my radio will shut off. But it only happens everyonce in awhile. Also with just the battery on, the car was in a slanted hill, left side up more than the right, couldn't start the car, had to push it leveled straight to start the car. Those are the only problems I had with just the battery on.

When I actually start the engine, anything that lights up in the vehicle, healights, radio, dash lights, instrument panel, you name it, it flickers.

I got the alternator output tested, it was green good. Battery capacity load test, good. Got the alarm checked, it was good.

Switched out the old corroded wires from the battery to the starter, ecu, and frame, and also the battery terminals. No effect.

Only able to find three grounds. I thought the starter was case grounded but guess not, theres a bracket on the starter where a ground is hooked up to, used a wire brush, tightened back down. Same for the battery negative wire, and a wiring next to the hood lock mechanism to the valve and cam cover.

Did not see any grounds at the bottom of the car, not even on the transmission. Looked real well at the top, missing a bolt from the thermostat, no ground attached to it.

I mean, the only thing I can think is a bad ground under the dash, or a possibility they hooked all the lights and radio, to the brake switch.

My bad for the long intro, but any help will be gladly appreciated!

 

Oh yeah, just to mention, the car was working fine the first month, all of a sudden it started acting up electrically.

 

thermostat ground!!!! you need that ish, y0

*edit* you also need one from the transmission to the frame rail

 

KInda strange tho, how was it working for a month without any ground to the transmission? Unless they created some kind of plug in adapter that hooks into the transmission. I know the engine block has a few plug in thigns hooked up to em.

 

alt is on it's way out. just because some dunce tested it at the local autoparts store doen't mean ****. they always screw up the tests. check to make sure the wire that bolts the the alt. is tight, if so then it's probably time for a new or used one

 

I really do hope thats the case for reals

 

check the ground on your battery.

 

Just to confirm something. I got my friends multimeter and tested my battery and altenator. BAttery was 12.67v, altenator was 14.34v.

Once the car was turned off, the battery slowly dropped to 12.30-12.50v. There is some kind of parasitic draw, or open circuit. Either or that, or my alarm is whats drainign the battery.

But the uestion is, would an altenator make the radio turn off everytime I press the brake pedal?

I checked the wiring harness behind the dash, all the grounds that were visible were good, adn everything was connected properly. THe wires that bundled up into an insulation, went directly through the firewall to under the hood towards the ecu fusebox and etc.

Everything looks like it is hooked up properly from my eyes.

Any ideas?

 

I am sure it is not the alternator at this point. When I have just the battery on, everything works fine as I was saying. But until you shake the car up and down, all the lights flicker, dash, radio, headlights, tail lights etc.

I checked out the bulb connections, they were good, the sensors they were good, besides a little dirty.

There has to be a ground hiding somewhere than the usual place, or theres some kind of short grounding out somewhere.

Not really sure, but any help is gladly appreciated on any ground locations besides the negative battery wire, starter and alternator.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mahatma &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thermostat ground!!!! you need that ish, y0

*edit* you also need one from the transmission to the frame rail</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

....

Anyways, I"ll go buy 2 wires, hook em up to the transmission to frame, then thermostat to frame.

As I said before, the vehicle was WORKING FINE WITHOUT THESE WIRES.

BUt I suppose its always good to put them there anyhow.

 

try charging the battery. if your driping voltage when car is on and engine not running, that means weak battery. the radio goes off when you press the brake because if your playn music a lil loud, it takes more electricity to use and when you press brake, the electricity goes to the lamps thus losing power on the stereo and turnnig it off. the radio should turn back on when you let go of the pedal

 

MY mistake, when I bought a new bolt/screw for the thermostat housing, I started screwing it in and all of a sudden it stopped halfway.

I look at whats blocking the way, and its a ground wire hooked up to the housing.

Weird that a three hole top housing is put on a 2 hole housing. Better than nothing I suppose.

I'll definately try charging the battery, but I need a charger, might have to let autozone do that, dunno if I would trust em to do so tho.

 

Oh yeah, it drains normally with the battery on, but I meant with everything completely off, keys not in ignition, nothing is turned on.

The battery drains

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RanCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Oh yeah, it drains normally with the battery on, but I meant with everything completely off, keys not in ignition, nothing is turned on.

The battery drains</TD></TR></TABLE>

o ya i knew a guy with that problem. he got 3 new bateries and 4 new alternators and it kept hapenin. they later found out it was because one of the non noticible lights stayed on when the car was off and was draining the battery. they just put it on off and prblem solved.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RanCRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">MY mistake, when I bought a new bolt/screw for the thermostat housing, I started screwing it in and all of a sudden it stopped halfway.

I look at whats blocking the way, and its a ground wire hooked up to the housing.

Weird that a three hole top housing is put on a 2 hole housing.</TD></TR></TABLE>
pretty sure that one of those holes is dedicated to the ground only, the other 2 are for securing the housing.

the ground screw is a lot shorter.

so is that the problem?

 

Hey ya'll, thanks a ton for all the help.

Learned alot about the car just for one ground wire.

Looks like someone pulled a prank at my job, and pulled out my ground wire to my frame.

The reaosn I know this is because it was working before I brung it to my job to change the cv axle and tie rod end, and master cylinder.

And all of a sudden it starts flicking the day after.

I just hooked another wire to the negative battery post to the frame, and bam, all flickering gauges and ecu flash codes are all gone.

Man it was really bothering me for awhile.

All thats left now, is some struts some brakes, and some ball joint camber adjusters, and alignment, and it should be good to go bwahahaha.

Definately thanks again.

 

Heres some pics on my car btw

 

Btw, would you say ebay is cheaper in finding tokico hp blue shocks, fronts and rears, than going to a local performance shop?

Or any ideas where else?

 

eBay

 

Alot of people might clown you for the body kit and the headlights but B'DAM is that a tight looking car. I wish mine looked the same. I have X2 fenders here and need a good front bumper and support. Seriously, nice car man.