I see this is quite an old post (original), but thought I would chime in for you, “van to”. This experience I had was well over 20 years ago, but perhaps this type of situation can still happen on “modern cars”:
My car would sometimes start, sometimes not. Battery tested fine, alternator tested fine, replays replaced. Not starting was a minor issue compared to what ensued…I would be driving down the highway at 70, in the dark, and my lights would go out (no check engine light, no warning, nothing to precede the lack of lights. I would pull over and wait…and wait, and wait. Eventually it would start…except the last time. Now, being as it was in the days before cell phones, I FINALLY got a cop to pull over. He drove me to headquarters where I called my dad to come and get me (2 hours away at 11 at night) and wouldnt you know, car started right up. Made it ALMOST all the way home 5 miles away) with my dad following me and the headlights died again (car was running fine, just no lights), so he got in front of me, turned on his high beams and I followed him home…and the next morning, car started just fine…grrrrr. TWO Honda dealers could not figure it out so I finally decided to give my dads small time country hick mechanic a try. His diagnosis was an intermittent alternator-which I did not expect as I had just installed it six months prior-however, I was racking up about 2500 miles a week…so, I changed it out and never had the problem again…so, it could maybe be that? No mechanic here, just a chick that likes to work on cars in the famous “installation is the opposite of removal” world. I always figured that as long as I could get it off, I could get it put back on…
Good luck!
- Home
- Reply To: Honda Civic Questionable Alternator