Honda Car Forum

I would like to get help with this problem: after working on the
starter the

Battery warning light stays on all the time.
After starting the voltage moves to 14.2 V (at battery).

The Service Manual, p 25-28, suggests that the alternator is defective
and says that it should be checked. But I consider the probability very
low that the alternator fails at the same time work is done on the
starter - I believe it is more likely that I inadvertently caused some
damage (maybe just a disconnection) to the wiring.

1984 Accord, 4 Door

The voltage at a fully charged battery is about 12.6 volts.

With the engine running, and the alternator working, the voltage will
be about 14.2 volts. If you have 14.2 volts, the alternator and
voltage regulator are working properly.

Check the wiring.

On 4 Nov 2005 22:23:53 -0800, "karl" <ottokarl@cognisurf.com> wrote:

>
>I would like to get help with this problem: after working on the
>starter the
>
> Battery warning light stays on all the time.
> After starting the voltage moves to 14.2 V (at battery).
>
>The Service Manual, p 25-28, suggests that the alternator is defective
>and says that it should be checked. But I consider the probability very
>low that the alternator fails at the same time work is done on the
>starter - I believe it is more likely that I inadvertently caused some
>damage (maybe just a disconnection) to the wiring.
>
>1984 Accord, 4 Door

Thank you; I agree with your diagnosis.

The question now is, which one of the wires (or connectors)
in the general area of the starter, if damaged, causes the battery
light to stay on.



Charlie S wrote:
> The voltage at a fully charged battery is about 12.6 volts.
>
> With the engine running, and the alternator working, the voltage will
> be about 14.2 volts. If you have 14.2 volts, the alternator and
> voltage regulator are working properly.
>
> Check the wiring.
>
> On 4 Nov 2005 22:23:53 -0800, "karl" <ottokarl@cognisurf.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >I would like to get help with this problem: after working on the
> >starter the
> >
> > Battery warning light stays on all the time.
> > After starting the voltage moves to 14.2 V (at battery).
> >
> >The Service Manual, p 25-28, suggests that the alternator is defective
> >and says that it should be checked. But I consider the probability very
> >low that the alternator fails at the same time work is done on the
> >starter - I believe it is more likely that I inadvertently caused some
> >damage (maybe just a disconnection) to the wiring.
> >
> >1984 Accord, 4 Door

"karl" <ottokarl@cognisurf.com> wrote in message news:1131189627.526080.285710@f14g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...

> Thank you; I agree with your diagnosis.
> The question now is, which one of the wires (or connectors)
> in the general area of the starter, if damaged, causes the battery
> light to stay on.

If you try this the light should go out:

1) Disconnect the connector at the back of the alternator.

2) Disconnect the choke heater connector or the EFE heater control
unit if it has one.

A broken connection between the charger and battery might light up
the light but that doesn't seem to be the problem.

> From: "alt.autos.honda group" <noreply@googlegroups.com>
> Date: Sat, 05 Nov 2005 09:34:00 +0000
>
> ================================================== ===========================
> TOPIC: Battery light stays on
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.a...e334eaae74d523
> ================================================== ===========================
>
> == 1 of 2 ==
> Date: Fri 4 Nov 2005 22:23
> From: "karl"
>
> I would like to get help with this problem: after working on
> the starter the
>
> Battery warning light stays on all the time.
> After starting the voltage moves to 14.2 V (at battery).
>
> The Service Manual, p 25-28, suggests that the alternator is
> defective and says that it should be checked. But I consider
> the probability very low that the alternator fails at the
> same time work is done on the starter - I believe it is
> more likely that I inadvertently caused some damage (maybe
> just a disconnection) to the wiring.
>
> 1984 Accord, 4 Door



================================================== ============================
> == 1 of 1 ==
> Date: Sun 6 Nov 2005 07:44
> From: "Burt S."
>
> "karl" <ottokarl@cognisurf.com> wrote in message
> news:1131189627.526080.285710@f14g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...
>
> > Thank you; I agree with your diagnosis.
> > The question now is, which one of the wires (or connectors)
> > in the general area of the starter, if damaged, causes the
> > battery light to stay on.
>
> If you try this the light should go out:
>
> 1) Disconnect the connector at the back of the alternator.
>
> 2) Disconnect the choke heater connector or the EFE heater
> control
> unit if it has one.



Thank you, but this test assumes the wiring to be correct; read on.

This problem was the result of really lousy work. When I reconnected
the disconnected wires I had forgotten how they had been connected and
I connected them by their length and ease of reconnecting them. My
first choice of wires to the air temp switch would have been correct
but they were a little short. I ended up connecting the wires of the
choke heater to the air temp switch, cutting both out of the circuitry,
and grounding "L" of the voltage regulator. I didn't notice that the
color codings didn't match, but I thought it is odd and I was
suspicious that two pairs of wires originating at the same place (near
the starter) of a harness are connected - this didn't make sense! And
again later when I looked for the cause of the ON battery light I was
suspicious about these two pairs of wires but did not act. I had a very
strange block.