Car died while driving and battery light came on

[Kt18777]

I have a 97 honda civic dx with a d16y8 swap and I was literally driving down the road and my car shut off and the battery light came on, although it not my battery, alternator, or starter. What else could it possibly be?

 

[RonJ]

It's perfectly normal for the battery light to turn on when the engine stalls.

Check for CEL codes, spark, and fuel. If those are fine, check the mechanical timing and compression test the cylinders.

 

[Kt18777]

How do I check the compression? My car always made a slight ticking noise while driving. If it is compression, would that mean I need a new head?

 

[RonJ]

Unless you have a solid reason to believe there's a compression issue, start with the other items in this order:

1. CEL codes (click codes link in my signature)
2. Fuel (listen for whether fuel pump primes when key is turned to ON[II])
3. Spark (click spark link in my signature)
4. Mechanical timing (detailed later after you post results from 3 above)