brake light and battery light

[berlin]

For about a week, at low rpm my brake and battery light would come on. At 4000+ it would go off. The vehical has a rebuild title, it was flooded. Today the gauges quit and when I parked the battery was drained. Normaly I would just replace the altinator but my girlfriends 95 just did the same thing about a month ago. The altinator and battery was replaced and still no dice. Any help?

[spiffyguido]

If the vehicle was in a flood, I'd suspect an electrical short. Something is causing your battery to drain. To find the problem, you're going to have to start chasing electrical problems. Any idea of where the short could be? Do any of the electronics in the vehicle exhibit strange behavior?

[berlin]

I have checked most of the problem areas. I was looking for a short or corosion. All my systems work as they should, ecept for the title I would never know that it was flooded. My womans 95 just did the same thing and it was flooded to. I jumped it and put a volt meter to it yesterday. While running it only read 10v when it should read 14v. I took the negetive lead off the battery any the car died. All symtoms lead me to belive it is the altenator. But like I said my womans 95 prelude just did the same thing. The battery and altemator where replaced. Still nothing. It was taken to a shop and they said it could be the voltage regulator. I do not entirely trust this shop. To my understanding the voltage regulator is there to prevent voltage spikes from the altenator as the rpms go up. Thank you for replying.

[spiffyguido]

What type of voltage do you get accross the battery terminals of the 95 Prelude after the battery and alternator were replaced? There has got to be another problem if your lady friend's alternator and battery are fine, but she's still getting odd behaviour.

[berlin]

I dont know. Her dad just traded it in for a tiboron today. I was going to strip it for parts. Her brake light was coming on to befor it broke down. It has to share a circut with the battery light. I am not sure how much of the wireing is the same from the 4gen to the 5th but I am going to get a chilltons today and start checking the wireing. At any rate Im at still going to replace the altenator and battery. Do you know of an online source for wireing diagrams?

[spiffyguido]

The wiring diagrams in the shop manual (see manuals section above) have excellent wiring diagrams.

Better check your brake bulbs too, as the warning light in the dash for brake lights should illuminate only when a brake bulb is burnt out.

[berlin]

Will do. It is strange though. After the battery read 10v and would not turn over yesterday, I just went out and tryed to turn it over and it started right up.I took it around the block and the gauges died again. I was able to get it home but the motor was sputering like a misfire. which I am sure is because there wasnt enough voltage to fire the plugs. what I am not understanding is the battery is so dead it will not turn over the motor one day and the next it fires up as if there is a full 12v.

[spiffyguido]

What year of Prelude is this occuring to, for our reference?

Also, do you notice different behavior when the engine is cold compared to when hot. For example, will it only start cold?

[berlin]

It is a 97 with the vtech, 114000, cold air intake, magna flow exaust. It has only started cold thous far. Three times now I have started it up fine and after a few min the gauges die and the car will sputter when driveing, not in idle. After I kill it, it will not turn over for a few hours.

[spiffyguido]

Have you done any research into problems with the main relay. A lot of people come here and tell of problems where their car will only start cold, and it is often the main relay.

[berlin]

They didnt take my womans 95 on trade. I have it back and have not yet decided as to fix it or use it for parts. I will take the voltage readings from the battery and let you know. The shop said that the fuse box needed to be replaced????? He said that there was an "electronic load detector" in the box????? In my research I have found nothing of the sort.

[spiffyguido]

Never heard of that before. Have a look at what the 95 is doing. May provide clues.

[berlin]

The 95 reads 12v while off and 14.5v running, as it should. I checked all grounds and adjusted the idle. It is a automatic and was idleing at 500-600 rpm, it was shakeing so I adjusted it to 700-800rpm. I am not sure what it sould be set at but that is as low as I could set it with out the shakeing and haveing to give it gas to start. So far the car has charged and ran properly but I have only put 25 miles on it since I got it from the shop. It operated normaly for her for four days and at least 50 miles. When I picked it up I noticed the the plug to the altenator was unpluged. So I guess we will see what happens with the gen 4. As far as my gen 5 I took some voltage checks. Off it read 10v as well as 10v running. While running I took the negitive lead from the altenator and It died. I plan to replace the altenator this friday when I get payed. Hopefully the will resolve the situation. I will keep you posted and hopefully this will be able to help someone else out. I thank you for your time and any other info would be appreciated.

[spiffyguido]

10V isn't enough. Your alternator must be having some trouble. When you get the new one, recheck all the connections. Hopefully that will solve your troubles.