96 Accord, washed engine now AC lights won't turn off! Kills battery
 

Hey, everyone. I de-greased my 96 Accord LX's engine bay this past weekend, being as careful as possible not to over-soak areas with wiring during the rinse. I thought all went well until it wouldn't turn on the next morning. I jumped it and it worked fine - it wasn't until I turned it off that I noticed the AC lights (both recirculate and from outside) stay lit even if the car is off.

Switching between recirculate and internal, you can hear the " electric motor" move to switch between the two.

Like I said, I washed my engine bay, and I'm fully suspecting that the two are related. Problem is that now my battery won't last more than 4 or 5 hours without dying.

Can anyone tell me which wiring harness might be the culprit here? I've tried figuring it out on my own, with no luck. Or could it be permanently shorted?

I've also disconnected the battery overnight to "reset" anything that might, but it didn't help.

Thanks, in advance.

Check for water in the alternator electrical connector.

Also, check the condenser fan relay and the compressor clutch relay. They're mounted together just to the right of the radiator (looking at the engine.) They have rubber boots around them that may be holding water in.

to me this suggests the alternator isn't recharging battery.

I've never sprayed water into/onto an engine compartment; now I know why.

Thanks, Roader, I'll be sure to check that out. I think I know which two you're talking about.

Good idea, too... but wouldn't the alternator connector impact other things, too? Is that why (you theorize) the battery doesn't last?

UhOh, I thought this was the original problem, but after letting the engine run for a bit, the battery does recharge as I can restart the engine without a jump - so I'm not sure the alternator is now bad, but I'm willing to have it tested after I've exhausted checking possible wet-connectors. :)


I'm going to check connectors and post back. Thanks for all of your suggestions, guys.