So my 2004 automatic TSX wouldn't start the other day. Tried giving it a jump but the car wouldn't take it. Then tried banging on the starter and the car started.

I had the starter replaced, but then during a test drive noticed there was a power loss.

The windows were slow to go down, lights were dim, then out of nowhere my gauges shut down and found that I was having acceleration problems.

Had the battery tested the next day with a volt meter to find it was way below 12V off and when we gave it a jump the voltage was being drained and eventually held at 7.5

We then disconnected the positive battery terminal while the car was running and the engine shut off.

So it seems like the alternator has gone bad. Would this cause the starter to go bad as well?

Has anyone had this problem? Has replacing the alternator solved it or are there any other possible issues in the chain which could have caused the alternator and starter to go bad?

My main concern is that this could be more than just the alternator.

Anyone have any similar experiences?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

Just to add, eventually the transmission was affected as well, when trying to switch gears they wouldn't budge then eventually switched hard from park to drive

 

Low voltage will cause problems w/ many systems. Since car started and did not recharge battery, you either have bad alternator or possibly badly corroded battery wires (usually +).

Suggest removing alternator and having a check performed at auto parts store.

You could also have a drain that is rapidly drawing battery down.

Never disconnect battery from system w/ engine running. This can apply power spikes to sensitive components; ECM/TCM, etc.

good luck

 

Turned out the battery was no good as well. The alternator was replaced along with a new battery, but the batter was still not charging as it should. Had the new alternator tested and it tested good! Just to be safe, got a replacement alternator that is going to be installed tomorrow along with a new ground cable to be safe. If that doesn't solve the problem, then I have no idea where to go from there.

Has anyone experienced something similar to this?

 

Be sure your grounds are not corroded at termination points.

 

Ok so the alternator was replace along with a brand new battery today.

It's still not charging as it should. Everything from grounds, fuses, and the belt was checked and working fine, but with the engine running, the battery holds steady at around 12.1 volts and does not exceed that.

So obviously, something is wrong because the alternator is not charging properly.

Having a mechanic come to try and figure this one out because I'm completely stumped at this point.

Thanks for your input guys!