Help! Car sat for 3 months!

[Myers]

So my crx was sitting outside in victoria for the past 3 months, had not been run whatsoever. I got it all started and what not, new plugs were put in, it blew a bit of smoke and is now back to the way it used to be! but, the battery light is on, so i took it for a drive around the block and the battery light turns off when 3k rpm is hit, and turns back on when it is under that. So I drove it a bit more, near red lined it and the battery light dissapeared. The light then came on after sitting on the idle line for a good second or so. So I am wondering, is the alternator just a bit "rusty" from not being driven in a while? or do i need to replace it? If I do need to replace it, what alternator can i use for a 1st gen b16?

Thanks in advance!

[canuckcarguy]

I'd remove the battery cables and clean them and the battery posts very thoroughly with a wire brush, then apply a light coat of vaseline and re-attach them. Sounds to me like you've got a weak connection to the battery (even if the cables appear tight). 3 months in humid Victoria may have been enough to corrode the posts a bit. At high rev, your alternator is putting out lots of juice, enough to bridge the bad connection, hence the light shuts off.

I could be wrong, but since this is about a 10 minute job, it seems like a good place to start...

[Moe Man]

did you charge your battery ? or is it still dead from sitting?

trickel charge the battery and then see what happens, chances are you need a new alternator.

[Mr_ET]

My guess is at idle it's very weak because it sounds like you didn't charge it while it sat and just started the car now.

Does it feel like the other lights in the car go a bit weak at idle or under 3k rpms?

The fact that the light turns off in the hiher rpms is probably because as revs grow so does the number of amps your alternator can produce.

In any case you need to tell us more about the current battery and how the car started the first time for us to really have an idea of what is happening and how we can help.

[Ymerej47]

Sounds like your battery isn't holding charge unless you give it some gas to wind that alternator up

[teggypimp95]

If you left your battery hooked up, its probably dead. You may need a new one, or you could take it some place to have it slowly charged. That sometimes brings them back to live.
You light turns off like said about becuase your aternator is putting enough charge through the battery to turn your warning light off. But it does not hold that charge. So try getting it a slow 12 or 24 hour charge and if that doesent work, probably a new battery.

If you ever park your car for a while, always remove the battery so it doesent get wrecked.

[Myers]

sorry, i took the battery to canadian tire and they recharged it over 24 hours!

also wondering if the alternator could be repaired if that IS the problem.. anyone know where you can buy the alternator repair kits from? if the bristles could just be replaced then maybe i can bring it back to life

[jdm_eg6]

alternator 100%... and you mean brushes***...

just buy a new one or go to your local JDM spot and see if they have some extra's.

the reason why the light turns off is because your alternator is running at SUCH a high speed it charges your battery a little bit then loose all its charge quickly...

[canuckcarguy]

I still say check your cables and your grounds. No sense buying a new alternator if you don't need to. If you'd been driving constantly and this happened, it might make more sense to blame the alternator, but since the car was running fine before you parked it, and now it's causing electrical problems after being stored outside in a wet climate, it just seems logical to look for corrosion issues first.

[Myers]

anyone know of any jdm shops on the island? I know there is one way up north.. equivalent of driving to red deer for you guys! can i take the alternator out and get it tested at can tire or what not?

I checked for corrosion too, there wasnt anything there.. but scrubbed none the less.. problem not solved.. thanks anyways canuckcarguy!

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by Myers
anyone know of any jdm shops on the island?

Yeah check out Right Hand Tunerz.

They specialize in JDM RHD stuff. Last time my JDM alternator broke, I didn't realize that it spun opposite to USDM ones, and it took me awhile to get it all figured out. Turns out that JDM engines and accessories are all opposite to account for the opposite side drive...

But yeah, Right Hand Tunerz is a really good shop in Vic. My Japanese buddy is a mechanic there. Ironically, he's left handed.

[Supa Dexta]

"Lefty" Takahashi..? Yeah he's good.. My wheel bearings were shot when I was down there last summer, turns out when they manufacture them, the balls are pressed in from the other side, I wouldn't have known without the help of Lefty. That could have spelled disaster, JDM level disaster on the coquihalla.

[canuckcarguy]

I totally agree. I brought my JDM Skyline in to Mr. Lube, they didn't realize that the oil drains from the top and gets filled from the pan underneath. What a mess!

Plus they put my wipers on backward and my tires on inside-out.