So the other day I was driving to work and I noticed some of the lights on my radio start to dim when the bass hits (stock system) then some of the numbers on the clock start to fade out. So I'm around the corner from work and it dies out but I was still rolling so i was able to bump start it. So I wait a little bit and have a coworker help me push start it to go home and it was good but half way there the everything starts cutting out again and the engine stalls and dies. I had no battery light come on or anything. Checked the fuse under steering wheel and it was good. I can't pull the battery cable while the car is running to see because it won't start now. Bad alternator?????




Also if it is the alternator, is there a way to change it without pulling the axle out?

 

Symptoms sound like a bad alternator. Mine did the same thing a few years ago. It is possible to take the alt out without pulling the axle. But working on cars for 6 years I always thought it was easier to just pull the axle.

 

Appreciate it.. That's what i thought but just wanted to confirm before ripping stuff out

 

If you want to then jump start the car. Once it is running take off your positive cable terminal on your battery. If the car dies, it's a bad alt.

 

Or if you can get the car running check voltage at the battery. Should be around 14.4 volts if the alternator is working properly.

 

Sounds more like a connection problem, check your main power and ground connections, pay close attention to the neg.(-) batt. post and clamp, the batt. to chassis ground and the chassis to engine ground.

Do not just eyeball the connections, remove them, clean them, reconnect them, do the same with the main power connections, batt. post and clamp, batt. to starter motor, batt. to engine bay fuse box, main fuses, [the screw down ones]

The above may not be the problem but doing the above will eliminate them as the problem and can't hurt. 94

 

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Ok.. So I had a chance to play with it a lil more today. I jumped it and it started right up. Pulled the positive cable and it still ran. So I guess it's not a bad alt. I check all ground connections (unbolted and cleaned). When I turn the key to the "on" position, that's when it's bad. If I leave it in the "off" and the first turn all the lights and clock are fine. Help please... Anyone?

 

Car was stolen a year ago but the ignition worked so I never replaced it. Ignition switch bad? Main relay bad?

 

Now i took the driver side kick panel off and everytime I turn the key to the "on" position, it make like a quick kind of like grunting sound near the main relay. Is that normal?

 

MM&Y of car?
The lights are not controlled by the ign. switch so turning the ign. on should not have any effect on the lights.

The PGM-FI Main Relay also has nothing to do with the lights so it is not the problem.

It still sounds like a connection problem, or possibly a short on the cars switched circuits.

Did you check the main power connections.

You can "test" the ign. switch by bypassing it, if problem is still there then the switch is not the problem. 94

 

its a 98 integra gsr. im going to just replace the alternator and see what happens. i'll repost the results when done.. thanks for all the replys

 

as of right now it seems to have fixed the problem. i installed a new alt and jumped it. it does sound a little weak when i start it but im hoping the battery just needs to be recharged after driving it home with the alt dead. thanks for all the help

 

Never pull the cable while the car is running. There is a chance that this can actually fry the altenator, and possibly the ecm. The voltage test is the way to determine if the altenator is bad, you can actually go to a local parts store and get both checked. Standing there with the tech, you can see the voltage readings, or use a multimeter. Once determined if the altenator make sure to have your battery fully charged. You can prematurely kill an altenator if you use it to charge a dead battery.