Battery light mystery

[SkateK610]

So my story starts one night driving home, the bat. light comes up.
Next day get it checked out and while running its at 11.5v, it was a 3 yr old battery, they say the alternator is dead.

I replace the alternator, and for a short while, a couple miles, the light was off.
I notice with my turn signals on the battery light dims a bit, and once im home I sit idleing and press the brake a few times, the battery light dims again and after a few times the idle got a bit erratic, then the brake lamp light comes on, and the car gives up and dies.

I brought the battery in and they say its on 5% charge.
I got a new battery.

With the new battery the car ran fine, but the battery light is still on, then another start the brake lamp came on when the brake was pressed. It seems sometimes it will be on other times not.

The top hatch light is out, and so are the two inside brake lights.
When the brake lamp light is on the car doesn't act up, dim/idle wise. When it was off it dimmed/stalled.

Ive also checked fuses and they are fine.

Any hints?

[Nio]

I'm having similar issues. *without the dying though*

I think my is just some old grounds have gone bad. I would suggest replacing most of them, especially the one on the alternator, check that one. when I replaced mine the ground wire overheated and snapped off, suggest you replace that if you need to.

Just a suggestion to check though. may not be your problem.

[Oldblueaccord]

You need 14 volts at the battery car running. See what you get.its prolly a bad reman alt.


wp

[Ayeobe]

seems like your brake light circuit is having isseus =/ odd tho, cos id figure the fuse would blow if it was shorted.. odd stuff man. perhaps the brakelight ground would ither be loose or corroded... other than that, check all other grounds, like these other guys said.

[lostforawhile]

look in the underhood fuse box, I believe the interior lamp is on the same circuit as the alternator field circuit, if that fuse blew with a bad alternator, the alternator isn't working. let me pull up the manual and i'll tell you the fuses. I believe current may be making it's way through the brake light circuit, that also could be a bad ground.

[lostforawhile]

check fuse 8 in the underhood box, and check fuse 1 in the interior fuse box, both provide voltage to the alternator and indicator lamp, among other things, voltage could be making it's way somehow through the brake light circuit to the indicator for the alternator

[SkateK610]

I know #1 is good and i think 8 is, ill see about switching fuses

[lostforawhile]

your dome light may be another fuse, or just a burned out bulb, if the horn honks, the dome light fuse is good, it's also the same fuse for the brake lamps, but all of them would be out. the left side brake lamps are one power wire, and the right side are one power wire, all tied to a junction, I think that may be bad bulbs also, let me look again, to see if fuse one also powers the safety indicator, the dome light is not directly switched by the door switches, it provides a ground signal to the safety indicator, which switches the dome light electronically, have you recently pulled the instrument cluster? if one plug is loose, the dome lamp won't work

[Hauntd ca3]

So my story starts one night driving home, the bat. light comes up.
Next day get it checked out and while running its at 11.5v, it was a 3 yr old battery, they say the alternator is dead.

I replace the alternator, and for a short while, a couple miles, the light was off.
I notice with my turn signals on the battery light dims a bit, and once im home I sit idleing and press the brake a few times, the battery light dims again and after a few times the idle got a bit erratic, then the brake lamp light comes on, and the car gives up and dies.

I brought the battery in and they say its on 5% charge.
I got a new battery.

With the new battery the car ran fine, but the battery light is still on, then another start the brake lamp came on when the brake was pressed. It seems sometimes it will be on other times not.

The top hatch light is out, and so are the two inside brake lights.
When the brake lamp light is on the car doesn't act up, dim/idle wise. When it was off it dimmed/stalled.

Ive also checked fuses and they are fine.

Any hints?


dont trust anyplace that uses one of those digital battery checker things, they are full of shit.
the only true test of a batt is to charge it up properly( leave it on charge for at least 24 hours) and get it load tested with a proper carbon pile high rate discharge tester.
for a car like a 3g, a batt should be able to do at least 300amps for 15 or 20 seconds without going below 10 volts.
the alt needs to be current tested on the vehicle as well.
the volt meter may say 11.5 or 12 volts, but the alt may be charging its arse off at 60amps.
these cars have wee alts and the output voltage will drop heaps if its doing 40 or more amps.
charge the batt up good and proper and retest it and the charge system.
14 volts or 14.5 is good , anything less than 13.5 at 2000rpms is bad

[SkateK610]

I Checked the connector and ground on the alt today, I also changed the oil/filter when i replaced the alt. and it seems i got oil on the connector and i saw some on the alt. itsself where the copper is. I wonder if that would of killed it

[SkateK610]

In another plot twist...

I just went to goto work, and the battery light went off like it normally would when you start. brake lamp is still on but I wonder what the hell is going on..

[MessyHonda]

In another plot twist...

I just went to goto work, and the battery light went off like it normally would when you start. brake lamp is still on but I wonder what the hell is going on..

break lamp means one of your tail lights are not working

[lostforawhile]

In another plot twist...

I just went to goto work, and the battery light went off like it normally would when you start. brake lamp is still on but I wonder what the hell is going on..

do you mean the one in the diagram of the little car? you said both of your inner brake lamps weren't working, thats why it's on, also the third brake light being out will cause it to come on, the big red lamp at the top of the cluster means you have a brake problem,or the e brake is on, the one in the indicator means a bulb is burned out

[SkateK610]

do you mean the one in the diagram of the little car? you said both of your inner brake lamps weren't working, thats why it's on, also the third brake light being out will cause it to come on, the big red lamp at the top of the cluster means you have a brake problem,or the e brake is on, the one in the indicator means a bulb is burned out

The i figured out the two bulbs i thought were out were reverse lights, they work, the one thats out is the top 3rd light, yes its the lamp thats on.

as for the battery light, it came on again this afternoon when i started, i think i might of blinked off for a second while driving, and then tonight coming home, it didnt come on

[lostforawhile]

The i figured out the two bulbs i thought were out were reverse lights, they work, the one thats out is the top 3rd light, yes its the lamp thats on.

as for the battery light, it came on again this afternoon when i started, i think i might of blinked off for a second while driving, and then tonight coming home, it didnt come on

if the lamp in the diagram of the car is showing brake, it's because your third brake light is out, replace that bulb and step on the brake, and it will reset itself

[Dr_Snooz]

It might be worth getting a volt gauge so you can see what's happening with the voltage when the light comes on.