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Hey guys, I’ve been trying to figure out why my car gets a low idle when warm and wants to stall. I got a little closer to the problem, I think. As I was leaving work, I hit some speed bumps causing the electrical connection from the alternator to fell out (This happened twice already). Car is a 1994 Prelude H23A1 btw. The car idled way better without that connection on. It seemed to idle higher than before. The idle was nice and smooth and it didn’t want to stall out like it did before like in this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N38W_LX_yck Anyways, I wanted to ask if the problem indeed could be related to the charging system or alternator/battery. I jumped my connector under the dash like 1 1/2 months ago and I got a code 20 for Electrical Load Detector even though my CEL didn’t light up on the dash. I reset the ECU and has no codes 1 1/2 months later. I got a multimeter and checked the battery voltage after a quick drive and it read 4.7 volts. I’m hoping It’s an easy fix.
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4.7 volts is not enough voltage to run the car.
takes 12volts to run the car. If the connector falls
out of the alternator.Then you have no charging system.
You need to fix the connection problem. The battery will
also need to be load tested and checked.http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-electrical-problems
It’s quite normal for the engine to idle slightly differently with the alternator unplugged. When the alternator is charging it adds a little extra load to the engine.
That said, I would want to repair the connection so it stays plugged in. If the battery volts were that low your battery would be essentially dead and not able to keep the engine running and would require recharging to start the car. Must be something wrong with your voltmeter or poor connection.
It’s possible that your car has a dirty throttle body and or an IAC valve that’s dirty that’s affecting your idle speed.
[quote=”college man” post=75472]4.7 volts is not enough voltage to run the car.
takes 12volts to run the car. If the connector falls
out of the alternator.Then you have no charging system.
You need to fix the connection problem. The battery will
also need to be load tested and checked.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-electrical-problems%5B/quote%5DI’m sorry I meant to say 12.7 Volts. Anyways, When that connection is unplugged the car idles way better. Idk if it can be a problem with the voltage or if voltage can affect my idle?
I think you have Idle Speed Control Valve problems, because when I see, it’s drop when you put the gear on D
cmiiw[quote=”college man” post=75958]see if this helps.
http://www.hondafitjazz.com/manual/A00/HTML/98/SAA2E98K72100081202FAAT00.HTML
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYVWmQE5tDk%5B/quote%5D
I jumped the service connector since my car is OBD 1 about 1 1/2 month ago and I got a code 20 for Electrical Load Detector. The light on the dash didn’t show up, but the code was there. I reset the ECU and hasn’t came up since I wonder if this could be it.
[quote=”college man” post=75962]You could have a slight problem not enough for the computer
to recognize.[/quote]Now I need to find where the ELD is so I can change it.
Don’t assume it’s the ELD. Make sure your connections are good first. Poor connections are the #1 cause of electrical problems. Given your circumstances, I would focus on the electrical problem before worrying about the idle problem. If the electrical system is not up to the task, all other systems will be effected. If you still have idle issues after repairing the electrical problem, these articles may provide some insight.
Keep us posted.
I got a multimeter and checked the voltage. It was 12.54 when the car was off. It was 14.28 when car was on and at idle, I saw the voltage jump from 14.28 to 11.72 then back to 14 then to 9.11 then to 14.28 again. I turned on everything electrical and the voltage was 11.73. I saw it jump to 10 volts then to 12. But the voltage will never stat steady. Now what could this be? Alternator? And the idle seemed to change depending on the voltage.
I did another test and I held the multimeter steady. It read 12.38 this time when the car was off. It started and it read 14.34 or so. RPM to 2000 and stayed about the same. I turned on everything electrical ans the voltage was like 12.34, it kept going down steady. When it was around 12.06 the idle changed and the voltage went back to 12.54 then kept going back down. It read 11.98 when I was done with the test.
make sure you are getting nice clean, solid connections with your volt meter so that there is no voltage drop through dirt, grime, or corrosion to the volt meter leads. If after that, you still find that voltage is dropping while the engine is running, and seems in sync with your erratic idle, then I would start by checking, cleaning, tightening battery leads at the battery, fuse box, engine block, and starter, as well as all ground wires between the battery, engine, and body of the car. After that, I would think about having the alternator tested.
Anything lower then 14.5 volts while engine is running is considered low voltage. As the others have stated, make sure all wires are clean and get your alternator connector fixed. If you still have this issue after all connections have been cleaned and double checked for looseness I would replace the alternator. I had the problem of my alternator just flat out die on me a few months ago. Both battery and brake light came on at the same time.
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