doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

alright read and help me figure out which this is.

i was stopped at a traffic light. i had just been playing my music at very high levels. i turned it down a bit and put on bonecrushers never scared. when the bass hit, the headlights and amps all cut out briefly and then came back on. i was kinda freaked so i drove like a maniac to try and recharge the battery.

note: the weather is around 30-40 degrees so tougher on battery. i also had been driving about 15 minutes at this point from a cold start.

i noticed dimming on very low power levels the whole way home. at home i cranked the wheel into the garage and the lights dimmed. i was about to throw it in park when i said gee, what'll happen if i touch the power windows? yeah, the whole car shut off from that strain.

so is it a battery or alternator would you guess? car has 22k miles on it.

note 2: last winter i left my fogs on and killed the battery. jumped it and it had been fine since. i do run about 800RMS of amps on this still stock battery.

i'll find out for sure when i take my car to sears tomorrow, i just want to have an idea of how much i'm gonna be out of money (hoping i can just buy an optima i wanted anyways.

thaanks for the help.

auto84

iTrader: (2)

probably the alternator, mine seems to have some premature wear on it too (strains under normal loads), take it to honda and tell them to fix it "WARRANTY BEEOTCH!!!" , lol, jp.

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

they might give me crap about a system though. thats what i'm afraid of...

Havok2k1

iTrader: (3)

If it was the battery, the alternator should have kept it running until you turned it off. So this makes it sound like the alternator went. Most likely, it also caused the battery to be fried (most times when dealers change alternators they change batteries). Try and restart it. If it starts, put a multimeter to the battery while the car is running and see if it's throwing anything higher than 12 volts. Above 12, the alternator is working somewhat, 12 or under, it's dead.....

Whether they replace it under warranty is based off the what the dealer thinks about mods. I go to a dealer that is VERY friendly to mods (they sell them all day long) and they replace pretty much anything under warranty. On the other hand, I know of another local dealer that will refuse any warranty work if they see even a hint of a mod.... Call them up, see what they say....

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

thing better start i gotta work tomorrow. i really do think it's the alternator i hoped somebody would tell me otherwise. too damn cold and lazy to go outside now, i'll check in the morning.

what optimas have people gotten redtop wise? i don't want to bother with a yellow and unless i can find a redtop that'll fit easy i'll just go diehard gold.

Ed

iTrader: (6)

Cleveland What dealership?

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

rick case honda over on E.200th. it's a haul since i'm over in lakewood.

but fear not. it must be that i drained the battery since it's still running about 14.4 when the car is running. i'm gonna have it checked out anyways, probably at least cramming a smallish redtop in there.

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

damn my alternator is running still and i had my battery tested and it too was fine. i guess i'm gonna try to upgrade some more wiring. i have a grounding kit but i never upgraded the alternator to battery wire or the alternator to ground because i never was sure where it was. anyone got pictures?

i'm also gonna clean up the connections on the + battery terminal. i guess i must have really strained the battery and drained it more than the alternator could recharge it, but it still has me worried.

Havok2k1

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I would be cautious about how far you drive just in case... Give it a week or two to resurface... Very odd though

Extra ground wire wouldn't have helped at all...

fonto

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, keep us updated...it would be interesting to know if someones alternator blew from to much strain...so far i have only met one person who's 2k1+ civic's alternator has blown (but after 30 thousand + miles).

skivic

Hey doubledeuce2k2, hows yer car problem getting on?? It seems your car is having the same problem as my car is experiencing. Just want to know if you manage to find a solution/find out whats the problem with your car.

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

dude my car shut off on styx the other day. not even bass heavy. really has me confused too. i have kept the problem away by keeping the music lower unless on the highway.

i have the added fact that it's now frickin 20 degrees and cold. starting becomes a major potential issue too.

PopcornPlaya

iTrader: (6)

optima group 51 battery is the size, red top

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

last i checked (a week ago) optima only makes the 51 size in a yellow top.

could be older stuff i was reading though. the 25 size looks to be the closest but would take some modification.

oh and the 3 websites i just looked at had no redtop 51.

WhiteRabbit

have you got a volt meter? you were saying the car stays at 14.4 the whole time?

whats up with your voltage while driving, system on or off?

doubledeuce2k2

iTrader: (20)

i just started the car in the garage and put the multimeter to it. it was right about 14.4. i have nothing in the car though to tell me where the batt. is while i'm actually cruising around town though.

i shut the car off and the battery slowly made it's way back down to around 12V again.

i might see if i can wire up my multimeter to the battery at the cigarette lighter area if i get this problem one more time.

GramScam

Our cars alternators turn off intermintently (spelling?) to save fuel. When this happens the cars electrical system is running on the battery. When you have subs this will destroy the battery over time. Best you can do, with out a second battery, is to install a 51d red top ... to bad they don't make 'em.

Get a voltometer and hook it up to your lighter socket. After about 10 or 15 minutes of driving you should see the voltage drop to about 12.5 (or whatever your battery can muster), assuming you're not at highway speed. Turn on your AC or rear defogger and watch the ALT kick back on, courtesy of the "electrical load detector" (ELD). For some reason, the power draw from a system won't trigger the ELD. Pherhaps because it bypasses the fuse box, or maybe because of the fluctuating aperage draw ... I don't know.

Steve

rickinthescv

Some battery tips:

A yellow top Optima is the choice if you have a vehicle that occasionally draws more than the stock system (alternator) is putting out. I.e. it is designed so that if you have a system, then your battery will still have the power to keep the car running.

A primary battery, like what is in all cars is designed to provide a short amount of current, then be quickly charged again. You start the car, drain some power, then the alternator charges the battery up to full capacity. When you add a system, you draw more power than the alternator is putting out, thus you drain the battery and destroy it.

If you run down a primary battery just once (deep cycled), you ruin it. It will never hold the same amount of charge. So if you kill your battery all the way down, you have caused the plates to become sulfated and they will never again be the same.

Batteries also wear out, the electrolyte and the plates wear out. 2 years is about the time they realistically handle. Cold weather will show a battery's age.

The Optima for our cars is a D51.