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One-time charging system failure

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    #1

    One-time charging system failure

    Recently I was completing a 3000 mile road trip from WI to MA and back again. The car handled the trip just fine until 30 miles from home on the return trip after 200 previous miles of driving that day, go figure. I was cruising on the interstate and all of the sudden my tachometer and speedometer started jumping up and down for about 2 minutes. Then both of them went dead and flopped to zero. Then my check engine light dimmed (bad egr code) and my radio started to fade out. I knew at that pint my battery was dying and suspected the alternator. I pulled the car over just as the fuel pump was cutting out. I checked the battery voltage and it was 9.8 and the car wouldn't even turn over. I pulled the alternator and had my friend bring my to Oreillys to have the alternator tested. Surprisingly it passed the test exceptionally even though it appears to be the factory Denso alternator. I went back to the car and put the alternator back in and jumped the car to get it started. The battery took a charge from the jump and the car started right up and the voltage across the battery terminals was holding steady 14.1-14.2 volts. I brought the car to another Oreillys and had them test the battery and it passed flawlessly just like the alternator. I have driven the car about 70 miles since then with no issues other than a burnt out check engine light and a burnt out tail light.

    Is this simply a bad wire between the alternator and the battery?
    Tags: None
    #2
    How are the terminal ends that go to the battery,
    broken? ... Clean? .. Tight ?
    You can also do a continuity test on your suspect wire
    Having a digital multimeter will help out a ton
    Harbor freight has them for under 10 bucks everyday.
    Ten dollar meter is a ten dollar meter but will work just
    Fine for applications. On our cars ... Hope this helps a lil
    Good luck !

    Comment

      #3
      Could be the regulator in the alternator starting to go. I've seen them sometimes charge and sometimes not a few times. The thing is the voltage will be erratic so when they tested it it may have passed. Get a ten dollar meter from somewhere and read the voltage for a while.
      ......father in law has it back again. Time to shine

      Comment

        #4
        May have been a loose or corroded connection that you corrected simply be taking it apart and putting it back together. When I bought my 93 EX sedan, the PO had chased poor starting behavior by replacing the battery and the alternator. The engine would turn slowy a few times, then speed up and start. After cleaning the engine bay, I started it and noticed steam coming off the ground wire from the valve cover to the left engine mount area. I found the connection from the negative battery cable to the transmission housing was loose (the bolt hole was stripped), so all the starting current was attempting to go through other ground wires, heating them up. I tapped a new larger hole, cleaned the contact surfaces, installed and tightened a new bolt and it has been great ever since.
        90 LX 4dr 5 spd 396,014 (sold 1/1/2022) - MRT: http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=201450
        08 Element LX FWD AT 229,000 - MRT: fleetw00d : 2008 Honda Element LX - CB7Tuner Forums

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          #5
          Since I made the orignal post I have put about 600 miles on the car with no issues. Yesterday after starting the car up the battery light would stay on at idle until I gave it some gas. It did this until the car got to operating temp a mile or so down the road. After that no issues for the rest of the day even with every accessory running. This morning it did the same thing where the battery light would come on at idle and then go off when the motor was revving. Except this time the light stopped going on and off after the car warmed up but started this behavior again when I pulled into work 35 miles/1hour later.

          I brought a spare battery and picked up a reman alternator from oreilly's on my way to work so if I have to do a roadside alternator swap I won't be SOL on my way home today. The wiring going from the alternator to the battery looked fine and given the age and miles on the Denso currently in my car I think it's really preventative maintenance at this point to replace it.

          Comment

            #6
            I replaced the alternator and it fixed the problems. It really started to fail when I got home from work. I guess it was slowly failing rather than failing completely a few weeks ago.

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by WinterBeater92 View Post
              I replaced the alternator and it fixed the problems. It really started to fail when I got home from work. I guess it was slowly failing rather than failing completely a few weeks ago.
              I have noticed that about Denso alternators. Most don't just out like other cars. They start to diminish slowly. I suspect a bad regulator in the alternator.
              MRT: http://www.cd5tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=5748

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