Hi all. I have a 2016 Accord EXL 2.4L. The weather has turned cold and now whenever it's below 40 degrees I'm having a big problem.
​​​​​​The check charge system indicator is coming on. I've done the usual checks, battery and alternator check good.

Other symptoms: Loss of ABS, power steering, lights dim, ac/heater power drops and radio power cycles.

Once the car warms up, it drives fine.

​​​Does anyone have an idea on what I need to look at next? Is it possible the sensor on the negative terminal has gone bad?

Thanks!

 

The lights dimming, steering not working, etc... likely mean that you are losing voltage and the light is real. Now you'll have to determine the actual cause. Could be battery, alternator, poor connections somewhere with the battery cables, or a bad battery/alternator cable.

When the engine is cold and you are having the power issues, start the car and measure the voltage across the battery posts. It should be >13.3V. If voltage is high, then try measuring the voltage at the main fuse box where the + and - cable connect. You are trying to find where the voltage drops to identify the culprit.

 

When the car is started from cold, the voltage reads about 11.5. Once it warms up, it stays around 14.

 

If the battery is at 11.5V on startup, then I'd suspect a bad battery. When the engine is cold, turn the key to the II position and do not try to start the car. Turn on the headlights and read the battery voltage. Let us know what you find.

 

First thing this morning. In second position, I tested the battery, it read 12.2 volts. When I started the car, battery dropped to 11 volts. Alternator fluctuated from 10v-14v for about 3 minutes before it stabilized at 14.2.

On a side note, about two weeks ago, I had the battery tested at O'Reillys and the cells all checked good.

 

The voltage fluctuations you measured explain your power issues. Now the question is what is the cause? Could be the alternator or the alternator cable to the + battery post. If you can get your volt meter on the large alternator post. Be careful as the spinning belt can seriously injure you. Its best to use alligator clips and setup the volt meter before starting the car.

I'm not 100% sure how the PCM can control the voltage on the alternator, so it is possible something else is causing the problem. Just keep narrowing down the culprits by testing and start with the simple stuff firt.