Alright guys your in for a long story cuz its hard to explain the problem. So first i notice that my headlights are dim and the ABS light comes on followed by the charging system light, gauge lights are unusually dim too. All of a sudden gauges drop off, still backlit but they just drop down to zero and pop back up. So I floor the car to redline figuring the alternator would charge up. It worked drove the car for another day. Next day I charge the battery go out, as i'm getting gas i leave the radio on for the girl in the car now the car doesn't start. Call my friend he gives me a jump drive it to his house, realize the battery clams aren't on very tight. Throw the battery on his charger for 4 hours. Tighten the clamps, can't get the positive terminal clamp to tighten all the way. Drive it home extremely pissed off. Next day me and my dad look at it clean the terminals now positive and negative have a clean SOLID connection. Drive it during the day lights come on but after some driving they go away. Last night i'm on my way down the Taconic (Upstate NY highway) after coasting down a very large mountain on rt 52, about 2 miles. As i'm driving same problem as before dim headlights, gauges dim. NOW IT GETS WORSE. Driving on the highway my radio cuts out and is tweakin like crazy. Decide my best option is to drop the hammer at the worse i have enough momentum to coast to the next exit. Next the gauges cut out on me no headlights either basically and i can't use my brights. So i miss my exit. At this point i'm furious i'm going way too fast to see anything with these dim of headlights. Rip an illegal U-turn and bolt up the highway the engine starts sputtering when I hit VTEC. Rip it home and park.


So here's what i"m asking WTF is wrong with my car do i need a new battery, the alternator's only 9 months old, or do i have a bigger problem with my whole electrical system. At this point i'm ready to burn the car to the ground, because this thing gives me a completely new issue every month. Help me out before I kill my car

 

alternator is gone, that's why your battery keeps going out

reman./new alternators are known for going bad quickly...take it to a shop and get it tested. All the battery does is provide enough power to start the car...the alternator is what keeps the battery constantly charged and runs the entire cars' electrical system while it's running. I had the same issues as you...abs light came on...car would intermittently die....alternator.

 

that voltage regulator will get you everytime. I had to return 3 alternators in a row once back to autozone because of this.

You can also try a resistance test from the wire that connects to the + post on the alt back to the fuse box. You could have built up corrosion in that wire causing a large loss of voltage.

But i bet it's the shitty voltage regulator

good luck

mike

 

Sounds like the alt for sure