Here is the deal. I was driving home and about ten minutes into the drive I felt the car losing power. I down shifted to fourth and the car picked up. I went back to fifth and the tach dropped to zero, hesitated and picked back up. About ten minutes later it started to loss power and i had to pull over. I was able to crank it back up and go a little further. I pulled over once again and that was it.

I am thinking it was the alternator and I was just getting a little more drive time off of the battery.

Any input?

 

first thing i would do is check your battery. it may need eplacing. i would venture to say that yes it is your alternator because my car had the same problem and it turned out to be the alternator. if possible take the alternator out and take it to either autozone or something like that that does free alternator testing.

 

the alternator is a pain to take out if you aren't putting a new one in. someone with a good tester should be able to test the battery and alternator in the car. find this person and then replace what tests bad.

 

Well the battery is new......so must be alternator for sure then.

 

best to replace both battery and alternator. Find someone who can check the alt for proper working order like a Honda dealer. not all dealers are crazy $$$ for just diag.

 

The tachometer uses the ignition coil as a signal to the ecu to determine actual engine rpm. I suspect a failing ignition coil. Have it diagnosed.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phootbag &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The tachometer uses the ignition coil as a signal to the ecu to determine actual engine rpm. I suspect a failing ignition coil. Have it diagnosed. </TD></TR></TABLE>

But wouldn't my car atleast try to recrank. It is acting like it is getting no power at all.

 

if you can ge the car to autozone they will test it for free, if not you can take out the alt and go to AZ and they will test it for free. just be prepare the alt can be a bitch to get out, you may even have to pull an axle

gl

 

coils don't go bad they fail. you're correct about the tach recieving a signal from the dist. but it also must have power from the alt...

 

Just hook a voltameter up to the altanator (while its running, I see the problem) take it out and have it tested.

 

I have worked on cars that had failing coils. The car would run but it would misfire. A wave form viewer showed that the normal saw toothed pattern was all screwed up. Replaced the coil, all good.

Bad coils dont keep the starter from rotating the engine. I didn't know the car wouldnt crank.

 

Yeah car doesn't have enough power to turn the starter again. Sorry if this doesn't make much sense I am drunk. hahahaha

 

deff sounds like the alt to me. my car did the same thing when mine went out. id have it checked before takin it out tho

 

unplug your negative battery cable with the car running. if the car turns off then its the alternator. dont do it for a long period if it doesnt, because it spikes your computer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by egb16pg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">unplug your negative battery cable with the car running. if the car turns off then its the alternator. dont do it for a long period if it doesnt, because it spikes your computer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Can't crank the car to do that test.

 

I've just had the same thing with my civic a few weeks ago, turned out it was the alternator

 

same things goin on with mine sumwut. the altenator was checked and is fine and i have a new optima battery in it. it sumtimes barely has enough to crank. i was told maybe a ground wire.

 

alt isnt THAT hard, raise one side up pull a wheel pull the sttering arm and pull the axel unboly both mounts and slide the alt towards the block rmovinf the belt in the process, yank the alt back and towards you and remove it from the bottom go get it tested......if it shows good keep diagnosing


if you cant swing an alt you have no bussiness being in this hobby

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by k powered ej1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">alt isnt THAT hard, raise one side up pull a wheel pull the sttering arm and pull the axel unboly both mounts and slide the alt towards the block rmovinf the belt in the process, yank the alt back and towards you and remove it from the bottom go get it tested......if it shows good keep diagnosing


if you cant swing an alt you have no bussiness being in this hobby </TD></TR></TABLE>

I really hope that comment wasn't aimed towards me. I have probably been in this "hobby" alot longer then you. I never said I couldn't remove the alternator myself. I have done it quiet a few times in the past.

 

well by the look of thigs its ur alternator cuz i had the same prob the other day and for the guy wit takin the wheel of all u have to do is pull it towards the intake its much easier.. good luck man juz change da alternator and u will be back on da road...

 

Yeah I never understood why you would pull your wheel off. It is only like a 15-20 minute job pulling it towards the intake manifold. I gotta replace it asap so i can drive it to my friends to replace the my head gasket.

 

Come to find out the battery relay is blown....

 

check your fuses first man....this happened to me the other day and it was just the fuse