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KyleKidd · 12-24-2008, 03:50 AM

ugh, new problem with my car. Ok, first off i washed my engine bay to take pictures because im trying to sell it and people want pics of the engine bay. I was careful not to get water near the dizzy, and wires. I let it dry over night and in the morning the car wouldent start. I Jumped it with my Suv and it started up. Now im getting a battery light. No error codes, just a red batter lit up. The weird thing is that it only lights up when accelorating. when i idle it doesnt light. Also note that my engine seems to be proforming better, my radio sounds clearer, and my rpms dont drop when useing any power options (they used to). So i went to the bank, and on my way home the car filled with a nasty smell that i cant put my finger on. Smelled like something burning? happened right when i got home so i poped the hood and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Belts looked fine. Checked the belt going to the alternator, was really tight so i loosened it just a little. Let the car sit. Few hours later i was takeing my girl home. She lives about 20 miles away. It was night so i needed my lights. This time the bat light stayed on no matter what i did. Right when i was near her house, the radio shut off, my guage cluster started going dark, and my led clock just dimmed so bad i could barly see them. Head lgihts too. So i shut off everything i could (headlights too =( ) and it seemed to not be getting any worse. I pulled up to her house and let it idle with nothing on, (hopeing it would recharge somehow) Then randomly after 5 min of sitting my CEL came on. I quickly checked it to get error code 43. Something to do with the fuel delivery. So im like wtf. Im thinking its the alternator thats bad since notihng seems to be keeping power. Well the car wouldent restart and i had to have my car towed home on a flatbed. (was lucky because my GF has free towing from AAA) So its in my garage and i ordered a new alternator. Also about a month ago i went to Autozone and had my battery and alt checked and the guy said my bat was excelent and my alternator was at about 60% health. So maybe the alt just happened to fail tonight. So my question really is: would a bad alternator cause my problems? Also about the CEL light, im thinking that there is just a lack of power going to the fuel system which made it throw the error, whats your input on that theory? And the burning smell i have no idea. dident come back on the ride to her house, maybe the belt was just a little too tight. All in all, i ordered a new alternator and am waiting for it to get here. The motor wash obviously screwed with something, weather it killed my dieing alternator or something else. Is there anything i might be overlooking?

George777 · 12-24-2008, 06:38 AM

When you said the car wouldn't restart, do you mean that it wouldn't turn over, or there was nothing happening because of a dead battery? If you hook some jumper cables up to it, will it start off someone else's power?

delsol88 · 12-25-2008, 01:34 AM

check for corrosion on ur battery trminals. that could cause all sorts of problems. if not corroted make sure they are tight too

KyleKidd · 12-25-2008, 03:02 AM

i checked the terminals. The negative one is on tight, but the positive one is kinda loose. I can twist it around on the prong. I'll have to tighten it. And yes the car started before when i jumped it. I haven't tried jumping it so far since i had it towed home. By the way, Merry Chrismas

shaggsdb · 12-26-2008, 02:55 AM

sounds like your voltage regulator on your alternator is bad.

delsol88 · 12-27-2008, 01:51 AM

u know u could pull ur alt off and get it checked. its free just cost u the time. i had that prob with my 240sx. lights dimmed and everything. turned out to be the voltage reg

KyleKidd · 01-05-2009, 02:17 AM

I ordered a new alt on ebay for $100, and installed it myself. Fixed my problem and my car is good as new. all for only 100 not bad imo.

NastyNateEF · 01-23-2009, 07:00 PM

how did you get your alternator out? I have an 89 ef and i got it off the mounting bracket but cant pull it out thru any space.

12-24-2008, 03:50 AM	#1
KyleKidd Honda Noob Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NorthEastern Pennsylvania Age: 19 Posts: 120 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: Honda Civic Del Sol Rep Power: 4	Alternator problem? ugh, new problem with my car. Ok, first off i washed my engine bay to take pictures because im trying to sell it and people want pics of the engine bay. I was careful not to get water near the dizzy, and wires. I let it dry over night and in the morning the car wouldent start. I Jumped it with my Suv and it started up. Now im getting a battery light. No error codes, just a red batter lit up. The weird thing is that it only lights up when accelorating. when i idle it doesnt light. Also note that my engine seems to be proforming better, my radio sounds clearer, and my rpms dont drop when useing any power options (they used to). So i went to the bank, and on my way home the car filled with a nasty smell that i cant put my finger on. Smelled like something burning? happened right when i got home so i poped the hood and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Belts looked fine. Checked the belt going to the alternator, was really tight so i loosened it just a little. Let the car sit. Few hours later i was takeing my girl home. She lives about 20 miles away. It was night so i needed my lights. This time the bat light stayed on no matter what i did. Right when i was near her house, the radio shut off, my guage cluster started going dark, and my led clock just dimmed so bad i could barly see them. Head lgihts too. So i shut off everything i could (headlights too =( ) and it seemed to not be getting any worse. I pulled up to her house and let it idle with nothing on, (hopeing it would recharge somehow) Then randomly after 5 min of sitting my CEL came on. I quickly checked it to get error code 43. Something to do with the fuel delivery. So im like wtf. Im thinking its the alternator thats bad since notihng seems to be keeping power. Well the car wouldent restart and i had to have my car towed home on a flatbed. (was lucky because my GF has free towing from AAA) So its in my garage and i ordered a new alternator. Also about a month ago i went to Autozone and had my battery and alt checked and the guy said my bat was excelent and my alternator was at about 60% health. So maybe the alt just happened to fail tonight. So my question really is: would a bad alternator cause my problems? Also about the CEL light, im thinking that there is just a lack of power going to the fuel system which made it throw the error, whats your input on that theory? And the burning smell i have no idea. dident come back on the ride to her house, maybe the belt was just a little too tight. All in all, i ordered a new alternator and am waiting for it to get here. The motor wash obviously screwed with something, weather it killed my dieing alternator or something else. Is there anything i might be overlooking? __________________ 1993 Honda Civic Del Sol 1.6L D16Z6 Vtec Engine

12-25-2008, 03:02 AM	#4
KyleKidd Honda Noob Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NorthEastern Pennsylvania Age: 19 Posts: 120 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: Honda Civic Del Sol Rep Power: 4	i checked the terminals. The negative one is on tight, but the positive one is kinda loose. I can twist it around on the prong. I'll have to tighten it. And yes the car started before when i jumped it. I haven't tried jumping it so far since i had it towed home. By the way, Merry Chrismas __________________ 1993 Honda Civic Del Sol 1.6L D16Z6 Vtec Engine

01-05-2009, 02:17 AM	#7
KyleKidd Honda Noob Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NorthEastern Pennsylvania Age: 19 Posts: 120 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: Honda Civic Del Sol Rep Power: 4	I ordered a new alt on ebay for $100, and installed it myself. Fixed my problem and my car is good as new. all for only 100 not bad imo. __________________ 1993 Honda Civic Del Sol 1.6L D16Z6 Vtec Engine

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12-25-2008, 01:34 AM	#3
delsol88 Blinker Fluid Specialist Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: JC,MO Posts: 251 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 95 delsol SI Rep Power: 8	check for corrosion on ur battery trminals. that could cause all sorts of problems. if not corroted make sure they are tight too

12-26-2008, 02:55 AM	#5
shaggsdb Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Manteca, California Age: 25 Posts: 13 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 92 civic with bar'd b18b1 Rep Power: 0	sounds like your voltage regulator on your alternator is bad.

12-27-2008, 01:51 AM	#6
delsol88 Blinker Fluid Specialist Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: JC,MO Posts: 251 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 95 delsol SI Rep Power: 8	u know u could pull ur alt off and get it checked. its free just cost u the time. i had that prob with my 240sx. lights dimmed and everything. turned out to be the voltage reg

01-23-2009, 07:00 PM	#8
NastyNateEF VROOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: H-Town Age: 21 Posts: 65 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 89' Civic EF Hatchback Rep Power: 0	how did you get your alternator out? I have an 89 ef and i got it off the mounting bracket but cant pull it out thru any space.

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Alternator problem?