Well if you use your headlights as a high drain test while the car is
running with the old battery then yes it is a decent test of the alternators
output. If the car is running and the battery is discharged then the
headlights would be dim if the alternator is not putting out enough juice.
If they stay bright while the car is running and the battery is not good
then you can probably safely assume the alternator is putting out.

It is possible to have a battery so discharged that if you try to move it it
will kill the engine but I wouldn't count on it. It sounds to me like you
should have your car checked out. Any shop can do an alternator/battery
test.

How old is the battery? Anything more than about 5 years in a climate not
subject to extreme desert heat and I say you got your money's worth out of
it.

The fuel pump is probably using just about the same amount of amperage
idling as when it is under way.

I would not go onto the path of finding out what things use up energy under
the hood while running. I would just get the charging system checked.

A simple volt meter test can tell you if the alternator is putting out
enough volts. The headlight test will help with amps if there is no other
equipment available.


"Pat" <hotpatpar@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:xieLd.329$g16.275@trndny08...
>A dead '95 Civic battery gave unusual results. Jumpering the battery
>allowed
> it to idle the engine, but the moment I attempted to move it forward or in
> reverse, the engine would stop. Its as though the battery was too weak to
> muster enough energy to propel the car, but it could idle the car. Does
> that
> make any sense? Does the Civic have an electric fuel pump that uses up a
> lot
> of energy when in drive? What UNDER THE HOOD things use up electrical
> energy
> while the car is running?
>
> Once I replaced the battery, the car was back to normal. I have no idea if
> its just a weird battery problem or if the alternator needs to be
> replaced.
> I would like to find out before taking it to a Sears, for example. If I
> know the alternator is bad, I'd rather pick a Honda specialty shop.
>
> Any hints on testing the car's ability to charge the battery, without
> moving
> it to a Sears, for example? A friend told me there was a headlight test to
> check the alternator working properly.
>
>