stylesd88

Hey everyone....
So I am having a problem with my 2005 Acura TL, manual transmission that I was hoping I could get some feedback on. So yesterday I am leaving the parking lot at my job to get some lunch. I stopped at the bank to get some money from the ATM and while I was there, I decided to check my oil via the dip stick. So I checked the oil and closed the hood. I didn't exactly "slam" the hood but I also didn't put it down lightly, if you catch my drift.
When I got back in the car I noticed that the battery light on the cluster turned on. I know that when that light comes on it basically means that the car is running off of the power in the battery. So I figured I would at least have enough power to get back home from work (only about a 10min drive). On my way home I noticed that the light was still on but the car was not acting "strange". It started up fine, AC was running fine and so was the radio and the windows did not seem to be "slow". I don't know why but for some reason I thought maybe I will be OK for at least a little while (dumb decision, I know lol).
So I decided that I was going to drive to the gym thinking that I would be able to make it there and back no problem because the drive to the gym is only about 10min from my house as well. The drive there was fine, I went to the gym, was there for about an hour and 15min. When I came back outside, I started my car, but now could notice that the car started "hard". So I turned off all electrical (AC, radio, etc.) and started to drive home hoping that I would make it. As I was driving home, the car died as I was driving. I called the toe truck and he got there in about 45min. When he got there he hooked a portable battery pack up to the battery, the car started right up, and I drove it on to the flat bed. When we got back to my house, we did the same thing to get it off the truck. As I was driving it into my driveway the tow truck driver mentioned to me that the positive cable on the battery seemed "loose". He told me that he is a mechanic full time and that before I change the alternator I should be absolutely sure that it isn't the battery.
At this time I am pretty sure it is the alternator but I was hoping to get some second opinions from everyone else. Today, on my lunch break, I went home and attached the portable battery pack to the car and let it sit there and charge the battery with the car off for about an hour. I then left the battery pack on the car, started it up and let it sit there for about another 15min. Then, I took the battery pack off of the car and the car stayed on for about 5min and then shut off again. Again, I am pretty sure it is the alternator, but I have some friends and co workers who know a bit about cars tell me that it could even maybe be the battery? This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me because I thought that once the car is on it is the alternator that runs the electrical in the car? Also, the battery is about a year old, so basically it is new. Just to add to this; I also use my car for work. I live in an urban area and drive my car around the city to visit my clients (I am a case manger). It has definitely been a hot summer, so I have been running the AC basically everyday. Not sure if that affects anything but I thought I would just put it out there. Sorry for the long post everyone, but I am hoping there is someone out there that can help me out with some suggestions! I do not have a lot of money so my only option is to fix whatever needs to be fixed myself, which I am confident in doing, the alternator seems pretty easy to get to and I changed my starter about 2 years ago and that came out fine. Thank you!

stylesd88

Oh! and just to add to this. When I went home on lunch and charged the battery to get the car on.....the battery light did not go back on, but the car still died. I just thought that was weird and is useful to add. Thank you.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Alternator is my first suspicion, since I don't think a bad battery would cause the light to stay on when the car is running. Some newer cars will tell you that the battery needs to be replaced but doesn't shut off the engine. I know that in certain cases, the battery can cause the entire electrical system to operate poorly, even if the alternator is good. But I believe that's normally the exception, not the rule.

I'd remove the battery cables and do a good thorough cleaning. Use one of those metal toothbrushes, or better yet, a proper battery post cleaner from an auto parts store, to scour the battery terminal posts and the inside of the cable connectors. Check the connections of the cables to the car as well and make sure they're secure and not corroded. If any sign of corrosion or excess dirt is present, remove them, clean and reinstall. Check the connections to the alternator and make sure they're clean and tight. I'd probably remove the cables altogether and clean them. Use some CRC electrical components cleaner. Reinstall nice and tight (not so tight that you strip the bolt of course).

The light is typically triggered by the system voltage being below 12V. When the car is running on the battery only, it's likely going to dip below 12V. If the alternator isn't working at all then this will be the case. If the alternator is "going out" but still providing 12-13V, the light may not come on. This recently happened to me. The alternator was on its way out but the light didn't come on because it was still putting out about 12.7V (normal is 13.7-14.2V). I suppose it's theoretical that if you charged the battery, started the car, and didn't run anything electrical, that the light might not come on. I've never seen that before though. It would have to be a very well charged battery that is relatively new and even then, the light would still likely come on. It's weird that yours didn't come on but the car still died. It could be that the connections were dirty and suddenly disconnected causing the car to die but without the light coming on. Who knows.

Once you clean all the terminals and connections see what happens and post it.

thoiboi

I dunno.. sounds like you have some bad cells in your battery and it's no longer holding a charge. How old is the battery? I'd replace that and the positive battery cable (which is probably corroded through and that's why it's "loose")

Ashleyroachclip

An engine will run , as long as the alternator is working properly , and the load does not exceed the output of the alternator .
Think 14.5 volts draw .and what ever the alternator amp rating is .
The battery , only stores 12 volts , and is the regulating factor , of the alternator .
So if the battery will need charging , or a jump to start the car , it is not being charged , or it is bad .

I always first check , cables for corrosion , and that they are tight .
Alternator output , measured with a volt meter, should be around 14 volts .
If it fails , replace it ., charge the battery , before starting .
Sounds like you do have a bad alternator , but it may have taken a dump , because you had loose cables , over heating the alternator .

Jackass

I do not think this is true on the TL. When my positive clamp broke, my car would not stay running. Tow truck driver used electrical tape to hold the cable in place so I could make the 1.5 mile drive to the dealer. Every time I hit a bump, the engine stuttered and the dash went out.

On my previous cars, I would have agreed with you 100%. Although the battery also acts to smooth out the voltage from the alternator so it may not really even be a good idea to run without the battery.

I would highly suggest going over all of the cables and clamps coming off of the battery as the first thing to look at.

stylesd88

Thank you everyone. I took the day off to work on this. I am about to go under the hood now, I will let everyone know the progress today

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Similar issue happened to my 2001 Accord, it was the alternator.

stylesd88

Here is my battery...looks fine to me. Im leaning a lot more towards alternator now.

stylesd88

UPDATE: It was my alternator. Changed it yesterday. Job went smooth. Thank you everyone for your advice and feedback!

thoiboi

Wow.. your eyes have built in multimeters? Have you considered a career as an electrician?