This is 2 years old and all good. Just a little advice; even if you have a high-end protected Fluke meter ($$$), ALWAYS set the meter first and then connect it. Don't just cycle the selection button with a voltage connected to the probes. It is not safe for the meter and/or the equipment under test.
Nice video! I must have done the alternator test wrong, because it was 31.4 V. My battery is 10.4 V when the car is off, but goes up to 13.6 when running and then 14.4 when under load. It went all the way down to 8.something when I cranked it. Immediately after turning the car off, the battery's voltage began dropping.
Thanks for the video it’s very helpful I have a 2012 Honda Civic My battery went dead just last Friday when driving so I took it for inspection and I was told the alternator wasn’t charging battery so I took it to electrical expert and they worked on the alternator. Later after they finished working on the alternator and when u cranked the engine the alternator charge reads up to 14.55 and drops back to 12.60 or less. When u switch on the headlights theme the alternator begins charging at 14.56 and when u switch off the light it reduces to 12.34 there. Pls what could be the problem Do I need a new alternator replacement?
Without being there I can’t tell you accurately what is faulty, however use the steps in this video as a guide, 1st step is always make sure battery cables clean and tight and the battery is good, ( batteries can cause weird problems ) perform the charging systems tests in this video, also perform the ripple test, the vehicle in the video is what a good charging system should look like, you should be able to make a decision based on that, good luck and please update this channel on what you found, this will help others find answers to there issues.
Thank you very much for your video, my 2013 Civic sits most of the time at 12.5-12.6 volts with no loads, engine running, if I turn ON the headlights it will go at 14.6 volts, I was reading on many websites that this is normal because the charging is controlled by ELD, is this true? I just realized this because my battery voltage was 12.1 volts after 8 hours of car sittig in the parking lot, the battery is only 9 months old and a dedicated battery tester it reads 100% health, 525 CCA (rated at 500), and the message "good battery, Recharge". Any thoughts? Thanks.
@@dannysdiygarage Thank you, I just did the "ripple test" and it shows 27.2 Volts (AC) is this ok? My multimeter has settings like 600 AC or 200 AC, I used 200 AC setting for testing.
I used a load tester and everything worked out but when I turn the key it seems to bog down as the motor cranks. Will try again using your method. Thanks!
Thanks for the opportunity to get back to you Danny., the min max test gave me 14.69 & 10.36. However the ripple test gave me .7 which is a fail. Last week I used a load meter to test because the batt. would not crank ( batt. less than a yr. old). Could not get the voltage into the 14's whilke running, but disconnecting and reconnecting alternator wires got me back to 14v. Apparently there was a bad connection. The alternator that is in the civic now was sent out by the Honda dealer for a quick rebuild about 3-4 mos. ago. I sat in the Honda dealer service center while the alt. was sent out for a fast repair. I was supposed to wait 2-3 hrs. but after 6-7 hrs of wait time the dealer said there was a problem with the rectifier which they did not anticipate and was told to come back the next day.Got the car back but ever since it started but seemed to bog down somewhat while starting. I fixed the loose connection as I stated but still that hesitation as I turned the key remained. What is your recommendation? When compaining to the Honda Dealer who handled the rebuild he backed away saying it was a used item without guarantee. @@dannysdiygarage
10.36 volts is definitely enough to crank the engine, so the battery has enough energy, checking the starters current draw might be an option, I don’t have any videos on that though, however there’s probably plenty out there, also a voltage drop on the starter wire that goes to the starter might help, I have no video on that, I need to do a starter video that covers all possible causes, appreciate the suggestion or idea for another video
My battery voltage initially was 12.24V when car was off. ON turning the vehicle ON, BY using the Max and Min function of multimeter, I found that max reading is 13.50V and min reading is 7.46 V. Can you please guide that what is the problem in my case as i m facing battery drainage issue over time drastically. Also, please note that on turning all lights ON, the voltage remains within range of 12 V to 13V.
How come noone is showing how to actually check the alternator. For example honda has a control also load indicator. You can have bad reading because you have a pin fitment issue with a control wire. Or open wire.
Typically you’ll see max 14.5. If you’re seeing 14.9 at idle that’s concerning, although it could be normal due to your high amp rating alternator, I would contact the company and ask questions, you can also check the diode in the alternator, I have a video on that, how old is your battery?
Hi Sir i need your help My car civic 2009 The dashboard lights And front light Flashing when Press gas The battery is good 12.5 Alternator is good 14.5 what should i do
I'm a bit confuse. If I perform this test, my car battery and charging system will pass, but if I turn off the lights with the engine running, the voltage drops to 12.5v. I've been reading people reporting the same behavior on Civics and Fits. Is this normal? I've been checking this because one very cold night, it cranked slower than usual, I also notice I left the cabin light on, the whole day. Autozone passed the battery and failed the alternator, but then I went back to them to get a second battery check with headlights on, this time, battery and alternator passed. Perhaps the battery is reaching its time. Any suggestion? Thank you very much in advance.
Without knowing all the details I would say yes it’s normal, if you turn on the blower motor the voltage should not drop, you can also use a current clamp to test the actual current the alternator is producing , I’ll try to make a video on this in the upcoming weeks
Check the internet for how Honda charging system works. It appears that it is able to cut in and out as a fuel economy measure. Typical alternator tests may give misleading results.
@@dannysdiygarage Thank you very much. I asked a mechanic at a Honda dealership, and he said it’s not normal, the voltage should stay at 14 v, no matter what. I replaced the ELD (electric load detector) and problem solved. $8 fix.
Can the alternator be putting out 14+ volts at the battery and still not pass the diode test? If so, what does that mean and what’s the solution? A new alternator? Thanks
Yes, Usually, a bad alternator diode will cause your headlights or instrument panel lights to flicker or dim and, sometimes, drain battery power overnight, or in minutes. * Leaky or shorted alternator diodes can cause rapid changes in the output voltage of the charging system. In addition, bad diodes can also allow current to leak from the battery back through the alternator to ground.
@@dannysdiygarage I been chasing a problem of pulsing lights on a 1999 Honda Civic. I will have to redo the diode test.. could a bad pulley or belt cause the same issue? Only asking because I hear a faint squeak that mimics the pulsing dash lights. It also stops when I turn on the AC. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks
Hi I have 2012 Honda civic Battery good Alternator good But showed me in dashboard check charging system And when i changed the negative terminal sensor was not genuine showed me airbag passenger side in dashboard I need help Thanks
I have a 2017 Honda civic. I changed the alternator and battery and I'm getting the same check charge system error. I'm gonna try the negative terminal sensor
Nice video but the last test did not work with the same reading at all, not even close. I replaced the alternator and got the car working then tested the last test again and it doesnt read like this guy. Same car. Otherwise great video.
Dannys DIY Garage lol yes but I pressed sent accidentally, my multi meter was reading -0.002 when I revved the engine and turned the lights on what does this mean
leslie flores if you were doing the alternator diode test, this would indicate the diodes in the alternator are good, your meter leads were probably reversed
“… and I just saved myself a hundred and fifty bucks shoelada!“
Appreciate your support, glad it helped 👍🏼
This is 2 years old and all good. Just a little advice; even if you have a high-end protected Fluke meter ($$$), ALWAYS set the meter first and then connect it. Don't just cycle the selection button with a voltage connected to the probes. It is not safe for the meter and/or the equipment under test.
Agree,
Stopping by to show love to your channel I'm a Content creator myself just starting my RUclips journey
Nice video! I must have done the alternator test wrong, because it was 31.4 V. My battery is 10.4 V when the car is off, but goes up to 13.6 when running and then 14.4 when under load. It went all the way down to 8.something when I cranked it.
Immediately after turning the car off, the battery's voltage began dropping.
Ralph Caffery sounds like you need a batter
@@dannysdiygarage I re-did the test. My positive terminal gave .02 when tested against the alternator. My negative terminal gave 14.4.
Ralph Caffery 14.4 is good when running, 10.4 not running is bad, probably a bad cell in your battery
Dannys DIY Garage I’ll look into it. Thanks for all your help and your well-made video!!:)
I realize I'm kind of randomly asking but do anyone know of a good site to stream newly released series online ?
Thank you so much. You should be an instructor at a technical college.
I wish I was, good benefits. Thank you
hi there, please let me know if any Distilled water will do? I checked my battery's acid level it was very low. I have 2010 Civic.
Yes distilled water is recommended
Thanks for the video it’s very helpful
I have a 2012 Honda Civic
My battery went dead just last Friday when driving so I took it for inspection and I was told the alternator wasn’t charging battery so I took it to electrical expert and they worked on the alternator. Later after they finished working on the alternator and when u cranked the engine the alternator charge reads up to 14.55 and drops back to 12.60 or less. When u switch on the headlights theme the alternator begins charging at 14.56 and when u switch off the light it reduces to 12.34 there.
Pls what could be the problem
Do I need a new alternator replacement?
Without being there I can’t tell you accurately what is faulty, however use the steps in this video as a guide, 1st step is always make sure battery cables clean and tight and the battery is good, ( batteries can cause weird problems ) perform the charging systems tests in this video, also perform the ripple test, the vehicle in the video is what a good charging system should look like, you should be able to make a decision based on that, good luck and please update this channel on what you found, this will help others find answers to there issues.
Oh ok thanks I will do that and let you know pls.
This is because of hondas dual mode charging. Working normally
Thank you very much for your video, my 2013 Civic sits most of the time at 12.5-12.6 volts with no loads, engine running, if I turn ON the headlights it will go at 14.6 volts, I was reading on many websites that this is normal because the charging is controlled by ELD, is this true? I just realized this because my battery voltage was 12.1 volts after 8 hours of car sittig in the parking lot, the battery is only 9 months old and a dedicated battery tester it reads 100% health, 525 CCA (rated at 500), and the message "good battery, Recharge". Any thoughts? Thanks.
This should be normal, however one thing to check is parasite drain
Easy to test, video on my channel ruclips.net/video/fZZpQY1aCVk/видео.html
@@dannysdiygarage Thank you, I just did the "ripple test" and it shows 27.2 Volts (AC) is this ok? My multimeter has settings like 600 AC or 200 AC, I used 200 AC setting for testing.
@@razvanpoenaru what test did you just do ?
Those aren’t good reading, you’ll need a better meter, I pretty sure the ripple test will be fine due to your other readings
Are you actually have starting issues?
I used a load tester and everything worked out but when I turn the key it seems to bog down as the motor cranks. Will try again using your method. Thanks!
Let me know how it works out
Thanks for the opportunity to get back to you Danny., the min max test gave me 14.69 & 10.36. However the ripple test gave me .7 which is a fail.
Last week I used a load meter to test because the batt. would not crank ( batt. less than a yr. old). Could not get the voltage into the 14's whilke running, but disconnecting and reconnecting alternator wires got me back to 14v. Apparently there was a bad connection.
The alternator that is in the civic now was sent out by the Honda dealer for a quick rebuild about 3-4 mos. ago. I sat in the Honda dealer service center while the alt. was sent out for a fast repair. I was supposed to wait 2-3 hrs. but after 6-7 hrs of wait time the dealer said there was a problem with the rectifier which they did not anticipate and was told to come back the next day.Got the car back but ever since it started but seemed to bog down somewhat while starting. I fixed the loose connection as I stated but still that hesitation as I turned the key remained.
What is your recommendation? When compaining to the Honda Dealer who handled the rebuild he backed away saying it was a used item without guarantee.
@@dannysdiygarage
10.36 volts is definitely enough to crank the engine, so the battery has enough energy, checking the starters current draw might be an option, I don’t have any videos on that though, however there’s probably plenty out there, also a voltage drop on the starter wire that goes to the starter might help, I have no video on that, I need to do a starter video that covers all possible causes, appreciate the suggestion or idea for another video
My battery voltage initially was 12.24V when car was off. ON turning the vehicle ON, BY using the Max and Min function of multimeter, I found that max reading is 13.50V and min reading is 7.46 V. Can you please guide that what is the problem in my case as i m facing battery drainage issue over time drastically.
Also, please note that on turning all lights ON, the voltage remains within range of 12 V to 13V.
How old is the battery, you said it the reading drops to 7.46 when cranking the starter? Did you watch my parasitic draw video?
I have a 2002 Honda Civic with a brakeline leak up front in center of car. If this splashes onto my belts would this interfere with the Alternator?
Definitely not good to have anything getting on your belt, no to mention a brake leak, definitely get that fixed
Thanks danny
You’re welcome, appreciate your comment
How come noone is showing how to actually check the alternator. For example honda has a control also load indicator. You can have bad reading because you have a pin fitment issue with a control wire. Or open wire.
I upgraded my alternator to a Mechman 170 amp. At 1800 rpm it's pushing 193 amps. My battery reads 14.9 at idle is that bad?
Typically you’ll see max 14.5. If you’re seeing 14.9 at idle that’s concerning, although it could be normal due to your high amp rating alternator, I would contact the company and ask questions, you can also check the diode in the alternator, I have a video on that, how old is your battery?
Hi
Sir i need your help
My car civic 2009
The dashboard lights
And front light
Flashing when Press gas
The battery is good 12.5
Alternator is good 14.5
what should i do
Did you disconnect the alternator connector and see if it still did it?
Actually no i didn't
I will try
Thank you
For the ripple test my gfs car was reading 0.58 would that make a difference as you said under 0.5?
That should be fine
I'm a bit confuse. If I perform this test, my car battery and charging system will pass, but if I turn off the lights with the engine running, the voltage drops to 12.5v. I've been reading people reporting the same behavior on Civics and Fits. Is this normal?
I've been checking this because one very cold night, it cranked slower than usual, I also notice I left the cabin light on, the whole day.
Autozone passed the battery and failed the alternator, but then I went back to them to get a second battery check with headlights on, this time, battery and alternator passed. Perhaps the battery is reaching its time. Any suggestion? Thank you very much in advance.
Without knowing all the details I would say yes it’s normal, if you turn on the blower motor the voltage should not drop, you can also use a current clamp to test the actual current the alternator is producing , I’ll try to make a video on this in the upcoming weeks
Check the internet for how Honda charging system works. It appears that it is able to cut in and out as a fuel economy measure. Typical alternator tests may give misleading results.
Thanks for adding input
South Main Auto has useful video on Honda charging system.
@@dannysdiygarage Thank you very much. I asked a mechanic at a Honda dealership, and he said it’s not normal, the voltage should stay at 14 v, no matter what. I replaced the ELD (electric load detector) and problem solved. $8 fix.
Can the alternator be putting out 14+ volts at the battery and still not pass the diode test? If so, what does that mean and what’s the solution? A new alternator? Thanks
Yes, Usually, a bad alternator diode will cause your headlights or instrument panel lights to flicker or dim and, sometimes, drain battery power overnight, or in minutes. *
Leaky or shorted alternator diodes can cause rapid changes in the output voltage of the charging system. In addition, bad diodes can also allow current to leak from the battery back through the alternator to ground.
@@dannysdiygarage I been chasing a problem of pulsing lights on a 1999 Honda Civic. I will have to redo the diode test.. could a bad pulley or belt cause the same issue? Only asking because I hear a faint squeak that mimics the pulsing dash lights. It also stops when I turn on the AC. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks
Yes, redo your diode test, sounds like diode symptoms
😊
Hi
I have 2012 Honda civic
Battery good
Alternator good
But showed me in dashboard check charging system
And when i changed the negative terminal sensor was not genuine showed me airbag passenger side in dashboard
I need help
Thanks
I’m sorry I missed this comment, did you fix this?
@@dannysdiygarage yes
I fixed it
Was just negative terminal sensor
I have a 2017 Honda civic. I changed the alternator and battery and I'm getting the same check charge system error. I'm gonna try the negative terminal sensor
Where is your "parasitic draw" from the battery check? cant find it
It will be out in February
@@dannysdiygarage thanks!
Nice video but the last test did not work with the same reading at all, not even close. I replaced the alternator and got the car working then tested the last test again and it doesnt read like this guy. Same car. Otherwise great video.
Thanks for adding your feedback, appreciate, possibly the meter you’re using
My alternator was ready -0.002
leslie flores are you asking a question?
Dannys DIY Garage lol yes but I pressed sent accidentally, my multi meter was reading -0.002 when I revved the engine and turned the lights on what does this mean
leslie flores which test were you performing?
Dannys DIY Garage an alternator test
leslie flores if you were doing the alternator diode test, this would indicate the diodes in the alternator are good, your meter leads were probably reversed