CRX alternator tale of woe
06-04-2004, 10:33 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
CRX alternator tale of woe
Since my S is disassembled (ever more, each time I see it), I have been driving my '91 CRX.
On Saturday I drove to Bremerton to be an instructor at PCA's novice car control clinic. (Some cool cars there.) On the way home, the charging system warning light came on. Then the tach needle died. Then the rest of the panel died (except for the speedo). Then the car died. After about 20 minutes of rest, the battery bounced back enough to get me home.
This was Saturday on Mem Day weekend. So I recharged the battery. Drove to work Tues. Car died on the way home Tues night. Called Dad, he showed up and recharged my battery by jumping it from his truck. Drove home.
Wed I stayed home and pulled the alternator. What a PITA. All the bolts were frozen, the alternator is way back in there, and it isn't obvious that the only way to get it out is through the wheel well. Dad drove me and the alternator to Schucks. They tested the alternator. Said it tested good.
I reassembled the system and did some more checking. If the alternator was good, what was bad? Did a lot of poking around with the multitester and decided maybe it was the ECU.
So with the car reassembled and the batter charged up, I drove it around. It seemed fine, no symptoms. Huh. Maybe it's OK.
Drove to work Thurs. Car seemed fine. Drove home Thurs, same symptoms, car was dieing. Damn.
Recharged the battery. Drove to Renton Honda Fri morning. Told them the whole story. They charged me $105 (1 hr labor) to check it out. Said the rectifier on the alternator was bad. (OK, so somebody's wrong, either Renton Honda or Schucks.) Wanted another $400 and two days to replace the alternator.
So I called around, and Auburn Foreign Car said they could have an alternator by this afternoon for $175.
Damn. $280 + another day of wrenching on the dang car + a chance that Renton Honda was wrong v. $500+ to have Renton Honda do it (but I still wouldn't have the car). The dang car probably isn't worth much more than $500. Had to decide now.
What the hell .... OK, so I ordered the part from Auburn Foreign Car. Guess I'll spend tomorrow working on the car again. Hope this fixes the problem....
On Saturday I drove to Bremerton to be an instructor at PCA's novice car control clinic. (Some cool cars there.) On the way home, the charging system warning light came on. Then the tach needle died. Then the rest of the panel died (except for the speedo). Then the car died. After about 20 minutes of rest, the battery bounced back enough to get me home.
This was Saturday on Mem Day weekend. So I recharged the battery. Drove to work Tues. Car died on the way home Tues night. Called Dad, he showed up and recharged my battery by jumping it from his truck. Drove home.
Wed I stayed home and pulled the alternator. What a PITA. All the bolts were frozen, the alternator is way back in there, and it isn't obvious that the only way to get it out is through the wheel well. Dad drove me and the alternator to Schucks. They tested the alternator. Said it tested good.
I reassembled the system and did some more checking. If the alternator was good, what was bad? Did a lot of poking around with the multitester and decided maybe it was the ECU.
So with the car reassembled and the batter charged up, I drove it around. It seemed fine, no symptoms. Huh. Maybe it's OK.
Drove to work Thurs. Car seemed fine. Drove home Thurs, same symptoms, car was dieing. Damn.
Recharged the battery. Drove to Renton Honda Fri morning. Told them the whole story. They charged me $105 (1 hr labor) to check it out. Said the rectifier on the alternator was bad. (OK, so somebody's wrong, either Renton Honda or Schucks.) Wanted another $400 and two days to replace the alternator.
So I called around, and Auburn Foreign Car said they could have an alternator by this afternoon for $175.
Damn. $280 + another day of wrenching on the dang car + a chance that Renton Honda was wrong v. $500+ to have Renton Honda do it (but I still wouldn't have the car). The dang car probably isn't worth much more than $500. Had to decide now.
What the hell .... OK, so I ordered the part from Auburn Foreign Car. Guess I'll spend tomorrow working on the car again. Hope this fixes the problem....
06-04-2004, 07:48 PM
#5
Registered User
Thread Starter
#$%@ing Renton Honda! Never @#$%#ing again, I swear. Ever.
They told me they had charged the battery this morning when they tested the alternator. So I get there, and the car is dead. Turns out they drove it around to their car wash, then drove it out and parked it, and who knows what else, all with a very deeply discharged battery. So of course, it was completely dead.
I paid them $103 to finish off my battery. And to lie about the battery being recharged.
Then the "service" advisor put the car on the charger, fired up the engine, drove it out of the bay, let the engine die, and said "here's your key". @#$%ing b@#$rd.
I went and bought a new battery, and limped the car home. Guess I'll try replacing the alternator again tomorrow and seeing if that fixes it.
Oh, and that new Element I've been thinking of buying? Guess who I definitely will not be buying it from.
They told me they had charged the battery this morning when they tested the alternator. So I get there, and the car is dead. Turns out they drove it around to their car wash, then drove it out and parked it, and who knows what else, all with a very deeply discharged battery. So of course, it was completely dead.
I paid them $103 to finish off my battery. And to lie about the battery being recharged.
Then the "service" advisor put the car on the charger, fired up the engine, drove it out of the bay, let the engine die, and said "here's your key". @#$%ing b@#$rd.
I went and bought a new battery, and limped the car home. Guess I'll try replacing the alternator again tomorrow and seeing if that fixes it.
Oh, and that new Element I've been thinking of buying? Guess who I definitely will not be buying it from.
what'd you expect for $103 
