Alright, all ive done for the past few weeks/months is search for fixes to this problem...

It all started about a month ago when i took the car on a trip to Fort Collins, Colorado from Ames, IA (about 10.5 hour drive). On the way there the battery light would come on, then i would rev, and it would go away for about 50-100 miles and i'd just repeat the process cause i wasnt gonna break down in the middle of nebraska. So, i made it to the parking lot of the place i was stayin and all power was gone (radio, etc) and it died right when i got it into a parking space. Well, i took the alt and batt out of the car and brought them over to an autostore to test them. Both were shot and failed the tests...so i got a new batt and alt. Got everything put back in and the light still comes on every now and then. I took them out again and tested them both and both passed the tests. So i checked the grounds which were good as well, checked the terminals (cleaned them just in case), and checked the fuses.

I made it back to Iowa and recently the light will come on then i push the accelerator and it'll go off til i turn the car off and start it again. Well today the light came on and stayed on so i parked it and took my bike for the rest of the day (R6)...what in the world could this be??? I'm stumped and cant find the answer...i keep readin threads and maybe i've read so many that i'm skipping over important information or somethin but i'm just stumped...

any help is more than appreciated...thanks in advance!

 

sounds like your eld has gone bad.

 

thanks man...i'll try to find someone with a voltmeter so i can get this figured out

any place off the top of your head i'd get a new one? --- EDIT: Nevermind, dumb question

 

Hey guys, i'm sorry to bring back my old thread but figured id bring it back instead of starting a new stupid thread

I never found any friends with a voltmeter and have yet to make it to an auto parts store...I've got the day off tomorrow and have decided to dedicate it to fixing the civic.

Anything else you guys can think of to check??

The battery light, as of today, as been more prominent so i definitely want to get this figured out. The battery and alternator are still good, connections are good to both parts as well. I'm going to recheck all three grounds as well as recheck every fuse in the car. Then it'll be off to the auto parts store to use their voltmeter and follow the diagram above and see if that could be the case but i really need to get this fixed before winter.

I've searched and searched using google, quick search on the forum, as well as advanced search. I've also sent a couple PM's to others that have had something similar to this problem to see if they had figured out a solution but am waiting to hear back.

Thanks for all the help! Its much appreciated

 

anyone at all? I'm desperate haha

 

if its an autozone alternator just replace it again, i've had em not work right n test fine

 

Actually yeah i think it is from autozone...

After i check all that crap i'll give a new alternator a shot as well...i'm determined to fix this tomorrow haha. If anyone else has ideas just shout em out!

 

make sure to check your grounds, they might not be making good contact.

 

possible faulty belt. mine would do the same thing in my old HB, and turned out that the belt had glazed over and would have to rev it to get it back to normal.

 

its REALLY common to get a bum alternator form autozone. even if it passes their loose test.

but dude, get a $20 multimeter so you can diagnose simple stuff like this. without having to take stuff off the car.

 

just a quick update...

checked and pulled off the three grounds and polished them all so they've got great contact and checked all the fuses which were good. Next up i'll pick up a volt/multimeter and am going to check the ELD.

 

Another update...

-Got the multimeter and checked volts to battery sitting = 12.55 (within range)

-When i start the car i drop to 12.05ish then if i rev it i'll hit around 14.1 with a very dim battery light

-Checked voltage with ELD and everything checked out at the correct range and had voltage at each connection

-Inspected the alternator belt and its not cracked up or anything or fraying...the belt is probably 4 years old id say and looks to be in fine condition. I'm going to recheck the tention on the belt and alt to make sure thats satisfactory

So with all of that said and done, i'm leaning towards a DOA alternator since the battery checked out fine at standstill. The only thing that drew me away from that was when i put the alternator in, i made a 10.5 hour continuous trip with it in. I cant find my freakin receipt though so i'm gonna see if they'll be cool and exhange it for me anyway...just wanna wait on your responses first!

Any opinions???

 

you measured the battery while it was running?

you need to measure the alternator. at the top terminal to ground. it should be 14.5V. NOT 12V.

but really, you got a bum alt from autozone. it happens a lot. they should have your buying history with your phone number and zip code.

 

sorry, yes i measured the alternator...

when the battery light is strong i'm only putting out about 12.3 volts at the alt but when i rev and the battery light is dim i'm at 14.3...

I'm gonna give it a shot to get a new alt, problem with getting the alternator at the same place is that the autozone where i got the part is 10.5 hours away...so hoping i can get the local one to ok it with them

So, bad alternator is the vote?

 

if its not at 14.5 at IDLE, then its a problem with the alt. plain and simple.

you can go to any autozone. the database is nationwide.

 

Just called them and they found my warranty on file so good deal there...now its off to take the alt out and bring it in for them to bench test. The guy said if it tests good then he cant do anything about it but if it tests bad then obviously i get a new one...so definitely hoping for it to test bad

i've takin this damn alternator out so many times i'm a pro at it...i'll have it out in 25 minutes!

Then i get the fun part of hopping on the R6 and riding to autozone in the rain...sweet

 

how do you think we all learned how to take it out in a half hour, in the middle of a parking lot?

i speak for anyone who has bought an alternator from autozone. youre not alone.

 

haha...exactly what happened to me in colorado!

But alright, its out so now we'll see if someone can take me over or if i need to get the bike out and go that route...this thing better fail haha

 

its a lifetime warranty, if it passes, throw a fit, return it, get your money and buy another one from them, they cant just sell you the same one, it has to get returned to their warehouse, or get one from any other parts store around

 

Let me guess it tested fine there. Autozone alterantors are crap. I have gotten 3 in a row from there and never been there for elec. parts again. I tell ppl all the time when it comes to certain electrical components the zone is just not the place to go. I would trust a used OE junkyard alt. way faster than a rebuilt unit from any company but Honda. Lifetime warranty means nothing to me. THe headache, time involved, and inconvenience makes low low quality and prices not a good deal.

 

After pleading my case we put the alt on the machine and failed all tests...

I was beyond happy haha...cant believe this nightmare is finally over! Got the new alternator in and turned it over, battery light disappeared right away

Thank you for the info...so much. I love this site...i search for everything i can in order to fix everything myself and this site gives me all the info needed

thanks again!

Problem solved