Charging light mishaps

[88accordlxcarb]

The charging(Battery) light in my 88 LX has been doing weird stuff. IT started initially when i turned the car on(it was warm, and just driven 20ish mins) and the light stayed on. I tested the alternator with a multimeter and it read around 12.50, so it was not charging.

Later, as i was driving i noticed when i would sit at idle the light would go off, and when i would accelerate the light would come back on. Then it will stay off for maybe even a day at a time, then come back on. Sometimes it comes on when i start the car, sometimes not.

I do have an aftermarket amp and sub. When i had the multimeter on, and no light on, the battery read around 13.08, when i would turn the radio off, it would go to 14.34ish.

Is this the alternator? I checked fuses, they are good, and if i knew where the grounds were i would check them. I also had it tested at advance. All the guy said was "the diode was good, 49 amps, 14.45v". This of course was when the light was off...

[ghettogeddy]

did u check the ground on your radio u might also have a bad alt belt

[2ndGenGuy]

My car did this last week. Replace the alternator. It's an intermittent problem, so it's going to test good sometimes and not other times.

[88accordlxcarb]

I've always had a little bit of an alternator whine going through the speakers, but i have had the amp connected for 3 years now. The ground is firmly attached to the metal underside of the trunk. It is connected about a foot away from the amp with a 12 gauge wire. The + wire is a 4ga.

The belt is tight with no frays or visible cracks.

How would i test the stereo ground?

[ghettogeddy]

I've always had a little bit of an alternator whine going through the speakers, but i have had the amp connected for 3 years now. The ground is firmly attached to the metal underside of the trunk. It is connected about a foot away from the amp with a 12 gauge wire. The + wire is a 4ga.
The belt is tight with no frays or visible cracks.
How would i test the stereo ground?

well if u have alt whine then one of your grounds eather radio or amp is not good just cause its connected to metal and tight dosent mean its a good ground ive found the best grounds are on like the seat belt bots or on the frame of the car

[2ndGenGuy]

12 gauge wire is not really big enough. Grounds should always be equal to or bigger than the power. But if it were your stereo causing the problem, I would think it would have been happening when you hooked it up. If your stereo is putting a strain on the alternator, that would also explain the failure as well.

I'd try replacing the ground first, then if you still have charging problems, the alternator. But I don't think it's the stereo. Usually it won't cause a significant enough voltage drop to induce a battery light. Even with 2 amps, a power inverter and 12v accessories hooked up, dimming headlights and all won't cause a battery light, just will wear out your alternator prematurely.

[LX-incredible]

The charging(Battery) light in my 88 LX has been doing weird stuff. IT started initially when i turned the car on(it was warm, and just driven 20ish mins) and the light stayed on. I tested the alternator with a multimeter and it read around 12.50, so it was not charging.
Later, as i was driving i noticed when i would sit at idle the light would go off, and when i would accelerate the light would come back on. Then it will stay off for maybe even a day at a time, then come back on. Sometimes it comes on when i start the car, sometimes not.
I do have an aftermarket amp and sub. When i had the multimeter on, and no light on, the battery read around 13.08, when i would turn the radio off, it would go to 14.34ish.
Is this the alternator? I checked fuses, they are good, and if i knew where the grounds were i would check them. I also had it tested at advance. All the guy said was "the diode was good, 49 amps, 14.45v". This of course was when the light was off...

Take the belt off and spin it by hand. If there is a grinding noise, the brushes for the field coil are gone.

[AccordEpicenter]

I've always had a little bit of an alternator whine going through the speakers, but i have had the amp connected for 3 years now. The ground is firmly attached to the metal underside of the trunk. It is connected about a foot away from the amp with a 12 gauge wire. The + wire is a 4ga.
The belt is tight with no frays or visible cracks.
How would i test the stereo ground?

12 gauge is much too small, your ground wire should be the same size as your positive wire. That noise you are hearing is the spark plug noise, you should ground the amp to the rear shock tower, just take a nut off and put your ground under the shock nut and tighten it back down. If that doesnt cure it try different RCAs

[Blkblurr]

The radio ground has nothing to do with the alt light coming on. It's either a bad belt or bad alt brushes.

[88accordlxcarb]

For those who have taken the alternator off of a carb car, what is the best way?

I read about NOT taking the driveshaft off, removing two coolant lines and somehow taking it behind the engine. Does this work? What all do i have to remove to somehow get it out of the engine through the top, i really dont want to take the driveshaft off.

[LX-incredible]

For those who have taken the alternator off of a carb car, what is the best way?
I read about NOT taking the driveshaft off, removing two coolant lines and somehow taking it behind the engine. Does this work? What all do i have to remove to somehow get it out of the engine through the top, i really dont want to take the driveshaft off.

I think that you can remove the two heater hoses and valve and just slide it along the back of the firewall, towards the passenger side.

[2ndGenGuy]

For those who have taken the alternator off of a carb car, what is the best way?
I read about NOT taking the driveshaft off, removing two coolant lines and somehow taking it behind the engine. Does this work? What all do i have to remove to somehow get it out of the engine through the top, i really dont want to take the driveshaft off.

I'd say it's much easier to pull the alternator out from the bottom by pulling the driveshaft. Do you really wanna pull coolant hoses, drain the cooling system... refill it, bleed it and HOPE that it will come out from above?

How much easier is it to pull the 3 or 4 bolts required to get the halfshaft out? The spindle nut will be a bitch, but just get a long pipe on a cheater bar. You'll have the thing out in 20 minutes, and not fuck around with HOPING you undo the right hoses to get it out from above.

Plus your tranny will get a well-deserved oil change.

[LX-incredible]

How much easier is it to pull the 3 or 4 bolts required to get the halfshaft out?

It's not that much easier when the bolts that go through the LCA break off from being rusted to their bushings, or when you don't have the correct tools to separate the ball joints.

[2ndGenGuy]

Guess I'm not familiar enough with the 3g suspension setup. I assumed that if the bolt breaks, it's in need of replacement, and a new one at Napa is a couple bucks.

On my car the ball joint comes out of the knuckle with a good swift smack with a brass hammer on the lower control arm.

Besides, what happens when you try to pull coolant hoses, and they rip apart because they're old?

I mean, I'm not going to debate which way is easier, obviously I only had my 3g for a few weeks and don't know them as well as you guys... I just tend to trust the factory Helm manual.

[LX-incredible]

The problem isn't just with the bolt breaking, it's with cutting the broken one out in two places, burning/drilling the rubber out, removing the shell and pressing a new bushing in. Those manuals don't always tell you the easiest way. If it wasn't for this site I would've pulled the axle to get to my alt on the LXi. For some of those things they don't differentiate between models.

[88accordlxcarb]

I ended up taking the axle out. It was a bitch, no doubt.

Just a word to anyone that needs to do this, if you don't have previous suspension experience i wouldn't recommend doing this. I have several pullers and a good selection of tools, and it still takes a good bit of muscle and time to wiggle all of the components free, even after that you have to stick your arm up and try to wrestle the thing out.

Most shops were quoting me $150-200 labor, pay that and get your alternator off. I am getting mine rebuilt for $60, and it will be loads better than any autozone rebuild that costs $100.