Check Engine Light, Alternator/Battery Issues

[joenobodyyet]

Hello, I will try to be as detailed as possible. I drive a 1997 Honda Civic LX, manual transmission.

Three months ago I was driving in the rain and all of a sudden the check engine light went on and it had a rough idle, and the Check Engine Light kept fading in and out. It continued to drive for a few weeks and when I had the oil changed the mechanic informed me that I needed a new alternator. A few weeks later I spoke to a mechanic friend and he was surprised I was able to drive it for so long with the battery charging around 12.8V. So I purchased a remanufactured 75A alternator.

Shortly after I purchased the alternator, my car battery died while driving. I was able to get a jump and my battery charged right up and I drove back home. Two weeks after that the battery died again. I was finally able to get to my friend's shop where he installed the alternator. Unfortunately, when I drove away from the shop, the battery died. It turns out the battery fuse (under the hood) was blown, so we replaced it. I was able to drive home, but the car seemed to be in the same condition, with the Check Engine Light on. He tested the battery and it was running at 13.8V, which was much better than before.

Fortunately my car has been running, but I'm in the same state. Today I had the codes checked:

P0500 Vehicle Speed Sensor VEL/VEL1
P1298 Electric Load Detector Circuit High Input
P0135 Oxygen Sensor Heater Circuit Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0141 Oxygen Sensor Heater Circuit Bank 1 Sensor 2

I then checked the fuses under the driver's side dash and found the Alternator SP Sensor 7.5A fuse was blown. I replaced the fuse and didn't notice anything different.

A few hours later I got in my car and now, the battery light is dimly lit. Check engine light is still lit and car seems to be running the same. I used a multimeter and checked the battery without the air conditioning and it was running around 14V, but when I turned on the accessories and air conditioning, it was down to 12.8V.

Anyone have any idea what could be going on? I changed the upstream o2 sensor 8 months ago and it made a previous Check Engine Light go out for a little while. I also got a new battery 9 months ago.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[mc360]

I would start with the elderly, maybe pick one up at a junk yard to test since it's not common for them to fail

 

[joenobodyyet]

I would start with the elderly, maybe pick one up at a junk yard to test since it's not common for them to fail

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by "elderly." You think the remanufactured alternator could be at fault? I should get another alternator?

 

[jackdog1]

Replace the speed sensor and see what happens. The ECU can regulate engine RPM based on electrical need, so if a speed sensor isn't working properly that might explain it. It's either that or a diode stuck open on the alternator.

 

[mc360]

Lol sorry auto correct got me, ELD

 

[Otto85]

Went through the same issues the 6th gen had a issue with the harness rubbing on the intake manifold bracket which causes a open wire which causes the charge issues. Do a search in here for battery issues you will find threads with detailed instructions on how to diagnose and repair the issue


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[mc360]

Went through the same issues the 6th gen had a issue with the harness rubbing on the intake manifold bracket which causes a open wire which causes the charge issues. Do a search in here for battery issues you will find threads with detailed instructions on how to diagnose and repair the issue


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As far as I know that issue is only common on 1999 models

 

[XpL0d3r]

Went through the same issues the 6th gen had a issue with the harness rubbing on the intake manifold bracket which causes a open wire which causes the charge issues. Do a search in here for battery issues you will find threads with detailed instructions on how to diagnose and repair the issue


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THIS!!

As far as I know that issue is only common on 1999 models

It applies to 96-99 models. My 97 had the exact same issue, it's very common.

@joenobodyyet check fuse 15 under the dash again. If it's blown, you most likely have this issue:

 

[Otto85]

As far as I know that issue is only common on 1999 models

96-99


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[Otto85]

I would also pull all your body grounds under the hood and hit all the connections with sand paper even if they don't look corroded; battery ground, transmission ground, valve cover ground, and thermostat housing ground if those haven't been done yet


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[joenobodyyet]

I was able to "shim" some electrical tape between the bracket and the wires (from reaching from the passenger side) and I also cleaned the battery terminals and the check engine light turned off! Although the fuse had not blown since, I'm pretty sure the electrical tape helped. The battery light is still dimly lit but the battery and alternator seem to be working properly. I'll look up how to clean the body grounds. Any thoughts on the dimly lit battery light?

 

[Otto85]

Battery light is probably caused by a open wire where it rubbed on the bracket if that is the cause. As for cleaning the body grounds just use sand paper to clean all contacts. 1 ground goes from the radiator support to the valve cover, there's 1 going to the power steering pump bracket right next to the exhaust manifold, the transmission to the passenger side chassis the opposite end of the battery negative and the last 1 goes to the thermostat housing. Hope that helps


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[Mur man]

Did you have the battery checked by a battery repair shop with proper inspection equipment? A multimeter will not diagnose the battery correctly. The battery can hold 12.8 volts but have no storage capacity or amperage.