Honda Car Forum

Well, I am posting this as a question, hopefully some of you fine folks
can help me figure out this problem I have been having. I thank you
ahead of time for you replies.

I have an 89 Accord, roughly 145,000 miles. I have owned the car about
a month. The problem starts there, I have regularly had to pour gas
directly into the carburetor in order for it to start. This was very
strange, because after about 4-5 times, the car would finally start and
run. So, I thought maybe it had something to do with the choke heater
or electric choke actuatoror maybe the fuel pump was weakening.

Then, on a recent long trip, the alternator light came on. It did not
appear all the time, only intermittently, and when it would come on, I
could depress the clutch pedal and rev the engine up over 3500 rpm and
the light would go out. Eventually, it acted as though it was starved
for fuel, like the fuel pump was going out.

I removed my alternator (oh, what fun!) and took it to be tested at
both Autozone and O'Reillys. Both tests indicated the alternator was
good. I re-installed the alternator, and then took the battery to be
tested. It also tested good. I was ready to pull my hair out!

I got on here to read about other who might have had the same problem,
and I checked the Haynes Manual for my car, and basically I am at a
loss. If the battery and alternator are good, then why would the light
come on?

I noticed the alternator and the fuel pump are on the same fuse. So,
today, I installed a new fuel pump. It no longer acts as if it is
starved for fuel, but the battery light now comes on again. Again the
light will go out above 3500 rpm, but comes back on as the engine
returns to idle. Can someone please help diagnose this ghostly problem?

I really would not trust Autozone, for one, for this.

What is the age of the alternator? Is it OEM? Brushes are a
candidate for replacement, given the intermittent appearance
of the alternator/charging system warning light.

How old and what is the make of the battery?

Do try the five quick checks I list at site
http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id13.html , and
report back.



"madman1991" <madnez_inc@yahoo.com> wrote

> Well, I am posting this as a question, hopefully some of
> you fine folks
> can help me figure out this problem I have been having. I
> thank you
> ahead of time for you replies.
>
> I have an 89 Accord, roughly 145,000 miles. I have owned
> the car about
> a month. The problem starts there, I have regularly had
> to pour gas
> directly into the carburetor in order for it to start.
> This was very
> strange, because after about 4-5 times, the car would
> finally start and
> run. So, I thought maybe it had something to do with the
> choke heater
> or electric choke actuatoror maybe the fuel pump was
> weakening.
>
> Then, on a recent long trip, the alternator light came on.
> It did not
> appear all the time, only intermittently, and when it
> would come on, I
> could depress the clutch pedal and rev the engine up over
> 3500 rpm and
> the light would go out. Eventually, it acted as though it
> was starved
> for fuel, like the fuel pump was going out.
>
> I removed my alternator (oh, what fun!) and took it to be
> tested at
> both Autozone and O'Reillys. Both tests indicated the
> alternator was
> good. I re-installed the alternator, and then took the
> battery to be
> tested. It also tested good. I was ready to pull my hair
> out!
>
> I got on here to read about other who might have had the
> same problem,
> and I checked the Haynes Manual for my car, and basically
> I am at a
> loss. If the battery and alternator are good, then why
> would the light
> come on?
>
> I noticed the alternator and the fuel pump are on the same
> fuse. So,
> today, I installed a new fuel pump. It no longer acts as
> if it is
> starved for fuel, but the battery light now comes on
> again. Again the
> light will go out above 3500 rpm, but comes back on as the
> engine
> returns to idle. Can someone please help diagnose this
> ghostly problem?
>

madman1991 wrote:

>
> I noticed the alternator and the fuel pump are on the same fuse. So,
> today, I installed a new fuel pump. It no longer acts as if it is
> starved for fuel, but the battery light now comes on again. Again the
> light will go out above 3500 rpm, but comes back on as the engine
> returns to idle. Can someone please help diagnose this ghostly problem?

If the system seems ok, but the light is on, check the #8 fuse, and the

W/G wire from the relay box to the alternator.
I'd then check the running voltages to see if normal. IE: an operating
alternator
should show about 13.9-15.1 volts if you measure the battery voltage
while running and all loads turned on. IE: headlights, defogger, blower
motor, etc. If it does, it should be ok.
Is the belt loose?
If the light is still on, disconnect the choke heater connection "carb
engine" .
If the light is now out, the heater is shorted.
If the light is still on, turn engine off and disconnect the alternator
connector.
Turn on the ignition. If the light is out, the voltage regulator is
bad.
If the light is still on, turn off switch and pull the 7 pin EFE
connector.
Turn on ignition switch. If the light is out, the EFE unit is shorted
or grounded.
If the light is still on , there is a short or ground in the Bu/W wire
to one
of the above parts. What is kinda weird is yours seem more rpm related
than vibration, etc.. In a case like that, I would first check the
belt, and
then double check the alternator and regulator. But a voltage check
while
running should give you a pretty good idea if it's working. Did the two
places also check the regulator? I woud think so being it's a part of
the
alternator.
MK

Well, I drove it again today after charging the battery all night. It
ran fine, so I used the heater fan to warm things up inside. (I am in
Oklahoma City, and we have been having some really icy weather.) When
I started out, the alternator light was not on. But, eventually, the
ominous little red light came back on. I made it to work, and it sat
for a couple hours, and started fine. On the way back, it finally
died, and would not start. I fooled around with it, praying it would
start, and tried to wiggle the wires to the alternator, just in case I
had a short.

Well, then I discover there is some sort of vacuum switch broken off.
It is a plug like, cylindrical thingy threaded into the intake
manifold, directly beneath the carburetor. It has two hoses connected
to it, and it was dangling there. There was a metal pin, (it looked
like a nail) sticking out of the plug part that is threaded into the
intake manifold. I have no idea what it is, but I dropped the pin into
the engine compartment, and I think it landed on the frame somewhere,
or worse into the snow. I pushed the car back a bit to look for it,
but no luck.

So, tomorrow, I am gonna go to a local pull-it-yourself salvage yard
and get a replacement part for this broken thing and put it in and see
what happens. It may not be the problem, but its worth a shot. I will
keep you posted!


Elle wrote:
> I really would not trust Autozone, for one, for this.
>
> What is the age of the alternator? Is it OEM? Brushes are a
> candidate for replacement, given the intermittent appearance
> of the alternator/charging system warning light.
>
> How old and what is the make of the battery?
>
> Do try the five quick checks I list at site
> http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id13.html , and
> report back.
>
>
>
> "madman1991" <madnez_inc@yahoo.com> wrote
>
> > Well, I am posting this as a question, hopefully some of
> > you fine folks
> > can help me figure out this problem I have been having. I
> > thank you
> > ahead of time for you replies.
> >
> > I have an 89 Accord, roughly 145,000 miles. I have owned
> > the car about
> > a month. The problem starts there, I have regularly had
> > to pour gas
> > directly into the carburetor in order for it to start.
> > This was very
> > strange, because after about 4-5 times, the car would
> > finally start and
> > run. So, I thought maybe it had something to do with the
> > choke heater
> > or electric choke actuatoror maybe the fuel pump was
> > weakening.
> >
> > Then, on a recent long trip, the alternator light came on.
> > It did not
> > appear all the time, only intermittently, and when it
> > would come on, I
> > could depress the clutch pedal and rev the engine up over
> > 3500 rpm and
> > the light would go out. Eventually, it acted as though it
> > was starved
> > for fuel, like the fuel pump was going out.
> >
> > I removed my alternator (oh, what fun!) and took it to be
> > tested at
> > both Autozone and O'Reillys. Both tests indicated the
> > alternator was
> > good. I re-installed the alternator, and then took the
> > battery to be
> > tested. It also tested good. I was ready to pull my hair
> > out!
> >
> > I got on here to read about other who might have had the
> > same problem,
> > and I checked the Haynes Manual for my car, and basically
> > I am at a
> > loss. If the battery and alternator are good, then why
> > would the light
> > come on?
> >
> > I noticed the alternator and the fuel pump are on the same
> > fuse. So,
> > today, I installed a new fuel pump. It no longer acts as
> > if it is
> > starved for fuel, but the battery light now comes on
> > again. Again the
> > light will go out above 3500 rpm, but comes back on as the
> > engine
> > returns to idle. Can someone please help diagnose this
> > ghostly problem?
> >

So the story goes...
I finally got the clear weather to take my car to Oreillys and they
tested the alternator and battery with the engine running. The tested
said the alternator had low output. So with that, I replaced the
alternator and the battery just to be safe. I also replaced the broken
temperature probe, and pretty much any other thing that was
electrically wrong. Bulbs in the front blinker and the marker light.
So, after it is all said and done, I drove it and so far the alternator
light is not coming on like it was. I thank you all for writing and
giving me the advice. If the light comes on again, I may just take it
to the dealer and have them trouble shoot it.

On Jan 16, 7:11 pm, "madman1991" <madnez_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Well, I drove it again today after charging thebatteryall night. It
> ran fine, so I used the heater fan to warm things up inside. (I am in
> Oklahoma City, and we have been having some really icy weather.) When
> I started out, the alternatorlightwas not on. But, eventually, the
> ominous little redlightcame back on. I made it to work, and it sat
> for a couple hours, and started fine. On the way back, it finally
> died, and would not start. I fooled around with it, praying it would
> start, and tried to wiggle the wires to the alternator, just in case I
> had a short.
>
> Well, then I discover there is some sort of vacuum switch broken off.
> It is a plug like, cylindrical thingy threaded into the intake
> manifold, directly beneath the carburetor. It has two hoses connected
> to it, and it was dangling there. There was a metal pin, (it looked
> like a nail) sticking out of the plug part that is threaded into the
> intake manifold. I have no idea what it is, but I dropped the pin into
> the engine compartment, and I think it landed on the frame somewhere,
> or worse into the snow. I pushed the car back a bit to look for it,
> but no luck.
>
> So, tomorrow, I am gonna go to a local pull-it-yourself salvage yard
> and get a replacement part for this broken thing and put it in and see
> what happens. It may not be the problem, but its worth a shot. I will
> keep you posted!
>
>
>
> Elle wrote:
> > I really would not trust Autozone, for one, for this.
>
> > What is the age of the alternator? Is it OEM? Brushes are a
> > candidate for replacement, given the intermittent appearance
> > of the alternator/charging system warninglight.
>
> > How old and what is the make of thebattery?
>
> > Do try the five quick checks I list at site
> >http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id13.html, and
> > report back.
>
> > "madman1991" <madnez_...@yahoo.com> wrote
>
> > > Well, I am posting this as a question, hopefully some of
> > > you fine folks
> > > can help me figure out this problem I have been having. I
> > > thank you
> > > ahead of time for you replies.
>
> > > I have an 89 Accord, roughly 145,000 miles. I have owned
> > > the car about
> > > a month. The problem starts there, I have regularly had
> > > to pour gas
> > > directly into the carburetor in order for it to start.
> > > This was very
> > > strange, because after about 4-5 times, the car would
> > > finally start and
> > > run. So, I thought maybe it had something to do with the
> > > choke heater
> > > or electric choke actuatoror maybe the fuel pump was
> > > weakening.
>
> > > Then, on a recent long trip, the alternatorlightcame on.
> > > It did not
> > > appear all the time, only intermittently, and when it
> > > would come on, I
> > > could depress the clutch pedal and rev the engine up over
> > > 3500 rpm and
> > > thelightwould go out. Eventually, it acted as though it
> > > was starved
> > > for fuel, like the fuel pump was going out.
>
> > > I removed my alternator (oh, what fun!) and took it to be
> > > tested at
> > > both Autozone and O'Reillys. Both tests indicated the
> > > alternator was
> > > good. I re-installed the alternator, and then took the
> > >batteryto be
> > > tested. It also tested good. I was ready to pull my hair
> > > out!
>
> > > I got on here to read about other who might have had the
> > > same problem,
> > > and I checked the Haynes Manual for my car, and basically
> > > I am at a
> > > loss. If thebatteryand alternator are good, then why
> > > would thelight
> > > come on?
>
> > > I noticed the alternator and the fuel pump are on the same
> > > fuse. So,
> > > today, I installed a new fuel pump. It no longer acts as
> > > if it is
> > > starved for fuel, but thebatterylightnow comes on
> > > again. Again the
> > >lightwill go out above 3500 rpm, but comes back on as the
> > > engine
> > > returns to idle. Can someone please help diagnose this
> > > ghostly problem?- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -