Honda Car Forum

Dan C wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:20:34 +0100, Frode Hansen wrote:
>
>>> Yeah, yeah. It's a bad alternator. Bet on it.
>
>> No, the power coupling on the negative axis has been polarized. Very
>> common on CVR's.
>
> The "power coupling on the negative axis", huh?
>
> Did you learn that at Space Camp, or at a Star Trekkie sleepover?
>

Bad attempt at humor, sorry (it's Star Wars btw).

I think you're probably right. If it was an older car, I guess one could
try to use a multimeter and measure the flow of current over the
different curcuits in the fuse box - and search on from there, but with
a 2007 CRV it should not be the owners problem, but the dealership's. A
current that empties a car battery in 2 days should be possible to
measure and locate.

Dan C wrote:

> On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:13:28 +0000, Nada Chance wrote:
>
>
>>The dealer is towing it in for the 3rd time today. If we go 2 or 3 days
>>without driving the vehicle, the battery is low enough that it will not
>>crank the engine. The first two times they found no problem and just
>>charged the battery. The last time the dealer had it he checked for
>>discharge and he replaced the battery.
>>
>>We have turned all the interior lights and everything off so it is not an
>>open door. This is getting a little old.
>
>
> Obviously a bad alternator. Make sure they replace it.
>
>
Hi,
How can you be so definitive? It could be an old battery, it could be
the alternator, it could be regulator(imbedded in alternator), it could
be simple loose connection or leakagy or something is drawing current.
How old is the battery?

Frode Hansen <frohan2000@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:474d8da9$1@news.broadpark.no:

> Dan C wrote:
>> On Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:20:34 +0100, Frode Hansen wrote:
>>
>>>> Yeah, yeah. It's a bad alternator. Bet on it.
>>
>>> No, the power coupling on the negative axis has been polarized. Very
>>> common on CVR's.
>>
>> The "power coupling on the negative axis", huh?
>>
>> Did you learn that at Space Camp, or at a Star Trekkie sleepover?
>>
>
> Bad attempt at humor, sorry (it's Star Wars btw).
>
> I think you're probably right. If it was an older car, I guess one could
> try to use a multimeter and measure the flow of current over the
> different curcuits in the fuse box - and search on from there, but with
> a 2007 CRV it should not be the owners problem, but the dealership's. A
> current that empties a car battery in 2 days should be possible to
> measure and locate.
>

and the response(big lie) from the Honda service person was totally
unacceptable and should be reported to the proper Honda representative.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:15:00 +0000, Tony Hwang wrote:

>> Obviously a bad alternator. Make sure they replace it.

> How can you be so definitive? It could be an old battery, it could be
> the alternator, it could be regulator(imbedded in alternator), it could
> be simple loose connection or leakagy or something is drawing current.
> How old is the battery?

Did you read the subject line? It's a *2007* vehicle. How old do you
think the battery is?

He said it's been into the dealer's service department already (twice). A
loose connection would have been found.

That leaves what? That's right. The alternator.


--
"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me".

"Dan C" <youmustbejoking@lan.invalid> wrote in message
newsan.2007.11.28.18.52.22.304615@moria.lan...
> On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:15:00 +0000, Tony Hwang wrote:
>
>>> Obviously a bad alternator. Make sure they replace it.
>
>> How can you be so definitive? It could be an old battery, it could be
>> the alternator, it could be regulator(imbedded in alternator), it could
>> be simple loose connection or leakagy or something is drawing current.
>> How old is the battery?
>
> Did you read the subject line? It's a *2007* vehicle. How old do you
> think the battery is?
>
> He said it's been into the dealer's service department already (twice). A
> loose connection would have been found.
>
> That leaves what? That's right. The alternator.


Spoke to the service manager today re: my wife's '07 Odyssey that I posted
about elsewhere in this thread...

He said he has seen a bad batch of relays. They stick in the closed
position leaving power on to various systems in the car and that might be
the cause that is draining the battery so fast.

He is picking the car up from my wife's office on Friday to check/replace
the relays in question as well as put a new battery in A) just in case it is
a faulty battery and B) it could eventually die a premature death from
having been run flat a few times already.

"Seth" <seth_lermanNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:96m3j.997$qb6.768@newsfe10.lga:

> "Dan C" <youmustbejoking@lan.invalid> wrote in message
> newsan.2007.11.28.18.52.22.304615@moria.lan...
>> On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:15:00 +0000, Tony Hwang wrote:
>>
>>>> Obviously a bad alternator. Make sure they replace it.
>>
>>> How can you be so definitive? It could be an old battery, it could
>>> be the alternator, it could be regulator(imbedded in alternator), it
>>> could be simple loose connection or leakagy or something is drawing
>>> current. How old is the battery?
>>
>> Did you read the subject line? It's a *2007* vehicle. How old do
>> you think the battery is?
>>
>> He said it's been into the dealer's service department already
>> (twice). A loose connection would have been found.
>>
>> That leaves what? That's right. The alternator.
>
>
> Spoke to the service manager today re: my wife's '07 Odyssey that I
> posted about elsewhere in this thread...
>
> He said he has seen a bad batch of relays. They stick in the closed
> position leaving power on to various systems in the car and that might
> be the cause that is draining the battery so fast.
>
> He is picking the car up from my wife's office on Friday to
> check/replace the relays in question as well as put a new battery in
> A) just in case it is a faulty battery and B) it could eventually die
> a premature death from having been run flat a few times already.
>
>

what is it with Honda and bad relays? (the infamous "main relay"!!)

I wonder what manufacturer made that batch in your 07?

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Dan C wrote:
> On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:15:00 +0000, Tony Hwang wrote:
>
>
>>>Obviously a bad alternator. Make sure they replace it.
>
>
>>How can you be so definitive? It could be an old battery, it could be
>>the alternator, it could be regulator(imbedded in alternator), it could
>>be simple loose connection or leakagy or something is drawing current.
>>How old is the battery?
>
>
> Did you read the subject line? It's a *2007* vehicle. How old do you
> think the battery is?
>
> He said it's been into the dealer's service department already (twice). A
> loose connection would have been found.
>
> That leaves what? That's right. The alternator.
>
>
Hi,
Age aside, a battery can have a internal electrode short, one cell dead,
broken connection inside, etc. Most weakness amongst auto mechanics is a
lack of good knowledge in electronics/electricity. Old grease monkeys
just don't cut it nowadays. Still you can't blame alternator outright.
As a retired EE, I always managed to solve electrical problems on my
fleet of family cars/truck. So far I never ran into a mechanic who
impressed me as far as electrical problem is concerned.

Don R wrote:
> The Dealership should be able to check the current draw on the battery with
> the ignition off by placing an ammeter between the negative battery cable
> and ground. They will be able to determine if the current draw observed is
> normal or not. If it's too high then they have to disconnect circuits by
> removing the fuses one at a time until they find the faulty one. If the draw
> is normal then I also would suspect the altenator. Just my two cents.
> "Nada Chance" <nada@nadachance.com> wrote in message
> news:INF2j.77616$Um6.24835@newssvr12.news.prodigy. net...
>
>>The dealer is towing it in for the 3rd time today. If we go 2 or 3 days
>>without driving the vehicle, the battery is low enough that it will not
>>crank the engine. The first two times they found no problem and just
>>charged the battery. The last time the dealer had it he checked for
>>discharge and he replaced the battery.
>>
>>We have turned all the interior lights and everything off so it is not an
>>open door. This is getting a little old.
>>
>
>
>
Hi,
Why dealership? Anyone can do this test with a small 12V bulb if neter
is nat handy.

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:38:41 +0000, Tony Hwang wrote:

>> That leaves what? That's right. The alternator.

> Age aside, a battery can have a internal electrode short, one cell dead,
> broken connection inside, etc. Most weakness amongst auto mechanics is a
> lack of good knowledge in electronics/electricity. Old grease monkeys
> just don't cut it nowadays. Still you can't blame alternator outright.

<sigh> I guess you haven't read his original post, where he said the
dealer had already replaced the battery....

Do you still think it's the battery?

As I've been saying all along, it's the alternator. Thanks for playing.


--
"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me".

Dan C wrote:
> On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:38:41 +0000, Tony Hwang wrote:
>
>
>>>That leaves what? That's right. The alternator.
>
>
>>Age aside, a battery can have a internal electrode short, one cell dead,
>>broken connection inside, etc. Most weakness amongst auto mechanics is a
>>lack of good knowledge in electronics/electricity. Old grease monkeys
>>just don't cut it nowadays. Still you can't blame alternator outright.
>
>
> <sigh> I guess you haven't read his original post, where he said the
> dealer had already replaced the battery....
>
> Do you still think it's the battery?
>
> As I've been saying all along, it's the alternator. Thanks for playing.
>
>
Hi,
You are not reading my post well either. I covered most of everything.
Usually battery is the first thing they replace without good reason.
When I investigated swapped out batteries, almost 80% was in good shape.
My brother(chemistry major) once worked in Exide battery plant. We
talked a lot about batteries. I live in very cold climate. Keeping a car
in good running order is a matter of life and dead in winter time.