This information helps a lot. These batteries you've been putting in have
all been brand new, right? If so, this car is going through batteries much
too quickly. You should be getting at least four years even out of a low
quality battery. What the information below tells me is that the alternator
is not putting out the amps needed to charge these batteries, indicating the
alternator is worn. Most probable worn alternator part: The brushes. That's
very common. Brushes tend to be a prime suspect when they have more than
about 90k miles and several years on them. Also, keeping a battery until its
charge is low (not necessarily dead, but just low), as you seem to have, for
whatever reason, will wear down the alternator sooner. Google has
information on this.

Note that Tegger also suspected these. But we really need more information
to confirm.

So you may have had an alternator in need of new brushes for some time now.

Autozone says they'll do an alternator check for free, but they have
misdiagnosed my car's battery-charging-alternator system in the past, so I
wouldn't trust them.

What you're looking for with the voltage checks are the following

1. Engine off: 12 volts.
2. Engine warmed up (like five minutes), idling. About 14 volts
3. Engine warmed up, idling, with headlights, interior heater blower, and
defogger on. Voltage drops to about 13.6 volts or so.

One can replace the brush assembly by one's self, if one is handy.
www.slhonda.com has competitive prices.

If you're tight on cash, I would minimize driving the car, because you're
likely going to wear this battery down, and so have to buy another new one.
Or, when you finally do get new brushes, they'll have to deal with a battery
not in top condition.



"adf" <afsd> wrote
>I will do a multimeter test later but I will answer the other questions you
>ask.
>
> 1) I am the second owner of the car so I don't know how many miles the
> current alternator has. The car has 115k miles total.
>
> 2) Yes by batter light I mean the icon that looks like a batter with
> positive and negative markings lights up RED
>
> 3) I have only owned this car since 2001 and this is the third battery
> since then. I don't much bother with checking the battery as the batter
> has a LONG warranty and the store that I bought it from just gives me a
> brand new one. That is what I did yesterday. Of the three only the first
> one was permitted to die completely I think.
>
> Can you tell me what you are getting at. I mean do you think the
> alternator is the problem? If so how have you come to this conclusion. I
> know information is limited as you don't have the alternator reads yet.
>
>
>
>
> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:vr3Hf.13462$rH5.12475@newsread2.news.atl.eart hlink.net...
>> Can you please get a multimeter and take DC voltage measurements at the
>> battery terminals as follows?
>>
>> 1. Engine off.
>> 2. Engine warmed up (like five minutes), idling.
>> 3. Engine warmed up, idling, with headlights, interior heater blower, and
>> defogger on.
>>
>> See also the alternator check procedure at:
>> http://media.honda.co.uk/car/owner/m.../400/16-94.pdf
>>
>> How many miles and years are on your car's alternator?
>>
>> When you say "battery light," you do mean the warning light on the
>> dashboard, don't you? Please describe the color of this light and any
>> symbol appearing on it.
>>
>> How many batteries has this alternator gone through? How many of these
>> batteries were permitted to die completely before replacement?
>>
>> Please answer as best you can the questions people ask of you. Otherwise,
>> people are less likely to respond again.
>>
>> "adf" <afsd> wrote > Can anyone help me out please
>>> Car: 1991 Honda Accord Wagon
>>> =====================
>>>
>>> OK after getting some advice I replaced the battery and put in a brand
>>> new one. Now the car starts and runs fine however, when the batter light
>>> is on I cannout use the alam/automatic unlock button in my key. The alam
>>> light stays ON. After driving a few blocks the battery light goes off
>>> and evreything seems fine.
>>>
>>> I am worried because this is what it did for the last week until
>>> yesterday when my car died and would not start. So I got a new battery.
>>>
>>> Why is the battery light coming on.
>>>
>>> Uday
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>