Main IndexAuto Repair Home Search Posts SEARCH
POSTS
Who's Online WHO'S
ONLINE
Log in LOG
IN









Search Auto Parts

Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED


  Email This Post



jameswise09
Novice

May 24, 2013, 7:22 AM

Post #1 of 14 (2299 views)
Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

Alright guys, so here's the rundown. I got my Alternator replaced last week. Last night, I hit a very small bump, not even large enough to really cause me to slow down, and as soon as I did, my battery and brake lights came on. My RPM gauge also jumped around and eventually went to 0 until I stopped and put the car in park. (The bump might just be a coincidence who knows). So after all this happened, I turned off my car, tried to restart and got nothing. Sometimes I get a click, sometimes 2 clicks up to 4-6 consecutive clicks. Every few times I won't even get a click, just a slight attempt to start, then the car dies, then 2 seconds later all my lights and radio etc. come back on. My problem here is a few things:
1. I've been told it could be the starter. If it's the start, those dashboard lights shouldn't have came on right? just the STARTING portion of the car.
2. I've been told it could be the battery. Well If i got my alternator tested and Advance said it was working, Why would my battery be dead? And if it WAS dead, wouldn't my lights have went dim or something else happen to the car?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 24, 2013, 7:26 AM

Post #2 of 14 (2289 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

You get clicks then nothing. That is more like a very weak battery cable connection - both ends must be good,

T



jameswise09
Novice

May 24, 2013, 7:27 AM

Post #3 of 14 (2285 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

The battery cables are connected tight, maybe problem with the wiring?


jameswise09
Novice

May 24, 2013, 7:34 AM

Post #4 of 14 (2279 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

Oh, and I forgot to mention. This morning before work I connected my home charger to the battery. AT first I got a reading of just one meter, as in pretty dead or "not ready," after a while it got to 2 meters. I had to rush to work, but the car still wouldn't start after charging for 20 minutes on a 350 battery charger.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 24, 2013, 8:29 AM

Post #5 of 14 (2267 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

A meter is a measure of distance, not electricity.
You need to start out with having the battery tested and then move onto the cable connections at every point.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



jameswise09
Novice

May 24, 2013, 8:31 AM

Post #6 of 14 (2262 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

Well I meant 1 meter as in the charger only brought up 1 of 4 lights with a 'not ready' light indicating the battery is dead or bad connection.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 24, 2013, 8:33 AM

Post #7 of 14 (2260 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

That doesn't tell you anything at all about the battery condition. You need to have it professionally tested.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



jameswise09
Novice

May 24, 2013, 1:02 PM

Post #8 of 14 (2229 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

Could it be the Voltage Regulator?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 24, 2013, 1:05 PM

Post #9 of 14 (2224 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

You can't test anything else until you have a known good battery.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 24, 2013, 1:10 PM

Post #10 of 14 (2216 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

HT and I will agree on the sequence of lights on some chargers not being conclusive of much of anything except that charger is done. It doesn't know what amp power that battery has just that it met voltage resembling "charged." Starter is a momentary huge draw while attempting to crank and if it can't will take up any possible amps so nothing else will work.

Alternators need battery power thru the whole system or don't put out on their own.

Connections may be tight and not letting the amps thru. I meant each cable clean and snug at both ends of each cable, typically high amp carrying one to starter (pos) and other (neg) to engine block then to body metal all over. That allows all other items and controls and lighting etc (computers) to operate.

Seems it can behave if only now and then like there zero power getting anywhere so either battery has a problem or connections to be ruled out as said,

T



jameswise09
Novice

May 24, 2013, 1:19 PM

Post #11 of 14 (2209 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

Yes because all my lights and everything work fine. The brights are not dim. So i'm not sure it is the battery. I will check in the next hour and get back. Thanks for the both of you!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 24, 2013, 1:21 PM

Post #12 of 14 (2205 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

We aren't saying it is. Testing has a specific sequence to it and it starts with the battery without taking any shortcuts.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



jameswise09
Novice

May 24, 2013, 1:24 PM

Post #13 of 14 (2201 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

Ok, Well I just put it on charge. Will wait an hour and try to get it to Advance to figure it out. I'll for sure come back to the post.


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

May 24, 2013, 5:05 PM

Post #14 of 14 (2189 views)
Re: Acura RL Electrical Problem?! CONFUSED Sign In

You stated this happened after an alternator replacement?

Why was the original alternator replaced?

Have you done a visual inspection of the alternator and made sure the bat cable is routed correctly and none of the wiring is shorted to something?





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.






  Email This Post
 
 


Feed Button




Search for (options) Privacy Sitemap