1997 Honda Accord Car Won't Start Without Jump

AMBERT

MEMBER
1997 HONDA ACCORD
2.2L
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
213,000 MILES

Recently, I got a new(used w/plenty of juice) car battery.
About a month later, I replaced my alternator. Once I installed my new alternator, I also charged the battery.
About a week later, the car stopped turning on, just like before.
But all the tests I've been able to run say it's not the alternator.
I'm thinking it's the wiring back to the battery, not allowing it to charge but I have no idea.
What should I do?

It might be meaningful to note that the stereo was done by the owner previous to me. And it was not professional.
It works but I'm not sure if that contributes to the issue.N

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,742 POSTS

The first thing you need to do is prove to ME the charging system is working. To do that, measure the battery voltage while the engine is running. It must be between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If it is low, we'll have to diagnose that with a load test with a professional tester.

If the voltage is okay, the aftermarket radio is the logical suspect, and I'm happy you mentioned that. Honda has an unusual charging system that looks at all the electrical things in operation on the car to determine how much current the generator needs to supply. Every other manufacturer does that very effectively by simply monitoring battery / system voltage. Your original radio was detected and included in that current calculation. Your aftermarket radio does not get detected and its current needs are not included in that calculation. The result is the battery will run down over a period of days or weeks, depending on how much you have the radio turned on. The fix is to install an original radio, or use a portable charger every few weeks to bring the battery up to full charge.