Return of bad symptom

[1993CivicVX]

thank you for the post suspended hatch


watching this video I took makes me think the problem is a misaligned belt.

The video is me pressing on the gas while the car is stopped.

[Rstb88]

Kinda odd how it can only be heard at 1500rpm... Ya I've never owned or worked on Honda in my life. So I just diagnose blind lol.

[R.I.D.E.]

Grab the alternator and see if you can make it move (rocking) in relation to the engine. Hatch has more Honda experience than me, but I agree with the bottom bolt being loose or missing.

I disagree with the pull it as hard as you can when tensioning the belt. That could lead to overtightenting and bearing or belt failure.

God only knows how many belts I have replaced, but a good guess would be 10,000. As a rule of thumb you don't want to overtighten one, I checked the amount of deflection between the pullys and generally left it at 1/2 to 3/4 (depending on distance between pullys) inch for v belts, with a free retensioning offer if the belts needed it.

A lot of techs want to slam it tight so they don't have to retension for free (read comission workers).

I have seen 8 belts on a Mercedes AC in 40 k miles because of one of those types.

For a battery issue, you want to check for voltage drops between the battery posts and the car body, to ensure you do not have a bad ground. While you are at it check the engine to chassis ground. Bad grounds can mess up the charging system, as well as just about anything else as far as symptoms of problems of almost every type.

To check the battery make sure its fully charged, then just turn on the headlights (ignition off). A good battery will have enough energy to start the car at least and hour with the headlights on. A weak battery will usually die after 20 minutes. The 20 minute battery will pass short term load tests. Obviously do not do this if you don't have a battery charger, or a spare battery.

regards
gary

[1993CivicVX]

Thanks Gary et al.`The battery is new so I want to assume it's still good. But maybe it's been worn down a bit from lots of EOC.... Btw Gary, 10,000 belts would mean you change one belt every day for 27 years!

[R.I.D.E.]

Yeah I know my estimate could be exagerrated.

First belts replaced 1966, last ones hopefully not yet, but lets say 1999.
14 years in business 1500 repair orders per year, even when I owned the shop I did the easy stuff that didn't require a lift, like belts and oil changes.

200 total losses rebuilt, 200 different cars owned. I have probably put a few hundred belts on just the ones I owned and the totals.

say 3 per car 4 times a week, 52 weeks a year for 14 years. The more I think about it the closer the original estimate seems to be correct .

In all that time, never summoned to appear in court by a customer that thought I had done something wrong. Now thats a remarkable record.

regards
gary

[Danronian]

Originally Posted by 1993CivicVX

the tach was behaving flawlessly before---sticking throttle body seems like a problem that would occur gradually over time rather than suddenly after a repair battery is new so those connections are good. Dunno about the ground cables tho.

Could just be a coincidence.

I've had stranger things happen that were completely unrelated.

[1993CivicVX]

The alternator situation went south real fast as I was driving to the shop couple hours ago. Car barely made it! It was having such a hard time making power that not only did my head lights stop working, but my hazards wouldn't even flash--radio was the first to conk out--the tachometer even stopped registering (completely conked out) car stuttered once because the alternator or whatever wasn't making enough juice--I realized the futility of having the headlights on so I turned them off--otherwise I wouldn't have made it. Mechanic is very nice though--drove me to Amherst from Lanesboro (about hour+ drive) and says he will fix it no cost to me. He did acknowledge that he made an error putting the timing belt on, but I didn't fully understand the nature of his error. Hopefully he'll figure it all out! He seems to think it is the alternator though. More feedback from you guys will give me something to relay to him--unlike one of my other mechanics, he is open to feedback from this forum
thanks everyone,
Jason

[VetteOwner]

yea that idle issue is strange... got any plugged vacuum lines?(aka old and deteriated, sometimes vacuum leaks can cause stuff like this)

yea loose alt belt will slip and squeak, sometimes new belts squeak from the label coating.

having the alternator completely recharge a dead battery is very hard on it. BUT just because its new or reman, doesnt mean its good. my sisters saturn went thru 3 of em before one worked.all in the same month! same goes for batteries.

[1993CivicVX]

The alternator was a used one.

[1993CivicVX]

Turns out there was a bolt that was bad that caused the alternator to fail again. Car is still in the shop and the mechanic is no longer returning my calls!! It's been almost two weeks since the last time I dropped it off. Fuming flustications.

In good news, however, there is a red Civic VX that lives on my street!! Boy does that bring a smile to my face. In pretty good condition too and with stock wheels. Can't wait to get my car back and park right behind it!