Civic Alternators ****.

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Really? With my white civic I do have a voltmater that plugs into my cigarette lighter.... sometimes it gets really low like 12.5 and shyt when I dont even have the stereo playing. Right when I start the car its about 14.2 etc.... usually its sitting around 13.5ishwhen the stereo is playing at regular volumes.
Maybe my alternator in the newer white civic just really needs to be replaced. If I could get the starting problem fixed I would be really freakin happy. The starting problem doesnt happen frequently, its maybe once every 20 times or so. In which case when that happens, I just go under the hood, unplug the spark plug wires, replug them(takes 10 seconds) and then it usually starts up fine.

you sure it isn't just the time delay between turning the key off, pulling the wires and trying again?

 

[krisfnbz 10+ year member]

you sure it isn't just the time delay between turning the key off, pulling the wires and trying again?

It could be that. You know now that I think about it there have been a few times where I just sat there and 30 seconds later I cranked it and it started up fine.

But usually when the car starts overall its not a "clean" start. Its nothing where it sounds like the car is about to fall apart, because the car is overall in excellent condition for being a 92 civic. It was a 1 owner for 15 years with only 89k.

Sometimes its hesitant when starting. I have new wires, rotor, cap, plugs, new IGNITOR...(I thought this was the problem).... I havnt gone to far yet to replace the coil. But now I am thinking its the alternator???......it definately makes sense.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

the alternator would not cause hard starts:fyi:

i have seen stretched timing belts cause hard starts and low voltage at the starter as on my passport....but the alternator should not cause enough load to hinder starting, and it certainly will not spin fast enough on start to increase voltage

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

on my passport if i sit until the fuel pump turns off, then i have no problems starting...

(fuel system has to pressurize)

 

[krisfnbz 10+ year member]

the alternator would not cause hard starts:fyi:
i have seen stretched timing belts cause hard starts and low voltage at the starter as on my passport....but the alternator should not cause enough load to hinder starting, and it certainly will not spin fast enough on start to increase voltage

Well I have not had the timing belt changed yet, I was planning on doing that whole section with the water pump and belts etc acctually within the next 5k miles. I had a good friend of a friend do the labor for me for like $150 bucks on my older green civic with it hit 200k(I figured I could have the car last in my family until at least 250k if it was well maintained...which it has)

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

Well I have not had the timing belt changed yet, I was planning on doing that whole section with the water pump and belts etc acctually within the next 5k miles. I had a good friend of a friend do the labor for me for like $150 bucks on my older green civic with it hit 200k(I figured I could have the car last in my family until at least 250k if it was well maintained...which it has)

when you do the timing, swap alts with the 160 from the other car and all will be better

 

[krisfnbz 10+ year member]

when you do the timing, swap alts with the 160 from the other car and all will be better

I will probably have to do the swap of the alternator first, because the person that does my timing belt lives about 60 miles away. I acctually want to get this done really soon because I am getting sick and tired of trying to figure out this stupid problem. When the car starts and drives everythin seems good...Just pisses me off that my 209k civic accelerates faster than my 89k.

 

[krisfnbz 10+ year member]

It seems as if the starting problem is happening more after I changed the ignitor... man this sucks.

I hope changing the timing belt/swaping the alternator will fix this shyt. I just dont think it will. Older cars are a pain in the ***

 

[SRim23 5,000+ posts]

in my 05 civic i have 300rms going to comps, 1100 rms going to subs and no dimming at all. have a stinger battery up front, 3farad stinger cap, never drop below 12 volts...

couple led's in the car, double din eclipse, HID headlights. no dimming or major voltage drops.

and for the people that bash civic.....40 mpg FTW!!!

my girlfriend has an 04 with roughly 900 rms system, indash dvd but with a stock battery and she has insane voltage drops. so maybe my car is just special i dont know lol

 

[SRim23 5,000+ posts]

Thats why Civics and these other foreign cars are so cheap. They only put in whats needed and whats get you from point a to point b. Put whats needed equals a cheaper selling price.

my civic had a 19k sticker brand new. if "foreign cars" (mine was made in ohio) are so cheap why are trade in values so much higher and they lose value slower than domestics?

told this story a couple times but ill tell it again. my girlfriend and i were trading in our cars around the same time. i had a 2001 civic lx, 81k miles, couple dents, spot of rust, interior trashed, suspension lowered to the ground, i was offered 7k trade. my girlfriend had a 2002 sunfire, showroom condition only 33k miles, 3500 was the most she could get trade in.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

It seems as if the starting problem is happening more after I changed the ignitor... man this sucks.
I hope changing the timing belt/swaping the alternator will fix this shyt. I just dont think it will. Older cars are a pain in the ***

only older imports...i have a 73 domestic that gives me no problems....except when i break parts due to torque

 

[krisfnbz 10+ year member]

I guess

 

[krisfnbz 10+ year member]

Civic alternators still ****