PROJECT, 4G ALTERNATOR / 4G HEATER CONTROLS

**smufguy** · 02-26-2004, 08:14 AM

Well two months back, I got a problem with my stupid alternator and i was like fuck. also my climate controls sucked, cuz i hated the slider and by old age of the car, it started to stick and bind. Well fellas here is the solution

1. Alternator - 80 Amps - Efi Cars only

I went to autozone, got a 3g alternator and i was like, yo lemme see the 4g alternator, he brought it out, the lower mounting was exactly the same size in width. I was like hmmmm. The 4g alt is a 80amp and ours is only 65 amp. only $10 extra. I was like. Give me the 4g alternator. Brought it home fit it in perfect, all the clips go in great but the tilt was too much, Belt would not go over. So went to autozone got a couple of belts, even the dude was like, yo go behind the counter to the belt section and choose whatever u want and come and give it to me later. So i went there and found the right size belt ((the length i will give later)). put on the new belt, But it was kinda loose and the stock alt adjusting bolt was not long enough. So took a 10mm long bolt, the dist bolt and bolted the alt to the bracket and gook the adjusting bolt and put a non usable 3/8 inch socket on it and put the bolt back on and it works like a dream, im putting out 14.7 Volts under no load, and 13.2 Volts with everything on, high beams, fan, radio all doors open and trunk open with brake light on. so its more than good.

So yeah, with lil modification, it works like a draeam, i have put on 4000 Miles on it and its still going strong.

2. 4g heater contrls

You know the 4th gen accord has the knob style heater and fan controls right? Well it fits in perfectly and does not look like ass. My friend was like damn........ it looks better than stock. The black plastic on it matches our interrior plastic very good.

This is what you do. When u pull out the control from a 4g accord, take the clip connector in the back with long enough wires. U need the wires in the back with max slack.

THe wires are coded exactly the same way. so match it up and ur good.

The only problem is, the heater knob. It spins the other way than our 3g, so when u put it in cold, its warm, when u put it in warm, its cold. U have to spin the stupid coolent valve under the hood the other way around and hook up the cable.

The fan control on a 3g is 4speed and the 4g is 5speed, so u would be left out with a blue-red wire which is the max. U need to connect it directly to the blower input wire. and ur done

Im gonna be getting a digital cam in the next three weeks, so makre sure to check back for pic updates. :cool2:

**NXRacer** · 02-26-2004, 08:23 AM

the 4g heater controls is an AWESOME mod. Good find man. And DEFFINATELY get some pictures.

If the 4g heater controls work, i wonder if the JDM digital control would work. . . . . . .

**smufguy** · 02-26-2004, 08:26 AM

Caleb, i think Carotman mentioned it before that the 1st gen legend digital heater controls work with our cars, I dont know. I dont like the way they look. too subtle, besides, i hate electronic shit. I like knobs and its easier to turn it up and down. and simple to trouble shoot if something craps up on ya.

**shepherd79** · 02-26-2004, 08:31 AM

good work.
i am going to pick up 4 gen alternator soon.

**smufguy** · 02-26-2004, 08:41 AM

i will make sure i have a full write up on the how to with part numbers and what not for the alt mod. The belt length was crucial tho. Correct numbers for the spline width is also required.

THe 4g stock belt is way too big.

**bobafett** · 02-26-2004, 12:10 PM

hey cool mods. im starting to hate my heater controls as well. pics would be awesome, since im not familiar with the 4g controls/

also how much did u pay for the 4g alternator? that seems like something i might want to look into when i get more stereo in my car.

**lightbulblxi** · 02-26-2004, 12:22 PM

sounds cool, i wanna see the heater controls.

**smufguy** · 02-26-2004, 06:01 PM

with the core charge, i paid $85 for the BEck Arnely 4g alternator and the 3g alt with core was about $70. So i did not mind paying the extra 15 bucks for the extra 15 amps

. besides, they are rebuilt Alternators. You can get the same Alt from Nopi for the same price but made by Bosch so i would say get that. I had to get this cause i needed it immediately and my alt died the night before i was going to see my gf in North Carolina. But yeah, Def Get the Bosch from Nopi, if u wanna do the conversion. U might pay the shipping for the core and the part, but its defenitely worth the money for the Bosch.

I dont know when i would get the pics, but i promise i would get the pics up soon. I still gotta get the knobs from the dude selling them in the market place, but he is too late to respond, Damn noobs

**shepherd79** · 02-27-2004, 09:04 AM

the only problem i see is that 4g alternator puts out 13.5v vs 14v on 3g alternator.

**Justin86** · 02-27-2004, 09:52 AM

might be a good mod for the guys with high out put stereos.

**smufguy** · 02-27-2004, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by shepherd79

the only problem i see is that 4g alternator puts out 13.5v vs 14v on 3g alternator.

Alex, mine puts out 14.7V under no load. Like i mentioned, even the 3g alt does not put 14V under a load like that. I put out 13.2V under full load like i mentioend,

**shepherd79** · 02-28-2004, 05:01 AM

cool. i know my alternator puts out 14.4v all the way. with a full load it drops to 13.7v

**NXRacer** · 03-09-2004, 01:45 PM

so where are the pictures of the climate control mod? I wanna see how it was done. Im planning on doing that very soon.

**DanLXI88** · 03-09-2004, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by shepherd79

cool. i know my alternator puts out 14.4v all the way. with a full load it drops to 13.7v

Are the alternators a pain to replace on the 3g ? Hadn't had to do mine yet.

**Mike's89AccordLX** · 03-09-2004, 02:40 PM

I wouldn't mind switching to the knob style climate control.

**NXRacer** · 03-09-2004, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by DanLXI88

Are the alternators a pain to replace on the 3g ? Hadn't had to do mine yet.

its really easy. The easiest way to do it is to take off the stock intake box and pull it out next to the fire wall. Unbolting it and stuff is really straight foward.

**smufguy** · 03-09-2004, 05:27 PM

I dont have a digital camera, my roomate has one, but his house is 50 miles from our apt so he never really goes there. I ordered a cam like two weeks ago and it should be here around next week or so. I will post it soon.

Also NJ meet on the 27th of this month, guys who come there would get to see it in person. Two of the bulbs are shot in it, so i have to replace them and also i need to get the knobs, cause yeah i stole the control from the junkyard

**Mike's89AccordLX** · 03-09-2004, 05:32 PM

Badass and a great idea! How did you remove it? They let us walk and get the stuff ourselves so I could probably get it for free. Why can't you just replace the bulbs in the knobs?

**Mike's89AccordLX** · 03-09-2004, 05:33 PM

I think there's a 4G accord at the wreckers here.

**smufguy** · 03-09-2004, 05:34 PM

the bulbs are in the backside like our control unit. but they use bigger bulbs. they have like five 4gs in the junkyard, but everysingle one of em have their knobs taken out. Im driving around with just one knob off a stupid neon, cause its the only one that i can use to turn the heat or fan. so yeah its ghetto as hell. i want the knobs real bad.

IF ANYONE HAVE ACCESS TO TWO 4G CONTROL KNOBS, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PM ME

I NEED THEM REALLLLLL BAD.

**Mike's89AccordLX** · 03-09-2004, 05:39 PM

Well if I don't get the climate control unit for myself I could probably just jack the knobs for you. Do they just pull right off? If the climate control thing is as cool as I think it is I will probably just get the unit but I will keep and eye out for the knobs for you man.

**Mike's89AccordLX** · 03-09-2004, 05:41 PM

Oh and when you do this:

U have to spin the stupid coolent valve under the hood the other way around and hook up the cable.

It fixes the knob direction so when it's on warm it comes out warm like normal? Couldnt we just modify the knobs and switch the colors somehow?

**smufguy** · 03-09-2004, 07:14 PM

Thanks a bunch mike, yeah the knobs just pull out right. If they dont, u can pry em out with a flathead screwdriver.

The coolant valve in the engine bay need to be turned upside down to change the warm and cold settings inside the cabin. You cant paint the sticker on the climate control because they are in plastic and i dont know how u would get it off, besides, I still have to change the valve upside down, i did not have time and i still dont have time as of yet. Next week is my spring break, so i should be able to do it. its all cause when the cable pulls on the valve, it opens it but instead, when u turn the knob to cold (on the 4g control) it actually pushes it, so u get cold air and vice versa.

Mike, i like the 4g climate controls because they are kinda modern, no lettering on them, but pics, and the sliders are gone, and the knobs are more easier to do. Besides, the fan control is a 5speed than our 4spd stock one. Also, its not too modern for our 3g either, so it goes well, Besides, i did this because i hated the slider. When we got the 4th gen, i loved the knobs, so i figured, i will use it, i had the jacked up one for a while until last month or so, i put it in and it worked right off.

Here is the fun part, u dont have to drill a hole or anything, but you do have to use a dremel or what not and use a circular sanding disc to take off extra plastic from the inside. When i get the Digital cam, i will take close up pics of what you guys need to cut and stuff. its more of just taking material off, even if u take a lot off, its not gonna hurt, its hidden behind the controls anyway.

HERE IS THE PIC OF IT FROM SOME 4G ONLINE (iT AINT MINE SO DONT BE SCARED :d)

**Mike's89AccordLX** · 03-09-2004, 08:15 PM

I was just going to ask you if this was the controls you were talking about but I guess you already answered that.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2464281889

I'm very good with a dremel so I think I can do that ok. I really don't know if I like them too much but you know what they're better than whats in there. And it's cool to add newer things to spruce things up in there. So how do the buttons work? I mean is there a wire harness that or something? I haven't taken it out before so I'm a virgin at ripping that part of the car out.

And do you have any tips on quick removal of the climate control out of the 4G accord?

**smufguy** · 03-10-2004, 05:55 AM

since i was ripping the control off a car from the junkyard, i just broke the damn vents on top. and the trim around the climate controls and radio just pops out. there are only 4 screws as u can see, 2 on top and 2 on bottom, phillips head.

ONce they are removed, the control just drops out, pull it out and turn it upside down to get to the place where the cable is attached to (For the heater) and remove it, but keep the place plate and screw.

Then you need to cut the wires, NOT UNCLIP, but cut the wires. Pull the harness and control unit as far as u can and give yourself enoug slack in the wiring, and use a wirecutter and cut the wires. So u got the clips connected to the control, but have cut wires at the end.

After this its easy, Go home, rip the 3g heater controls apart, pull the wires out and cut them very close to the clips. then match the 4g and 3g wire codes (they are exactly the same) and all the position control wires match up.

The fan control wires match up too, but one extra wire (Blue/red) is left out, this wire is the 5th fan speed on the 4g, but our 3g only has 4spd. So u need to hook this blue/red wire directly to the 3g blower motor positive side or lead side wire harness (i still havent done it, but the electrical schmeatic should help).