Just stumbled on this board as I was looking for some answers to a problem my 91 Accord is having. Looks like an awesome site!

Last night I was driving home and my electrical system warning indicator came on. I continued to drive the car, hoping I could make it home. About an hour later the speedomoter and tacometer both went to zero, then all my lights began to fade and eventually everything electrical in my car shut off. I could still drive, but VERY SLOW (and it would shudder as I tried to give it gas in an effort to get off the freeway and into a gas station).

I need to fix my car today. Went and had my battery tested and it doesn't even need to be charged (with my limited knowlede of cars if the battery is charged doesn't that sound like the alternator is working?) I have briefly read about the common problem with Main Relay's and was wondering if that sounds like it could be the problem?

The electrical warning light has been going on and off over the past couple days while I was out of town. The car never had a problem starting, but it would go on for a little while and then shut off...seemingly randomly it would come on again for a little while and then turn off.

I took the day off work today to fix my car (cause my car is stuck about 60 miles from my house) and I'm hoping to get it repaired today. Any quick help would be very appreciated!!

 

check your battery cable and main relay. They are the main gates for electrical currents. If they malfunction, everything would shut off like u said.

I think u should recheck your alternater. How did u test your battery? How old is your battery? If it is new, use a voltmeter and test and make sure it is around 12v or more. If it is an old battery, do a LOAD test. An old battery at 12v doesn't mean it is good.

While ur using your digital meter to test your bat., do a resistance test on your battery cables too.

Keep me up to date.

 

I took the battery in to Kragen to have it tested. I bought an alternator too, so if I can't figure anything else out I'm going to put it on and hope that helps (any tips or tricks I should know about switching out the alternator or is it pretty straight forward?)

The battery cables look ok to me. Very little corrosion, connection seems to be good.

Main relay. How do I find it, how do I check it?

 

Just thought of something else that might help diagnose the problem.

Last night when it died I hooked jumper cables up to my car (with no battery in it, just straight to the battery cables) and jumped my car off of the car that came to pick me up. The car started up and was running fine (power to everything while the jumper cables were hooked up). It did still have the cell for an electrical problem. I don't know if this helps clarify or rule out anything....

Thanks for the help!!


Modified by rdiggidy at 12:17 PM 8/17/2004

 

Sometimes, the battery cables will loosen themselves and this is what happens. Probably burnt your alternator...

Hook up your battery, make sure no corrosion is present between the cables and battery (scuff with sandpaper if you wish), install your alternator and give it a shot. You should probably be okay...

fs

 

Cables were nice and tight when I took the battery off. But who knows. It sounds like replacing the alternator is my best option.

Never replaced an alternator before, the location of it looked pretty convenient to me, but the Chilton's manual says it's located near the firewall (which it's not) and I'll have to take the power steering pump and cruise control actuator off. Though I'm not standing looking at my car, it looked like it would be a pretty clean unbolt and bolt back on.

Anybody got any advice for me for alternator replacement on a 91? (specifically how do you get the tension out of the belt to get it off?)

 

"Just thought of something else that might help diagnose the problem.
Last night when it died I hooked jumper cables up to my car (with no battery in it, just straight to the battery cables) and jumped my car off of the car that came to pick me up. The car started up and was running fine (power to everything while the jumper cables were hooked up). It did still have the cell for an electrical problem. I don't know if this helps clarify or rule out anything....

Thanks for the help!!
"

Sounds like something is loose (wires) or a bad battery.

Have u done a load test on your battery yet? I've been to kragen to test my battery before and their equipment to test the bat seems like a regular DDM. That's not a load test. A load test tests out your bat. ability to pump out amperage. A reading of +12V doesn't mean anything if the bat can't maintain amperage output.

My tip is to make sure that the battery is not your problem by doing a load test or replace it because it is so easy to do. You don't wanna do all the hard stuff first then finds out that it is a faulty battery.

If ^ still didn't solve your problem, than go for the alternator.

 

You can do a sorta-load-test by yourself. Don't start the engine, don't do this immediately after using jumper cables or charger. Turn the headlights on for 20 or 30 seconds to remove the surface charge from the battery. Turn them off, measure battery voltage on the actual posts themselves (not the clamps). Should be around 12.5v, but your meter might be off by 1/2 volt(!)

Then turn on your headlights, fans, stereos, everything you can. It won't be 100 amps, but it's something. The voltage shouldn't drop more than about 0.5v from what it was before.

Then have someone crank the starter while you watch your voltmeter. During cranking, it'll drop maybe a volt or 2. But this depends a lot on your engine, & oil temperature. You might have to disable fuel or spark so it doesn't actually start before you can read the voltage. This last test with the starter is kinda half-@$$ed unless you've already done the same test in your car with a known-good battery.

 

Replaced the alternator and it seems to be fixed.

Really appreciate all the help!!

 

I just read your post, it sounded like a altenator problem. Your battery is used to start your car after that your alltenator runs the car. From reading your post it didn't sound like your altenator was totally bad just sound like bad bearings or something cause you stated that you had no electric power but it could still move slowly. sounds like it wasn't spinning at the right speed. you could have checked if it was the altenator by starting your car and hooking a voltmeter to it. the voltage should have read 14 something if the altenator was workin correctly. if it wasn't it would hav read about what the battery was. but it seems like you got it fixed sorry i couldn't have helped you sooner. good luck