Hey HT

I'm driving a '97 Honda Civic. I just replaced the alternator and battery on the car. I was driving home from the gas station and it lost power while driving. I was able to get it started with a jump and brought home. Now it won't start. The headlights and hazards come on. The radio still comes on. It just doesn't start.

Any ideas or help please?

EDIT
when radio and headlights are switched on at the same time, power is decreased.

***UPDATE***
Put another battery into the car. It struggled to start but it started. It has a strange idle. I think it's a misfire. If I have the A/C / Heater , CD player and headlights on all at once there's an obvious lack of power. The radio will go in and out. Is this an alternator problem again? Or is it something else.

*Should I disconnect the battery?

Thanks again HT.

***UPDATE 2***
My dad came around and tinkered with what he refered to as the solenoid (?) and the car started again and ran perfectly until recently. Two things happened. The speedometer became erratic and worked once in a while. Other times it would go crazy. Then I noticed a considerable loss of power as I drove down to the grocery store. Drove it back to my house and parked it. Let it sit for a minute. The car regained power and stayed on. I turned it off to see if it would start again. It did not and here I am again.

Things I've done so far
-New Battery
-Dad and his friend tinkered with the solenoid

***UPDATE 3***
Car starts. Speedometer still erratic/not working correctly.

 

hey structure1990, sorry to hear about your car man. One day my car wouldn't start either and after countless hours of checking my connections, I realized my plug for the started was ghetto rigged and came loose. after fixing the plug a few months later it just wouldn't start anymore. found out now the starter went bad. try checking the starter plug, if its secured then it is possible your starter is bad.

 

Check with a voltmeter your battery it need to be at 12-12.6v with the car off, if it in this range and the car don't start, take to test your starter.

If your battery is not in the range take it to charge or swap a good one, once the car started check for voltage in the battery with engine running it should be 14-14.7v if you no get this your alternator went bad (no matter is new). Also check your belt tension!!! or in the best scenario if it gone.

 

Use OEM alternators please.

 

No matter how dead the alternator is, if the battery is good, the car will start. Unless the alternator or another accesory is physically siezed.

OP, does the car click or make any other noises while you try to start it? Check your fuses, the ground from the trans to the chassis, and the starter terminals.

 

B Serious,

It makes clicking noises when it's starting if necessary I can post a video.

And which fuses are relevant to a car starting.

 

If it jump it and drive to his home (as he state) whit a bad alternator the battery maybe isn't able to start the car.

Hence the test your battery voltage first. Why don't do it correctly

Clicking noise can come from a low battery, bad starter, loosen terminal etc.

 

^pretty much. But a 10.X volt charge battery can still start a car depending on its CCA/CA rating and the ambient temp.

OP, is it one click? Or a bunch of quick clicks?

 

check your underhood fuses. A blown one (cant remember from the top of my head) caused my civic not to start

 

There are multiple clicks.

 

How do I identify a blown fuse?

 

Most likely a dead battery. Jump it and make sure the alternator is charging when the car is on.

 

Look at it. There will be a gap between the element.

 

Damn it I just bought this battery and changed this alternator. Could the alternator be the problem again?

 

Multiple clicks usually means the starter. Single click is the battery, try removing your starter and go test it at autozone for free

 

Not always. The correct way to test for a broken fuse is to check for continuity between the poles.

 

Open the hood and put your ear near the starter while a buddy turns the key from OFF to ON(III). Does the starter make a click noise?

 

Bump for update.

 

Haven't done yet will do ASAP.