2004 Civic Battery light on I have a 2004 civic that has a battery light stuck on now. It starts no problem. But if I leave it idle, it will run and die at random. I've taken the alternator 4 pin out while it was running light stays on. If I drive it and give it power the car will shut off then restart. Sometimes the battery light will shut off and it will change to a check engine. I was driving it on the highway when it first happened and the "Drive" green light shutoff and so did my temp gauge. I'd throw it back in neutral while driving and restart it. When the drive green light shut off and temp gauge shutoff I have no power. Charged battery and still the same issue. If I rev the car in park, at high rpm the engine will bounce back and forth. At first I thought it was my oil since I have an oil leak and oil will lock out vtech, but I fixed the oil and same issue. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on Can anyone give me some type of idea? It's the weirdest thing because the car starts no problem. At low idle it dies pretty easy but will start right now. I still have power but it will randomly shut off to the point that it jerks you back and then restarts. Could it be ELD? MICU? PCM? Is it just a stupid ground? My grounds are shit for sure but wouldn't that affect the car starting? I need some idea because I have a 7 hour drive I need to do and don't want to pay for a rental. The battery fuse looks fine too although I broke the cap off the top awhile ago and put a piece of ducttape on top. I literally have no idea as to why the battery light is on and the car dies at random. I even put all my accessories on like rear defrost, radio, heat, high beams, etc. Looked like there was no change in rpm or anything although I guess I should have a volt meter. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on Loose bolts on the alternator bracket are common. The bracket is the ground for the alternator. If left like this it will ruin the PCM. What is the code for the CEL? |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by NDNV
(Post 4746593)
Loose bolts on the alternator bracket are common. The bracket is the ground for the alternator. If left like this it will ruin the PCM. What is the code for the CEL? |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on OK new info I think I did the alternator 4 plug pull thing wrong. So I turn the ignition to on. The Battery, CEL, and Oil light stay on. The park light on the dash is on. But my drive light is flashing. I left the car alone for awhile to see what it would do and then the battery light went off. I started the car and the rpm wasn't working. I turned it off and then put it back to on and it was the same as before (The 3 lights, Park, with Drive flashing). So this time I unplug the 4 prong. The Battery light and oil light stayed on. CEL went off, and the green drive light was not intermediately flashing. I plug the alternator plug back in and the battery light goes off. Is it the bottom bolt to the alternator that is the ground? Anyone have a 2004 EX Alternator diagram? |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on So I forgot to mention after I unplugged and replugged in the alternator with the battery life off, I heard clicking near the TCC but I don't have a manual so that solenoid is a shift lock solenoid maybe? Would it cause the flashing D and or battery light? |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on I had a guy at napa test the alternator and battery when running. He said the battery was fine and that the alternator was a little low. The alternator I believe tested at like 13.3 and he said you wanted it above 14. He used a cheap computer to see if there were any CEL codes but none. He did say there were codes he didn't see with his cheap computer and that I would need someone with a better computer that could simulate the car running while off to see them. I do have a maintenance light on. What I don't get is like what it could be? When I'm driving and the car shuts off or goes to die it just jerks you back and mostly restarts. I've never had it fully shut off when I was driving other than on the highway when it first happened and I still was moving but had like no power to move. I'm gonna tear everything down again and check to see what the issue could be. Any ideas? Thanks. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on I tightened alternator belt and tightened down the bolts. Car just kept wanting to die when I tried to drive it distance today. The battery light went off, CEL came on, the Speedo and the thermostat gauge died. I stopped at napa.with CEL on and car just running like shit and noticed a burning smell in the cabin. He said he could only pull the code if the car is off. So we shut off the car, the CEL went away and back to a battery. He ran it anyways and no codes. So is it not giving me codes because the PCM? The burning smell is coming from the engine bay fuse box. If I pull a fuse and smell where the fuse goes it smells burnt. Throughout the whole board not specifically to a certain fuse. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on So the alternator bolts were loose? Probably fried the pcm |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by Colin42
(Post 4746703)
So the alternator bolts were loose? Probably fried the pcm If it's the ELD, say I smell that the ELD burnt out or something. Would it affect the PCM? The ECU has a fuse specifically to it, wouldn't that fuse go before the ECU does? My battery fuse looks cracked a little on the side with the middle piece still intact. Is there an ECU test? I wonder if the reason why the codes aren't showing is because the ECU is fried. I just had it inspected before all this started through OBD2 and no codes. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on If you can adjust the belt tension by just the spindle thingy then your alternator mounting bolts likely are loose. Two main mounting bolts should need to be loosened before the adjustment lock bolt and spindle thingy can move the alternator. If the ECU is still talking via the OBD port that’s a good sign.. Can you pull live data or it simply has no shown codes? |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on If you can adjust the belt tension by just the spindle thingy then your alternator mounting bolts likely are loose. If the ECU is still talking via the OBD port |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by Slumpertcivic
(Post 4746715)
If you can adjust the belt tension by just the spindle thingy then your alternator mounting bolts likely are loose. Two main mounting bolts should need to be loosened before the adjustment lock bolt and spindle thingy can move the alternator. If the ECU is still talking via the OBD port that’s a good sign.. Can you pull live data or it simply has no shown codes? The NAPA guy can get maintenance codes but when whatever dies when I'm driving it turns off Batttery light and goes to CEL. Can't pull the CEL because when you turn the car off and restart the CEL is gone. Lets say it was ECU and I can't communicate, Wouldn't I still show CEL if there were CEL issues? Wouldn't it show up in my inspection? Although the battery light showed up after. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by ezone
(Post 4746717)
Agree. If the top bolt is properly tightened, you won't be able to move the alternator to tighten the belt without a whole bunch of effort. OP beware, no codes is not the same as no communication. No communication is bad, very bad. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on Tighten the alternator bolts correctly before you completely ruin the PCM. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by ezone
(Post 4746730)
Tighten the alternator bolts correctly before you completely ruin the PCM. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on Here's your torque specs: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.civ...85fdd3c1d2.gif The mounting base for the alt (attached to the block) needs to be clean and tight too. How about ground cables to the engine and trans? The PCM gets fried when the alternator loses it's grounding. If the engine and trans lose their ground cables, that's the same effect as the alternator losing its ground from someone leaving the bolts loose. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by ezone
(Post 4746736)
Here's your torque specs: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.civ...85fdd3c1d2.gif The mounting base for the alt (attached to the block) needs to be clean and tight too. How about ground cables to the engine and trans? The PCM gets fried when the alternator loses it's grounding. If the engine and trans lose their ground cables, that's the same effect as the alternator losing its ground from someone leaving the bolts loose. I did hear clicking noise underneath the glove box when the car would cut out every other minute or so. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on and putting in a new alternator. Stop driving the damn car until you get the root of the problem fixed. Right now the PCM may still be saveable, but if you continue driving it this way it WILL ruin the PCM |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by ezone
(Post 4746751)
Why? Is it bad? Stop driving the damn car until you get the root of the problem fixed. Right now the PCM may still be saveable, but if you continue driving it this way it WILL ruin the PCM Ezone when the car goes to "die" I've noticed it's when the car is downshifting or I am breaking. It's like when you are in high (3500) rpm band and the car shifts down (auto) to change to the next gear. It doesn't always happen but when it does there's a click under passenger side near glove box and then right back on. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on The PCM is freaking out from runaway voltage, and that can cause a myriad of symptoms including relays clicking, various warning lights on the dash, PCM operating in backup or limp mode, immobi light flashing, trans not shifting correctly, gauges stop working or become erratic, loss of scanner communication, and more. Lack of ground for the alternator is not a fault of the alternator at all, and all this will still happen with a perfectly good alternator if it's not properly grounded. What part of "stop driving the damn car" wasn't perfectly clear? How much will a PCM cost when it finally becomes permanently ruined? (plus programming) |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by ezone
(Post 4746754)
The PCM is freaking out from runaway voltage, and that can cause a myriad of symptoms including relays clicking, various warning lights on the dash, PCM operating in backup or limp mode, immobi light flashing, trans not shifting correctly, gauges stop working or become erratic, loss of scanner communication, and more. Lack of ground for the alternator is not a fault of the alternator at all, and all this will still happen with a perfectly good alternator if it's not properly grounded. What part of "stop driving the damn car" wasn't perfectly clear? How much will a PCM cost when it finally becomes permanently ruined? (plus programming) |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on Steps I would take.. Disconnect the battery. Clean the battery contacts, leave battery disconnected. Remove alternator, scotch brite the areas on the engine block the alternator bolts too till it’s shiny metal clean then squirt with electrical contact cleaner. do the same on the adjustment plate, bolts, and alternator itself. Remove the ground cable near the hood latch completely, do same cleaning on the frame and engine connection points. Remove the engine harness ground multipoint on the thermostat housing and clean. Remove the ECU plugs and spray cleaner in each plug, Spray the ECU contacts lightly. Wait 15 minutes or more for everything to evaporate then plug ECU harness back in. Reconnect battery. Cost,less than $10.00 in materials and about 2hrs in your driveway. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on I've cleaned the terminals, did new grounds, changed the alternator because when I tightened down the bolts I stripped one in the old one, and changed the ELD which is what smelled burnt when the car went into limp mode driving. The car starts, idles, dies and restarts (click under the passenger side). The car drives, there's power, vtech engages, etc. The battery light is still on, The car randomly stalls out. Sometimes it's when I push the breaks, sometimes it's just random. I've wiggled the key to see if it was the ignition. Anymore ideas? I don't have money to get it diagnosed. I'm gonna try and see if I can run the MCU troubleshoot. I read in another post that someone changed the ELD and MCU and it went away. I really don't think it's the PCM because the car isn't in limp mode. It only goes into limp mode if I'm driving and it hard stalls and restarts. Then I restart it and the car is out of limp mode. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on 1 Attachment(s) DTC Code 2 and DTC Code 5. The dome light flashed twice and then five times. Attachment 113307 The troubleshoot says that if 2 and 5 are simultaneous that there is an "open in communication wire" Open YEL wire in the under fuse dash/relay box E10/E24. So what exactly does that mean? Is it related to the Battery light/car intermediately dying? Should I change the MCU Like the other person that said it fixed the problem? Why is the MCU randomly shutting off the car/restarting it? |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by JuniorDavis
(Post 4747379)
So what exactly does that mean? Is it related to the Battery light/car intermediately dying? Why is the MCU randomly shutting off the car/restarting it? |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by ezone
(Post 4747429)
Consider this: If the PCM lost its ability to communicate with the micu, would the micu set that code? I'm not sure the micu has that ability. I suppose there really is no way to test the MCU and the ECM? Can I do anything with the yellow wire at E10/E25 to test it? I think my approach now will be what I saw on this website about changing everything out one by one starting with the dash, MCU, ECM. The question is would the gauge assembly cause this type of issue? DTC 5? Does the ECM go through the gauge assembly first and then into the MCU? I don't understand what it's recommending with that yellow wire. |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on Can I do anything with the yellow wire at E10/E25 to test it? I don't understand what it's recommending with that yellow wire. I'll also suggest you search this forum using the term "loose alternator bolts", and you can read about countless ruined PCMs |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on
Originally Posted by ezone
(Post 4747459)
Simple continuity test, making sure that wire in question is a complete circuit between the two connectors mentioned, and a terminal tension test. I'll also suggest you search this forum using the term "loose alternator bolts", and you can read about countless ruined PCMs Also which PCM's can I use with a 2004 civic ex auto? Thanks |
Re: 2004 Civic Battery light on Sorry this is late, I forgot about it
Originally Posted by JuniorDavis
(Post 4747484)
If I get a PCM that comes with key and tumbler/ignition and pcm do I have to have it programmed? Also which PCM's can I use with a 2004 civic ex auto? |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:24 PM. |
© 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands