2003 Honda No Charge

[Mudderoy]

Calling all prior, or current Honda Civic owners!

2003 Honda Civic 1.7L engine.

No codes with the exception of the P1324 (knock sensor)

My daughters Honda wouldn't start the other day, click click click click!

Simple right? Usually battery, sometime alternator. I put the charger on it and pressed the button to alternator, showed 0%!

Put it on the 99 and did the same thing, show 50%

Replaced the alternator. Put the charger on it, checked alternator, 0%

Further testing. Battery slowly charges to 12.5 volts, drops like a rock to 9 volts if I turn on headlights and a/c heater fan. Radio audio starts chopping.

I've checked alternator fuse under the dash. I've checked for battery voltage between alternator and battery.

Checked the ground.

Just ordered an ELD even though there's no code.

It acts like the alternator is sending voltage and current to the system just not enough. So the new alternator isn't working 100%, something is wrong with the wiring and it won't handle full current, or the ELD is screwed up.

Hopefully it's not the computer, but I guess it could be.

Anyone had any experience like this?

[cantab27]

its a Honda should be mowing ya lawns not on the pavement ...........new alt not faulty

[Mudderoy]

The alternator that was replaced tests good.

Seems the new battery charges as long as only the engine is running. Headlights, brake lights, blower motor, the batter discharges pretty quickly.

ELD is coming in today.

[4.3LXJ]

I can't remember which part of the alternator failure causes that, but what you have is voltage with low amps. If all they checked was the voltage, yeah it tests good. But I don't think it will pass a load test

[Mudderoy]

I can't remember which part of the alternator failure causes that, but what you have is voltage with low amps. If all they checked was the voltage, yeah it tests good. But I don't think it will pass a load test

The new one is in the Honda. The old one I had my girls take to the auto parts place today to test.

[Mudderoy]

The ELD came in today so I changed that and as I expected no change.

Did a little more testing.

Lights off engine on
8470

Lights on engine on
8471

I pulled out the 10 amp ALT fuse and things got quieter and the voltage dropped below 12 volts.

So again, alternator is doing something just not a lot current wise, or it isn't being asked to.

New alternator is coming out. Next test at auto parts place will include load test.

[Mudderoy]

Checked as many things I could think to check. Kept wondering if the new alternator was bad.

Pulled the battery line and plug off the new alternator, hooked it up to the old alternator used the impact to spin it. Voltage jumped up to 14 volts.

Swapped the old alternator back in.

8494

The old alternator chips under load.

[Mudderoy]

Well the old alternator starting doing the same thing as the new one. Would only run about 12.5 volts, dropping to 11.75 volts with lights on.

I traced the line from the ECU to the alternator and check for continuity, fine. I cleaned the grounds, no change.

As I was testing (at night with a flashlight) I notices some smoke, very light, coming up from the engine. It was the belt.

My assumption was that if Honda engineered both the alternator and power steering adjustments with a wing nut you only needed to hand tighten them. Wrong!

The belt was lose, lose enough that when I would increase the RPMs to 2000 the voltage would drop from the alternator.

I looked closely and behind the wing nut was a regular nut, that I could put a wrench on.

Not much room, but I turned it, maybe 4 or 5 revolutions, and checked the belt. It was tight, but I wasn't having to strain to turn the adjustment.

So I cracked it up and read the voltage, 14.51 volts! Oh and that annoying chirping was gone. Ran it at idle with the lights on and it stayed at 13+ volts. I had one of the girls come out and run it up to 2k rpm and the voltage INCREASED! :D Yeah that's the other thing the belt slipping didn't scream like it does on an XJ.

So 99% of my problem with this Honda was inexperience with it. The girls took it for a ride last night and no issues. The pluses in all of this is the new found experience (it's just like every other car/truck I've had) and in the process I was able to find and hook up the knock sensor, so the check engine light is out, and just in time for inspection.

[nickyg]

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

[Mudderoy]

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

Loved that "Y M C A" song they did.

[drakan1908]

Loved that "Y M C A" song they did.
G.I. Joe??? Lol

sent from a van down by the river