Alternator smoking when car isn't on!!!!
 

So my battery light pops on, im thinking it's just a low battery I'll get a new one in a few days. Two days later my car shuts off and I have to push it off to the side of the road, I go to buy a new battery and I switch it ou, simple fix right? Wrong.
As soon as I connected the new battery my alternator started smoking up and I had no idea what was going on! Im new to the j series and I've only had integras for the past 5 years and I've never encountered a problem like this before. So I turned the car on and the smoking stopped then I saw my battery light was still on. Im thinking the alternator is fried and The logical thing to do is to replace the alternator and hope it goes away. But if im missing something that someone has knowledge of that's gone through this please help
I don't want my car to catch fire
Thanks

If I were in your shoes, I would look at replacing the alternator. I haven't heard or seen this issue, but would say you are on the right track.

yeah thanks, I just don't want it to be a big electrical problem

I'd change the alternator too. On one of my cars once I had grime around the battery post and needed to change it. Unscrew the terminal from the post, pull on it and I don't notice but some of the rust crap flies right into the alternator. Place the new battery back in, start the car....

UH OH FLAMING ALTERNATOR :rofl:



Anyway, batteries and alternators are notorious to go out together often enough. You have a crappy battery that's barely providing the power it should and not charging very well anymore and your alternator works double time trying to charge it, eventually it's gonna give up.
Same if you have an alternator that's barely charging the battery, the battery is going to discharge very quickly and under ideal levels then get charged on a longer ride etc. Combine that with heat and/or cold and yeah... it happens.

Thanks, im gonna replace my alternator tomorrow and I'll let you guys know what happens

Any updates?

Our 2008 Acura TL did the same thing. We just put in the new alternator and it started smoking again, only this time, it did not appear to be the alternator, it was more to the front of the vehicle. How did yours turn out. Ours started smoking as soon as the battery was reconnected.

I am having this exact issue. I knew the battery was weak but today experienced the shutting down of car, parked it and went to buy new battery. Soon as new battery connected, started smoking from left side of the engine bay. 2010 TL Tech

Acura dealer says it could be a AC compressor relay causing the smoke but could not tell through the phone, I’m just not trying to pay dealer prices >.<

identify the source of the smoke, unfortunately, just like the dealer couldn't diagnose over the phone, we can't diagnose over the internet yet... but we're trying to add that feature to our site soon!

Why not remove the fuse for the AC relay before connecting the battery?

Smoke with fused removed?

If no smoke, plug in the fuse. Smoke now?

Then go to an indy shop. I don't understand why people seem to always want to to take their car to a dealer.

Smoked Alternator
 

Had this problem and found that the PC valve located just north of the alternator electrical contacts was cracked and leaking oil directly onto my alternator and inadvertently causing its demise.Easy check turned into a complete disaster. Good luck