Too much voltage:

[ItsaHonda]

Okay, I'll try to keep this very short (if that's possible for me to do).

I just recently had a bunch of work done to the engine of my 1993 Honda Accord 10th Anniv. w/172,000 miles... including a complete tune-up, new filters, fluids, seals, gaskets, hoses and the complete timing-belt service done. To finish everything, I decided to have the engine degreased and hosed down to wash off all of the old oil, dirt and grime. The mechanic sprayed the engine a little harder than I thought he should, but he assured me that it wouldn't hurt anything. He didn't use a pressure washer, but he didn't really make an effort to avoid the alt, battery, dist., etc. After he was done, I started the car and it fired right up. Everything seemed fine until about a minute later when the battery light popped on. To shorten this up, the problem is that the alt. seems to be over charging... it's charging at 17-18 volts and triggering the battery light. As soon as I put a load on the electrical system (turn on the AC, use the power windows, etc.) the battery light goes off. As soon as the load decreases, it comes back on again. I can tell everything is getting an extra boost of power. I only drove the car home a short distance and parked it... I don't want to possibly damage anything else. I've already got a rear tail light bulb that just blew all of a sudden while this was all going on. So, any ideas of how this may have happened, is it common? Will driving the car with the alt charging 17-18 volts do any damage to anything?

The mechanic wants me to bring the car back on Monday and he said he'll replace the voltage regulator or the alternator.

Thanks in advance for any tips, advice, etc.

[Losiracer2]

I'd let it dry overnight and see if its still giving you problems in the morning. It could be shorting somewhere though

[DrSzSoLDIeR]

Yea let it dry...if he did it wen the car was off then dats wut it is...mines did the same thing n i jus let it sit there for like a day or 2 n worked jus fine after

[ItsaHonda]

Thanks. I'll let it sit for a little while (haven't started it since yesterday evening) and then crank it up again and hope for the best (fingers crossed).

I really want to be able to drive the car... it runs like a new machine! No more vibration at idle, seems to have a lot more power, doesn't hesitate, skip, miss anymore and of course there is no more check engine light (which is why I initially had the car at the shop)...it got traded for the battery light, lol. The throttle body/I.C.V valve, E.G.R ports were the culprit of the CEL and the hesitation, stuttering, etc. So, I had all of that replaced/cleaned... but decided to just get everything else done that I hadn't had done already. The engine is now in 110% tip top condition (maint. wise) and runs stronger than it has in probably a very long time. It won't be leaving any fluid spots on my driveway anymore, either. I hope that the problem corrects itself or that a new voltage regulator/alt. will fix the problem... I don't want to even think about there being a short somewhere or a bigger electrical problem...


I'll keep everyone posted.

[ItsaHonda]

No luck. I went out to start it and it acted like the battery was really drained... but it started. After about 30 seconds, the battery light came back on. I turned on the AC, and it went off... I drove the car around the neighborhood and the battery light would only start to come on (and kind of flicker) if I went over 2,000 rpms. I came back home and let it idle, turned off the AC and the battery light still remained off. But, as soon as I raised the RPMs, the light came back on again. So, it is still overcharging. SOB. After the car idled for a while, I shut it off and restarted it... it started back up normally (no dragging). Not sure why the battery would've been low this morning.

I should've just left the engine dirty. I'm also pissed off because I found water (instead of coolant) in my overflow tank. I'm going to raise hell on Monday. As I said in my earlier post, I hope a new voltage regulator/alt. fixes all of this and it isn't a deeper electrical problem... because I wouldn't trust them to mess with my electrical system. I'll just be stuck with a f**ed up car that I just dumped a sh*t load of money into.

Nice.

The car did drive fine, otherwise... engine sounds good, runs strong, accelerates smoothly, idles smoothly, etc.

[ItsaHonda]

Well, after doing a bit of research, overcharging is definitely taxing on the electrical components and can damage/shorten their lifespan... so I definitely will not be starting or driving the car anymore until it is fixed. I've already had a tail light bulb blow and I think my battery is going to have to be replaced too (hence it being low this morning). I checked everything else electrical, and all seems to be working fine... so hopefully I stopped in time.

So far, seems like a new/reman. alternator should fix all of my problems. Alt. just got too wet and fried the voltage regulator.

We shall see tomorrow. I feel a bit better now.

[jaykilla116]

sounds like to me that your voltage regualator is faulty on the alternator

sounds like to me that your voltage regualator is faulty on the alternator and not enough restince maybe the water briged a connection of override the restior try dry ing wit a blow dryer...... or see if u can replace the regulator

[ItsaHonda]

I believe the regulator is built into the alternator. The alternator is likely the original, anyway, now going on 16 years old and 172k miles... so I just assume replace it with a new/reman. unit and be done with it. Everything is more than dry by today, and it's still overcharging.

I'll keep everyone posted.

[PointBlank]

x2 on the voltage regulator id just replace the whole ALT..couldnt hurt

[Losiracer2]

the voltage regulators are removable, this is what it looks like:


they just cost a shit load to replace from honda, so the best would be to just get a new/remanufactured alt.

[ItsaHonda]

Okay, it just gets worse. I went out to replace the tail light bulb that blew, only to discover that now my car is completely dead. I mean, it has ZERO electrical power. None of the interior lights come on at all, when I turn the key there are no lights on the dash, no clock, radio, absolutely nothing.. just dead silence.

The connections to the battery are secure. The battery doesn't have much reason to be completely dead, but I guess it got fried.

I hope my ignition switch didn't get fried. Here I go getting worried again...

(UPDATE: I hooked the car up to the 07 via jumper cables and it came back to life, so I can rule out ignition switch (whew!) I didn't start it, just wanted to make sure that the battery was the culprit. It couldn't be any more dead.

[honda_kid]

a shorted alternator can drain the battery

[angus67]

damn right they replace it/fix it!! how much totlal did you spend so far? did you drive it there? can you prove to them the electrical was working? Give em hell, bud

[ItsaHonda]

damn right they replace it/fix it!! how much totlal did you spend so far?>>>

Total, just under $1,000. That's why I'm pretty upset and am just hoping a new alt./battery will put it back on the road w/out any adverse affects.

did you drive it there? can you prove to them the electrical was working? >>>

Oh yeah I drove it there, and the electrical system was working perfect.
It didn't start acting up until after he hosed down the engine... He didn't cover the alt, dist. or any of the wires and sprayed the hell out of everything.

[angus67]

sux. hope they do you right. actually a thou dosnt seem that much for what they replaced, but if you cant drive it then all is lost. good luck tommorow