92 EX wagon Auto, charging difficulties

[Duner]

Key on , alt light lites up.
Start engine and light goes OUT but not charging at all.
Replace alt with used from stock, same deal.
Do the checks per FSM, says replace regulator.
New regulator in first OEM alt and same deal, not charging at all but light is NOT on.
Anybody ever this trouble?

[Raf99]

How many volts are you getting on the battery with the car on?

[Fleetw00d]

Also check the voltage at the alternator positive terminal as well. If you get 14+ at the alternator and significantly less at the battery, then start checking cable connections, particularly the negative battery cable connection at the transmission housing.

[Duner]

I am getting 11.8 to 12.2 at the battery with engine running . Tomorrow when day light I will check voltage at the alternator B+ with engine running. Thank you for replies.

[Raf99]

I am getting 11.8 to 12.2 at the battery with engine running . Tomorrow when day light I will check voltage at the alternator B+ with engine running. Thank you for replies.

When the engine is running, this measurement should be 13.7 to 14.7 volts. Your alternator is not charging the battery. Let us know the voltage at the ALT.

[Duner]

Voltage at alt B+ is 11.7 v and at battery this morning it is 11.8v @ 1800 RPM.

[Raf99]

ya, dead. ALT is not working / charging the battery.

Assuming you have a new ALT and regulator there has to be a wiring issue between the ALT and Battery. Are the connectors on the battery in good shape? All of your grounds in good shape? (esp. the transmission ground).

There's also the ELD (electric load detector) which could influence this. But first answer the question on the wiring.

[Duner]

I will poke at it as time allows and see what I can find. From spending hours trouble shooting using FSM and doing online searches trying to find solution to my exact problem, that is no charge and no alt light on even to alt light works during bulb check. Thank you for taking time to answer.

[F22Chris]

Use 4 gauge or better wire when redoing the connections. You can literally run a solid wire from the alternator to the + battery post with a 90A fuse in series. For the ground make sure it’s paint free, metal on metal contact. This might be obvious, but I figured I’d say it cause a bad ELD is kinda rare and the problem is probably within the connections like stated.

Do you know how to check continuity with a multimeter?

[Raf99]

Ya, and I've never heard of an ALT light, I think you are referring to the battery light in the console?

Also keep in mind there is a ALT fuse in the fuse box. Large 80AMP one, you should check on the condition of that fuse. That could be all of your issues.

[Duner]

80 amp fuse is good per test light.
Alt light will now be called "battery light", sorry about that.
Ran separate wire from from alt frame to batt -.minus, still no charge.
Ran separate wire from Battery + plus to alt + and still no charge.
I can use a multimeter. Helps to have instructions , FSM has lots of tests.
So far everything points to bad regulator or alternator. Why the battery charge light goes out
after engine start is the big mystery. Thanks

[F22Chris]

If you can, post some pictures of your connections? It might help to see what you’re working with.

[Ashtrain]

The alternator circuit in hondas is very misleading, the ELD has direct control over alternator output voltage, high load=high voltage, low load=low voltage, a Honda charging circuit can show 12.9 volts at idle and this is perfectly acceptable, this applies to all vehicles with an ELD circuit. I'll find it in the manual and post it, there is also a T.S.B issued on the matter for newer vehicles (2008 etc), with our cb7 you can install a resistor into ELD connector bypassing it an making alternator output high voltage at all times, it's what I've done I'll check resistor size but a search of ELD bypass should give some results, it took me a month of electrical troubleshooting to find some of this, WARNING to all cb7 owners be very careful when installing aftermarket led bulbs, I fried more components than I can count, 95% of the time with the cb7 it's all caused by a short inside of the ICU that is attached to the under dash fuse box, all of these things can be repaired for the most part, even though Honda says they can't be. I'll post diagrams in a bit, to the OP this won't be easy but I would first look at the ICU circuit

[Ashtrain]

https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...-bypass-32726/
This is what got me started as far as ELD is concerned, you can change resistor size slightly to change voltage��

[Ashtrain]

http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/As...sort=3&page=1#
Hopefully these can be viewed if not I'll try again, these are just a few, if you want something specific let me know which diagrams or procedures and I'll post them up, a Haynes manual is a very valuable resource, actual Honda manuals give a lot more detail, some systems have no logic whatsoever,( stupid factory immobilizer units )! I also have pics of the insides of the fuse boxes and what too look for if needed.