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-   -   1990 accord keeps frying alternators (https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/forum/general-tech-help-7/1990-accord-keeps-frying-alternators-64931/)

Hondalover 08-27-2017 08:36 PM

Ok today I tested the battery and it turned out fine. Also, I disconnected the harness from the alternator, the green one, and checked the black/yellow wire for a short to the power steering pump bracket Brown and it shorted out to 64 ohms. I disconnected the brown harness that rests on the passenger side shock Tower and the short at the alternator went away. However the short is still there at the ELD harness and the harness leading into the firewall inside the car. I've narrowed short to being somewhere on the inside of the car.
I checked with the Honda dealership they couldn't give me a straight answer as to whether or not this short should be on this wire. So if anyone knows if this short should be here for sure and could let me know that would be awesome. Also, if there is a short on this black yellow wire that goes to the alternator will it fry it?. If not what are some common causes of frying and alternator on a 90 accord?

Hondalover 08-30-2017 06:06 PM

Today I connected my test light to the positive terminal of the battery and probed the black/yellow wire in the green harness of the alternator. Every time I touch it, it lights up letting me know that it is grounded. Also, when I initially touch it I hear something click I'm the underhood fuse block. It only clicks maybe the first 2 times I touch the light to the wire and it stops if I keep testing it and the fuse block only clicks again only after waiting about 45 seconds to a minute. Again I will say that I don't know if this black/yellow wire is supposed to be grounded or not.

Hondalover 09-09-2017 01:06 PM


Originally Posted by Hondalover (Post 376744)
Today I connected my test light to the positive terminal of the battery and probed the black/yellow wire in the green harness of the alternator. Every time I touch it, it lights up letting me know that it is grounded. Also, when I initially touch it I hear something click I'm the underhood fuse block. It only clicks maybe the first 2 times I touch the light to the wire and it stops if I keep testing it and the fuse block only clicks again only after waiting about 45 seconds to a minute. Again I will say that I don't know if this black/yellow wire is supposed to be grounded or not.

also, could my eld be bad without triggering the check engine light? If so, how can I test it to be sure?

PAhonda 09-09-2017 08:19 PM

That blk/yel wire powers a lot of items that normally have a ground available. Your volt meter or test light test for ground may be show a ground, but the wire isn't shorted. If you had a dead short to ground, that 15 amp fuse would blow. The 64 ohms you are reading is likely the resistance through the different components on that circuit.

I'm using a 93 non-US shop manual, so I want to verify the wire colors before giving suggestions. The alternator looks to have a red/wht, blk/yel, wht/blu, and wht/red wire. Is this the same wire colors as your 90 accord?

Hondalover 09-10-2017 01:40 PM


Originally Posted by PAhonda (Post 376846)
That blk/yel wire powers a lot of items that normally have a ground available. Your volt meter or test light test for ground may be show a ground, but the wire isn't shorted. If you had a dead short to ground, that 15 amp fuse would blow. The 64 ohms you are reading is likely the resistance through the different components on that circuit.

I'm using a 93 non-US shop manual, so I want to verify the wire colors before giving suggestions. The alternator looks to have a red/wht, blk/yel, wht/blu, and wht/red wire. Is this the same wire colors as your 90 accord?

I have:
Black wire/solid yellow stripe
White wire/solid red stripe
White wire/solid blue stripe
White wire/solid green stripe.
These 4 wires feed into the green harness that plugs into the voltage regulator inside the alternator. There is one more thicker white wire with a solid red stripe that attaches to the other terminal on the alternator and runs directly to the 80 amp fuse in the underhood fuse box. It's covered with black insulation the total length of it BTW.

PAhonda 09-10-2017 04:31 PM

I'd recommend using a volt meter to test the wires to the voltage regulator with the engine running and everything plugged in. You will have to back-probe each wire. A t-pin is commonly used or a thin piece of metal also can work.

The blk/yel, wht/grn, and the wht/blu wire should all have 12V.

The thicker wht/red wire should be the alternator output that charges the battery.

I'll have to figure out what the thin wht/red wire from the engine computer should read.

Hondalover 09-10-2017 05:56 PM


Originally Posted by PAhonda (Post 376852)
I'd recommend using a volt meter to test the wires to the voltage regulator with the engine running and everything plugged in. You will have to back-probe each wire. A t-pin is commonly used or a thin piece of metal also can work.

The blk/yel, wht/grn, and the wht/blu wire should all have 12V.

The thicker wht/red wire should be the alternator output that charges the battery.

I'll have to figure out what the thin wht/red wire from the engine computer should read.

Just asking, what type of reading besides 12V would indicate one or more of these wires could be the culprit(s ) as far as damaging my alternator?


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