Death at 4K

[1990whitepreluded]

Well hello to all....its been a while since I’ve been here. Hope you are all well!

That’s right; I was stranded by a Honda. I didn't know that was really possible. Guys I got in my lude and got down the road a ways and realized the battery light was on. Remember I have replaced the battery (Optima), the alternator, and the distro. SOOOOO I am at a loss. Anyway the light was on so naturally the smart thing to do is scream through the gears when something looks wrong. Well in 2nd gear at about 4Krpm she shut down completely. All lights and electrical are good, and she turns over and over strong. I haven't checked to see if I have spark to the plugs yet, but I have a sneaky suspicion it may be the AutoZone distributor? Any ideas of where to start troubleshooting this one would be greatly appreciated. Thankfully State Farm is sending me a check for the $55 towing bill.

Spiffy how have you been??? Any new ludes in your stable?

[spiffyguido]

Hey 1990whitepreluded, great to see you on here again.

Sorry to hear the lude let you down. It can happen though.

As I'm sure you know, the battery light means that your system is discharging. The likely culprit to point to is the alternator, but that doesn't explain the sudden shutdown. You should start by trying to get her running again, and then worry about the battery light if it is still an issue.

Before you do anything else, check your fuses. A few of the fuses in the underhood box could certainly put you in the pickle you're currently in. If they all get a checkmark, then move on.

The distributor could be the source of your problems, so check to see if you're getting any spark. The fact that you can run the starter, the engine spins, and nothing happens means you are either lacking fuel or spark. A quick listen when you turn the key to the 'on' position will tell you weather you have fuel or not because you'll be able to hear the fuel pump.

You didn't specify either way, but if when you try to start the car, it actually starts and then shuts down as soon as you let the key fall back into the 'on' position from the 'start' position then your problem is likely related to the ignition switch.

Spiffy how have you been??? Any new ludes in your stable?

I've been great. Missing summer though. No new additions to my lude family. Figured I'd finish the engine I'm rebuilding before I go chasing after a nice 4th gen for daily driving.

[1990whitepreluded]

Well this should make everyone happy. The lude didn't let me down. It was the poorly remaned distributor that I put on it that gave way. The gear that inserts into the camshaft lost its snap ring and the pin came out over the month or two it was on the lude. The pin was reduced to shavings. I did recover one small piece with a magnet and lots of shavings but it looks as if the lude now has metal in the oil. With any luck it will just settle in the oil pan. I swapped the distro for a new one, and she cranked right up. However I still have a battery light on so I have to trace that down....the alternator is newly remaned so im at a loss on that one.....any ideas of where to start?????

[spiffyguido]

You should probably start with the alternator. I know it's a 'newly remanufactured' one, but this doesn't mean it's good. I've had incredibly bad luck with reman alternators in the past.

If you have a multi-meter, you should really check how many volts the alternator is pushing out. Anything less than 12V is no good.

If you're unsure how to do this, let us know.

[RedRacer]

As soon as you said AutoZone distributor, it was like bells and whistles and lights went off on this end. I knew right then where your problem was..... and I'm wondering if that alternator has the same name on it as well?

I know sometimes it's not always possible if funds are tight, but stay away from reman parts, especially from chain stores like AutoZone and Advance, etc. You think you're saving money, but ultimately you end up replacing that part again within a matter of months.

If it means not driving the car until the money is there, save and save for Genuine Honda boxed parts or, if you can get Honda re-boxed (won't have the Honda name on it, but is still Honda just shipped from another country in most cases) then that is the thing to do.

Glad you got it going. You'll probably be okay with a few shavings lost.... most likely will come out in the wash with minimal to no damage inside.

And as for that battery light, I'd bet it's the reman alternator.

Have you checked it yet?

[1990whitepreluded]

no have not checked it...it has been sitting with the hood up for some time now. I will put the multimeter on it asap. Can you all offer a little direction on that procedure? Thanks guys!

[spiffyguido]

Just put one multimeter lead on each battery terminal to measure the voltage across the battery. Use your hand to rev the engine using the throttle spindle while you do this. You should see the voltage rise somewhat. Compare also when the car is off. The alternator should create a voltage rise across the battery when the car is running (hence the reason it charges). It it doesn't, things are no bueno.

The above way is the most common way you'll hear of people testing their alternators. The other way involves checking the voltage between the positive contact on the alternator and a ground, which is more accurate because you don't have the resistance in the wiring between the alternator and the battery to deal with. I don't typically suggest that people do it that way though because the spinning belts are VERY dangerous. Start by checking at the battery. If the test is non-conclusive, we can look at other ways. Never work near the belts when the engine is running. Yes, they're rubber and seemingly thin, but yes, they won't hesitate to take fingers, arms, or even your life. Stay clear.

Since you might be poking around the alternator some more, there's one other note about the positive contact on the alternator I should mention: It's very good at electrocuting people. Because it's hard to get at, the positive contact on the alternator makes it easy to accidentally short out the positive lead with a ground which might be the engine, another wire, or worst; you. The positive connection on the alternator is also at the end of one of the thickest wires from the battery in the whole car, so it can deliver all the battery's mighy amperage right into your hand/body. Should you venture near the positive contact, be wary. For the sake of those listening, let me tell you how things can go:

You're poking around with a metal tool, your tool accidentally contacts the positive lead. BANG. Electrical current flows through the tool, and probably you. The best part is that the current will instantly magnetize the tool making it momentarily hard to pull away, which means you get to sit helpless without control of your nervous system for a split second while the electricity burns you. This, I promise you is all kinds of uncomfortable (actually, outright painful. Like someone hitting your arm with a sledge hammer). I've been electrocuted this way twice by my car, both times because I was either doing electrical testing or was too lazy to disconnect the battery while working on the engine. Please, be very careful. Electrical burns are no good. Some people aren't that afraid of their car batteries because they hear that the battery pushes 12V, which isn't much more than the 9V batteries we stick on our tongues all the time. The key here though is not the volts! Volts are fun, true, but it's amps that make electrocution so dangerous, and a car battery is designed specifically to deliver tons of amperage (300+) in order to start the car on cold days. I've been shocked by the 110V line in houses several times as well, and let me just say, if I had to choose between touching the 110V (15 amps) line in a house or torching a car battery, I'd choose the house every time, it's way less painful.

[RedRacer]

AH, that explains those pictures I saw of you with the afro, Spiffy. It really wasn't a style you were sporting after all, it's just that the pictures must have obviously been taken AFTER you had been electrocuted by the Prelude battery. Makes total sense now. I always thought that the afro look on you just wasn't working.


Seriously though, it's always wise to be careful when working around automotive electrical. Dangerous, though not seemingly so.

Good write up on how to check the numbers there, Spiffy.

[89ludacris]

i used to have this problem with my 91 accord and it turned out to be the coil on the starter