hoypinoyskee

My battery indicator light came on when I was on the 4th gear and after that it stayed on. I brought it to my local AutoZone to test the battery and found out it was bad, so I proceeded to replace it. I turned on the car after the battery was replaced and the indicator light was still there, so the AutoZone rep also checked the alternator, but everything was fine. We both couldn't figure out why the light was still on. Should I take it to a Honda Service Center to figure out what the problem is? Did anyone have to encounter this situation before? Thanks!

ezone

Battery light comes on because the PCM decided it doesn't like what it thinks the alternator is doing.

Define "fine". Show your work.

If "everything was fine", then the idiot light would not be on.
There's a reason those people work at DangerZone.
(Same reason tow truck drivers drive tow trucks.)

You may need a professional, not a counter jockey.


See if the alternator belt is tight.
See if the alternator bolts are tight.

Any other clues? Check Engine Light on? Codes?

Matt_75

Indicates charging system problem.

How exactly was that determined? What was the voltage the person measured? If your alternator isn't charging the battery, it's going to discharge.

So you put a brand new fully charged battery and checked to see if the alternator was bad? What was the voltage the person measured?

If you don't understand what's doing on when that battery light comes on, you should probably take it your service center and let them diagnose it.

Good luck.

Matt_75

We couldn't have timed that any better ezone.

ezone

I saw the post an hour ago, but had some food and took a shower first.
LOL.

The Zone reference reminded me of tow truck drivers.
They can be as bad as, or worse than, the counter jockeys....

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

when i worked at advance, people would misread the expensive test equipment all the time. it says "everythings okay" then when you look at the readout its only putting out 20 amps instead of 60 amps. an alternator can still work and test good, but obviously not good enough. thats why the light comes on. bad alternator. they should have made the light look like an alternator rather than a battery, but i suppose most people dont know what an alternator is or what it looks like to begin with. and dont even think about putting in a duralast garbage part unless you want the light on again next month. oh and that new battery you just got is prolly done for. take it back and get a fresh one after fixing the problem.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

The only real way that Autozone can check the alternator is if they pulled it out of the car and checked it on the machine, it is pretty accurate I have tested many alts on there, but do it a few times to be sure.

If he didnt pull the alternator (doubt he did) the test he did is more then likely not valid. He sells parts, hes not a technician and BELIEVE me they make their fare share of mistakes..

As for testing batteries, they are not as good with that. I have had a few misdiagnosed batteries from them. A sure shot way is to crank the car if it goes under 9.6 volts its more then likely bad.

Lastly, make sure that he tigtened the terminals, and check the battery ground at the chasis and make sure its not corroded.

mikey1

how do people get jobs at these places?

how hard is it to test the voltage on a battery?

how hard is it to test the charging rate?

i could do these things when i was 14, without any formal education on the subject,

when your battery light comes on when the engine IS RUNNING that means the problem is with the charging/alternator, which has nothing to do with the battery (technically speaking)

makes me wonder if they should change the battery light to a light that says "charging issue"

ezone

That won't make appliance users any more knowledgeable. It's still one of those annoying lights to most people.


And what shape should the new picture be? (All lights use international picture symbols now, for some strange reason.)

The oil pressure warning light is a "gravy boat light".
(A customer said that. Seriously. No clue why a car would have gravy in it, nor why it would need its own warning light.)

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

I need to check my gravy then.

Yea, most people dont know, and dont want to know.
But also checking the battery underload is very important.