95 Honda Civic Electrically Possessed!!!

[ssenay72]

Im leaning towards the alternator but...it takes a and runs but wont restart. Brand new battery and terminals. When it is running gauges freak out, radio comes on by itself, noises heard through the speakers. Did this a few months ago , we changed the battery and it was fine for a few more months. Now its back at it. help!!!

[sageuvagony]

OMG lol I wouldnt even get near the car. I imagine my alarm getting involved with this posessiveness, locking and unlocking the doors, siren-ing, other stuff. I'm not sure if an alternator would cause SUCH effects but, damn, see a priest? nah... Did SOMEHOW any of your electrical components get wet inside causing some type of sick short? I once was driving down the road and I saw a puddle on the oposite lane, of course, I had my windows down, as I am about to pass the puddle, a truck is zooming down the road and WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! nearly all of the puddle of water went into my car and soaked me and my friend and everything got wet, but nothing happend luckily . Anyone ever have that happen? Like even in the rain, if its raining lightly, and you have your windows slightly down, smoking a cigg, and a car drive through a puddle and soak you? Its the worst feeling!

[i_a_n112784]

The car should run for awhile off of its battery, if it is fully charged. So I wouldn't point at the alternator yet. I would recommend checking the grounds, funny things happen when parts aren't grounded well, and loose wires / bad connectors.

[ssenay72]

Ok I checked the battery terminals again, where specifically should I check? thanks

[i_a_n112784]

Well, according to the honda manual, there are several under the hood grounds. One goes from the valve cover to above the headlight, that should be easy to find. Another is on the trans, kinda below the distributor. Check fuses, make sure that the wires going into the - terminal aren't rusted. Maybe wiggle/bend the wires themselves in several areas, see if one isn't broken under the rubber.

Basically, I think you either have a bad wire, or a bad/dirty connection somewhere. And I know from experience that electrical things are some of the worst to troubleshoot.

I had an AMC truck, that when I took the tail lights out to paint it, it wouldn't start, and the gauges jumped around, all because a ground by the tail light wasn't connected.

[ssenay72]

ok ill do that, thanks for your time, so you dont think its the alternator then?

[i_a_n112784]

Normally when an alternator goes bad, they will either sieze up, or they stop charging, in which case the car will run off your battery until the battery is dead.