Charged battery quickly drains while driving, but battery and alternator ok at idle

20

Asked by GuruTCY5K Jun 26, 2018 at 03:49 PM about the 2006 Honda Accord EX

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I don't know what to check next. I charge the battery with an a.c. charger. I
can start the car and drive off to work. But along the way, the battery drains
to the point where the car will not run.

First the battery light comes on, and I start getting nervous. A while later the
the ABS light comes on, and my stress increases. Then the "brake" light
comes on, and panic ensues. Finally, the speedo and gauges drop to zero,
and I know the gig is up. When I am lucky I have just pulled into the parking
lot before the engine stops. The battery has about 9 volts after these 15
minutes of driving. I charge the battery during work, and repeat the process
to get home.

Here is what I have learned.

The battery is ok. It will charge with an a.c. charger and the parts store
checked it with a load tester.

The alternator produces about 13.5 volts at the alternator output terminal at
engine idle. (This is actually a "new" used alternator I replaced. I now
suspect the original alternator is ok as well)

There is acceptable voltage drop across the positive and negative sides of
the wires to the alternator. Thanks Youtubers.

It seems that something in the alternator controls (from the four-connector
plug) stop it from charging the battery while I am driving.

What should I check next ? How can I verify that it is something from the
alternator controls, and if it is, how to fix it ?

Thanks

9 Answers

34,750

Replace the battery It's junk,and if you just bought it it's new junk.

2 people found this helpful.
20

That was my feeling about it! A friend, of the car owner. But, the store keeps on insisting that the battery is fine!

1 people found this helpful.
20

So, the car owner, fully charged the battery and then unhooked it from the car for about 5 days. The battery has not lost any juice. What should we try now? It seems that the altinator is charging the battery when the car is just running in the driveway, but while on the road, there is a drain on the battery and the battery light goes on. After a 10 min. drive the battery drops down to about a 9!

1 people found this helpful.
20

I am not sure if my question went through, so again...The car owner, fully charged the battery and unhooked it from the car for about 5 days. The battery lost no juice. What should we try now? It seems that starting the car, it sitting in the driveway, the alternator is charging the battery, but after a 10 min. ride, the battery light goes on and when the battery is tested, it has dropped down to about 9! What could be causing this drain on the battery?

60

Does your a/c blow warm? If so, the A/C clutch relay needs to be replaced. This is known to cause your battery to be drained quickly. Part number is 39794-SDA-A05. Easy and cheap fix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc2FiELAbZo

6 people found this helpful.

I'm having the same exact issue on a 2011 Honda Accord. You're story is so similar I'd love to hear if it had a resolution. I've changed the battery though both the existing and the new one tested fine. I also have a rebuilt alternator that was installed 2 years ago and it tests fine and charges the battery at idle. The sequence of the battery dying in my car is also similar, except the automatic transmission starts slipping just before the battery light comes on. I've had the battery cables replaced and tightened. I've had this problem 3 times in my cars history. Each time something gets replaced, it works for a little longer, and after several months to a year it's doing it again. Everyone always says it's the battery or it's the alternator. I do think that's it.

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