battery light problem

[trickytiger]

Lately i've had the battery light flash at me occasionally, tested the alternator to be fine when the lights were off.

I took the car into the garage to have them look at it and they replaced the battery fuse that was blown thinking that could be the problem got it back today and it's still doing it.

They also told me the battery may not be keeping up with the power being used although this has only just started happening and told me if it keeps doing it to take it to an auto electrician.

Any ideas on what this could be?

[Rendon LX-i]

test your alt on a load with every light and fan on as you can...should say 13.1....An with everything off should say 14.5 or 14.0 thats what mine said..anywho...get your battery tested if it passes good...usally when they go bad they dont hold charge for shit.

[trickytiger]

i've tested battery myself and voltage is high enough for it to take a charge, will test alternator under a load when it's not raining, from memory i think the reading was 12.54 when i tested it with the battery light on

another strange thing is, somedays i can drive around for hours and not see the battery light once and it comes on more at night if that's any help

[Rendon LX-i]

its not that man...if its the the battery can HOLD A LOAD...they have mechine that puts a long load in various patterns...so puts a heavy load for a good 30 secounds lets go and see if it goes up to 14 again..then does it again...and should hold not drop really fast...if it does then you have a bad battery...thats how i test batterys at my work...thats the best way...doing it homemade wont work unless you have a battery tester...the alt test is pretty simple...take your batt cables off if your car stays on she good if she dont stay on for a long period of time...she done for....

[fijisac]

well at what RPM's does the light come on? i overtightened my alternator belt and if i rev it up 2 like 5.5k and up, the battery light would flash but it was cause by a over tightened belt

[AZmike]

I've had the symptoms you're describing. Another alternator solved the problem.

[trickytiger]

i'm having it all rechecked tomorrow.

lights go off at 4k revs or when i switch my lights to high beam, broke down 3 times before lol, waited 10mins and could start again and go around 5km, battery voltage was 11.6 each time this happened. lights and stereo would turn off while driving and pushing the accelerator would make the revs go up like it was in neutral

[Hauntd ca3]

with honda's, especially the efi ones the charge light will come on if the alt is over charging.
with non efi ones the system is a bit diif.
in most cars the light will stay on until the alt output voltage is higher than battery voltage, the is because the light see's a + on one side and - on the other until the alt is charging when the alt feeds a + voltage to both sides of the light , only once the voltage on both sides of the bulb is the same, will the bulb will go out.
the best way to check the alt on the car is to go see an auto sparky and get them to check it out.
most alts will only charge at 5 to 10 amps at normal conditions,you need to load the shit outa the system to get the most from the alt.
where i work, we put a clamp ammeter roung a batt cable and use a high rate discharge machine to load the system to the max and you bring the revs up to round 3k and see what the voltage a amperage is looking like.
any less than 60 amps and its time for an alt rebuild

[AccordB20A]

IMO from what i have read its got to be the brushes in your alternator at fault.

eg it all works fine until you put a large load on it and then it struggles cause the brushes are worn and not contacting as good and not letting the power through and thats when your battery light starts exclaming

It says you own a EXLS, B18A alternators are as bads as b20 ones :P ive had 5732957 b20a ones blow its annoying as hell

[trickytiger]

the car is with a really good auto electrician right now, he was a little busy today to check the car and will be checking it out on Monday, will post then what he finds.

UPDATE: been doing a little bit of research and looks as though my battery may of had it. each time the car stopped working battery voltage was 11.6V, turn the key to start the car and all i would get was just a clicking sound. Will find out for sure if it's the battery or alternator on Monday though.

[Rendon LX-i]

ummm....LOL. enought said.

[AccordB20A]

well of course if the alternator isnt charging properly the battery will go flat

[trickytiger]

got car back today and turned out it was just the alternator

[AccordB20A]

did they replace the whole alt or some internal parts in it

[trickytiger]

not too sure they didn't say, just charged me $194 when i picked the car up

[Discovery]

not too sure they didn't say, just charged me $194 when i picked the car up

Must be the ALT the brushes are $.25. Plus now a days they change the whole alt instead fixing it. it's cheaper that way