'91 Accord LX, 2.2L stick.

Off and on throughout the year, but worse in rain or snow, I can't start my car - flat battery. It seems to only hold a charge for 2-3 days if I don't drive it, then I have to jump it and charge while I'm driving. It's been getting worse as time goes on.

I had the battery replaced and the alternator checked. I replaced the rotor, distributor cap, and the wires. It seems like there's an intermittent electrical drain somewhere. How can I find/ID it? I don't have money to send a mechanic digging around for hours looking for an intermittent problem.

I checked the Honda FAQ battery section, but none of it seemed to fit.

Thanks for any help!

 

https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...ead.php?t=3192

this info is in the DIY section ..

This is not meant just for you, ,BUT I just wish that members would look in there before asking questions ,, a lot of the replies are already there ..

 

How was the alternator checked? If a volt meter was used to check the charging system with the alternator on the car that may not give you the full picture as you are interested in the amps more so than the volts. “worse in rain or snow” makes me think of the wipers taxing a weak recharging system. I am just trying to get a clear picture of the problem.

 

Thx Deserthonda. I don't know how to do this. Changing the distributor cap is about as technical as I get. Didn't even have the right tools to change the plugs. But a friend of mine should be able to to help. Just wish I'd kept one of my multimeters.

Kris: it was checked by a cheezy mechanic, who just threw a new battery in it, even though the old one was only a year old. Didn't solve the problem, of course. I'll see if I can find the paper they gave me. OMG, it was literally the last paper I checked. I found a nice computer check done 5 years ago...that doesn't help. This seems a real sloppy test in comparison. They don't seem to have taken it out to test.

When I took it in, I told them the problem and that the year-old battery was currently uncharged, had to be jump-started to bring it in. A few miles obviously wouldn't have charged it. Here's what it says exactly:

And that's it. I paid $130 for that.

I've also been suspicious of weak recharging, as well as a mystery draw. I can drive it for 1/2 hr after jumping, no wipers or lights on, and then sitting in a parking lot listening to my mp3 player plugged in for 15 minutes, the battery is dead again. Listening to music?

 

does the battery lite ,,, lite up on the dash while driving ?? Like Kris said , you need to find out how many amps the alternator is putting out .. is the idle normal?? 700-800 rpm ??

$130 ?? if it did not include a new battery , that is robbery ..

if you are not mechanically inclined you might want to have a shop chk it out ,,,,one that specializes on Hondas ,, just ask to have the charging system tested and ask what would the cost be..should be around 50-60 dollars at most ..

if the battery was only 1 year old , it should still be under warranty or at the very least pro-rated ,, which means (if a battery has a 5 year guarantee ), they should only charge you for the time you used it ( in your case 1 year ) and deduct money from total cost ..

 

how does the car run once it is started? like DH stated if you got a battery light on you most likely need to install a new alt (unless you want to rebuild yours) Typically if you have low alt output the light should come on at idle and definately come on at idle when you load it down with rear defogger, A/C, headlights, moving your electric seat, etc....

the other way to test is to use a load tester but doing that on a car with an Electrical Load Detector can KILL the ELD and that would be bad.....

 

The first garage I worked at relied on a volt meter to determine the charging system was working properly. It was right most of the time. You need to know the amps your alternator is producing.

 

Ok, lemme dig through and try to answer all the latest questions:

Nope, no battery light. Didn't even know it had one. But maybe the light is burned out?

It idles normally, just under a grand. I can put all the load on it possible at idle no prob. It just takes forever to charge and runs down extremely quickly even with a new battery.

Yes, thankfully the $130 included a battery (but it's smaller in size than the old one.) Thanks for the tip on the warranty; I'll check that. It's 2 years old now, and I have the receipt.

The very thorough computer test from 5 years ago checked load, so I guess it's ok if they do it right?

I might be taking it in for an eval/other work it needs, so if my friend says he doesn't know how to test the amps correctly, while he's checking for a "parasitic current draw," I might be willing to pay to have them do it (they have to eval the clutch, and I'm sure that's not free, either.)

This place is really high-tech, very clean, reasonable rates, highly recommended by friends. They have a "Honda Master Technician" on staff: http://dupontservicecenter.com/

The last place was a filthy single bay at a gas station. I should have been more cautious...

Thanks for all the advice, guys! I'll be glad to read any other tips or answer any other questions, since it's not settled whether I'll be taking it in or can afford to have a pro look at it at this time.

 

The battery light should turn on when you first turn the key to the II position. It is a test the car does to make sure the bulbs are not burned out.

It shouldn't be to difficult to figure out if your battery or alternator are bad. Most parts stores have an adequate test for the battery/alternator.

Finding a parasitic draw will involve pulling fuses and watching for a lowering of the amps.

Do you have any type of stereo system or some other aftermarket device wired into the car?

 

Oh, duuuh... re: lights on startup. Ok, I'll check that next time it's started...if it ever is.

Yes, I have an aftermarket stereo. All functions are dead except for the plug for my mp3 player (yay, Kenwood!) Do you think it might be a problem? It turns off completely when the car's off, not even a clock.