my car will not start, it seems as though the battery is dead, it will jump sart or push start just fine, and run ok thereafter, i had a buddy look at it and he said the alternator is bad, he said it has no magnetism meaning its gone bad. also the car dies when i turn the key off instead of the turbo timer keeping it running

 

yea, if the battery is not being charged when you drive, the alternator is dead. Replace it ASAP, it's not good to drive around with a bad alternator.

 

It sounds more like a bad battery. Once it starts it keeps running because the alternator is supplying power for ignition & fuelpump & stuff. Once you turn it off, your battery doesn't hold a charge so there nothing there to start it.

Measure voltage at battery while engine's running. Should be around 13 or 14 if your alternator's OK. I bet once you turn the engine off it drops way down below 12, meaning your battery can't hold a charge. First make sure all your battery & ground cables are clean and tight, at both ends of each cable.

It's possible that your battery & alternator both are bad.

 

i have a voltmeter on my turbo timer can i use that?

 

i also have an alternator being shipped to me as we speak

 

if your car is running after a jump start, then the alternator is ok. it would be the battery that is bad. i would check voltage then either recharge or replace the battery before changing the alternator. because once the alternator goes bad... 90% of the time your battery gone bad before the alternator.

 

Just turn on your car disconnect the positive...Is the car turns off its your alternator

 

i say bad battery... if it was your alternator it would die shortly after being started!

-Bryan-

 

thanks for the help guys

 

I support the :bad battery: folks....usually when an alternator is going bad and the charge is low, it will click on the battery-idiot light....

 

also when im driving around the lights will dim and when i give it gas they will get brighter again???

 

your headlights have VTEC? Mine do too...

your alternator is probably tired, but it is still good. A new alternator would likely fix the dimming....there was an update on 96-97 Civics that involved putting a new alternator because of the same symptom.