Battery Light Randomly goes off/on!

[Dajap]

Well today the car wouldn't start when I was leaving work so now I have another problem to worry about. I think it has something to do with it not getting fuel. It cranks but wont turn over. DAMMMM

[accordaffair]

check for spark, hold a wire close to a ground, crank the engine, and see if it sparks

[Dajap]

Well today I drove my other car to work and just for shits and giggles I tried to start the accord and it cranked right up. Still got the batt. problem but at least the car is back home.

[freq]

It must be an epidemic.

Same issue for me. BATT. light comes and goes, belt is snug, I'll check the connections, check the alternator and then replace as necessary.



Someone mentioned this test, start car, remove negative terminal from battery if car dies, it's the alternator.

[Dajap]

Well I couldn't wait anymore so I removed the alt. tonight. I'm going to have it tested tomorrow. I believe it is the voltage regulator! We shall see.

[Djmoua]

well i dont remember updating on my situation...but i replaced my alternator and the accord works like a beast again..HE HE! all thanks to Nail05s DIY...very handy.

[Dajap]

Had alternator checked and it was bad. Just need to install the refurb. one today.

[Dajap]

Well got the alternator installed and the car runs fine now.

[d112crzy]

Bump because I just replaced an alternator on a cb7 with my old one. It was working fine when I took it off and wasn't exposed to any outside weather except coldness. But it would be the same if it was installed in a car.

Anyways, the battery light comes on only when I turn the car off. I drove the car around for 30 minutes with all accessories on full blast and it didn't die at all.

When I insert the key to the on position, the battery light doesn't come on. It only comes on when the car is off.

[doylna]

FWIW, I did end up replacing the alternator brushes - took me all of 20 minutes once I had the alternator out. You could almost replace the brushes without removing the alternator, but be careful not to strip the screws that hold the brushes in, I almost did, and boy was I nervous, because at that point I didn't have any other mode of transportation. I bought the OEM brushes on eBay for about $20 shipped I think.

I completed my repair in late summer and haven't had a battery problem since then.

One other thing to check is that at least on my car, the battery cables have an up and down side, and if you get it wrong, they'll be loose. I finally figured that out after 6 months of no-starts. Good times.

[d112crzy]

So when an alternator goes bad, it's just the "brushes"?

Do you remember the sellers name?

[doylna]

So when an alternator goes bad, it's just the "brushes"?

Do you remember the sellers name?

I don't know enough about this to say it will always be the brushes, but replacing the brushes on my 194K alternator fixed my problem.

Here's the auction - I was wrong the brushes were $11 shipped - even better.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HONDA-ACCORD-ALT...QQcmdZViewItem

[d112crzy]

About a week ago, I was reading your brush diy thread. Well, I was curious as to how mine looked so I opened my perfectly working alternator and took the brush out.

So today I thought, maybe I didn't put it in correctly. I took it apart again a few minutes ago, put it in the car and now the battery light doesn't come on.

It could have also been because yesterday I tightened the hell out of the alternator belt maybe?

It works now.

[d112crzy]

one weird thing is that it doesnt come on at all now. not even when you switch the key to the on position.

[d112crzy]

Fuck man.

No more battery light, at all. But it still dies.