charging problem

[nevi325]

hey guys.

i was on google searching for about an hour and i cant find any help on this situation. its kind of odd.

leaving work today and my voltage is at 13v says the voltmeter, i have my lights on, heat and rear defrost, about 1/4 mile down the road lights dim and i look at the volt meter and it is at 9volts then shoots to 12.5, it was doing this back and forth the whole way home wich is about 25 miles. i did notice that the charging light was on and it was very faint,not fully lighting up. once i get home in my driveway it stops doing it. but it did it to me last night withought the charging light coming on.

im quite concerned. it is my only car, and i just baught all new brakes, rotors and wheel bearings today. planned on doing this tomorow and now this.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

im sure there all the same but the car is a 93 accord exr f22a6

[visualpoet]

It sounds like the alternator or voltage regulator. Take it to any chain parts store and the should test the system for you for free.

[nevi325]

forgot to mention that, i work at advance auto, and we did a test on it 2 times already. it does it when it wants to. im going to go ger a new alt anyways and see what becomes of it.

it seems to be pointing to the voltage regulator

[bobbycos]

It sounds like the alternator or voltage regulator. Take it to any chain parts store and the should test the system for you for free.

sounds like the voltage regulator is going bad. easier to replace that alternator AND while you are there clean or replace the battery cable ends.

[nevi325]

got it in the garage today, what i noticed was the green plug for the alt was loose so i pulled it off and it was covered in corrosion, cleaned it up a bit and pluged it back, no probs yet, we shall see.... also was at the yard today looking for an alt, there was only one and it was al frozen up. hopefully this was my prob i just replaced all new tierods balljoints, and brakes and rotors in the front, took me 8 hrs, broke a slidehammer, and i notice my waterpump is leaking.

[Losiracer2]

this was exactly what my car was doing the night my alternator crapped out. It wouldn't maintain a steady 12v and I barely made it home. Either your voltage regulator went bad, or your brushes are worn out.

Also check to see if the plug has that little notch that locks it in. After all these years and the heat its exposed to, the little plastic tab that holds the alternator plug may have broken off.