A/C Shuts Off, Gauges Drop, Sputters, Dies

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May 28, 2016

jay-rad

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A/C Shuts Off, Gauges Drop, Sputters, Dies

I have a 2005 Honda Civic. It starts up, runs for about 30 seconds, then the A/C turns off, the dials/ gauges drop. It runs for another 20 seconds, sputters, then dies. It won't restart right afterwards. Need to let it sit before it starts again.
I changed the battery terminals, thinking it was a battery issue. Didn't work. Any ideas?
I have a video. I turned the car off before it sputtered and died. Otherwise it would have done that. Thanks.

May 28, 2016

ezone

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Re: A/C Shuts Off, Gauges Drop, Sputters, Dies

Bad connections between battery posts and clamps, or between clamps and cables.

May 30, 2016

mac25

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Re: A/C Shuts Off, Gauges Drop, Sputters, Dies

I had that happen once while driving, it was the alternator.

To test it:
-Place a multimeter (set to test dc voltage) across the battery before you start the car.

-it should read 12v or so ***if you have a full charge***
-start the car; the voltage should climb to 13.4-14v.

Either way, if your battery is charged or not, there should be a climb in voltage. If you see a drop when you start the car, the alternator is dead.