Hey guys, nasty problem I have here that's keeping me from doing the turbo project and getting to work. For some strange reason, the battery keeps getting drained to the point where the engine stops running, as if the alternator's not charging the battery at all. the alternator's brand new, there's no corrosion in the terminals and lines to and from both the fuse box, starter and alternator, all of my inline fuses seem to be fine, this is the third battery i'm on right now after recharging the others so many times, what the hell is going on here? Is there some sort of regulator or relay that controls the alternator charging the battery? I can't go 5 miles without seeing the battery (after using the multimeter) go from 12.8 volts down to less than 8. Need suggestions asap, thanks!

 

Take the brand new part in for testing- on the car or off doesnt matter- just get to the parts store
Sounds like 2 or more probs
A new part is defective or has failed
There is a ground wire bad somewhere in the line- check taillights and that sort of thing
Hows the battery cables- inside- maybe a little white stuff growing- anything like that anywhere- funky look to battery connection after a few days??

 

Have you tested the alt while running? Get the car started and disconnect the battery, the car should stay running

 

although i've been told not to disconnect the battery while running (i've seen the procedure fry my friend's PCM in his accord), I did it anyway. The engine immediately dies once I disconnect the terminal.

 

if it dies, then that means your engine is running off of battery power alone. your alternator is not charging the battery or supplying electrical power to your engine.

 

yeah, that's what i thought, any steps for troubleshooting? I have my multimeter right here next to me. fuses seem to be okay, just wondering what else is there to check.

 

take the alternator back- its not working

 

might as well... this is the third alternator. The first lasted since I last did the conversion, that was a few months ago (i had a starter from the 2003 Honda Accord EX v6 MT), worked just fine until now, and then out of no where, I went and got a used one from the junkyard for a '01 TL, didn't charge, and then tried a new one for the '03 TL-S from advanced auto parts and still nothing. I'll just bring it back and find a used one. I'd rather not pay $189+ for something I can get for less than $100. Other than grounds, anything else I can check?

 

do you have a CAI setup that may be grounding against a cable?

 

i have a cai setup, but it's no where near touching any wires. any other suggestions?

 

have the alternator tested on a running machine- the engine or the bench at the parts store- but let their equipment see what it says

 

guess i'll do it again, this'll be my 4th visit to the autoparts store.

alright, i recleaned and relocated all of my grounds, checked the battery indicator light on the dash to see if the bulb's blown.. looks completely fine, checked the inline fuses, mainly the 120A battery fuse, checked the lines for corrosion, i'm pretty much stuck. What about the green connector that runs from the alternator into the engine harness? is there any way to check for power being put out from the alternator through there. IF so, I noticed the red/white wire that's there,would that be the power output? I wish i had a diagram or pinout of the connector which would make life easier.

Also, is it possible to temporarily reroute/make a connection from the power from that wire coming away from the alternator to the battery so I can temporarily drive the car back and forth from the autoparts store?

 

Bump

 

dont hotwire anything- that usually how fires end your problem~

Charge the battery with a slow charger and you will have enough juice to get to the store.

Use your mutimeter to see whats coming out of what wire for power readings

 

reading back thru this- you already confirmed its alt dead with the batetry cable removal test- so back to the store you go.
Even fresh rebuilts- sometimes brand new parts, fail- thats technology assembled in a 3rd world with the lowest cost parts

 

wow... nice to know that you check out every fuse possible, but just ONE fuse was missing... ONE. The car's working again now.. showing 14.5v on the regulator... went to the junkyard, got myself a $30 alternator, tested good, going to put it into the car tonight... time to return over $300 (including the new alternator and cables)+ tools back to advance auto parts.