I would say the alternator is a good bet for being bad. When you put a fully charged battery in and drove it around, the car was then running off the battery, not the alternator like it should. The dead battery afterwards is the key.

Alternatively, no pun intended, is the alternator plug in properly? Is the heavy wire over to the battery connected properly? Is it a short, like it should be? In other words, is the heavy wire in good shape? The connectors at both ends in good shape? Is the alternator's ground in good shape? The fuses involved properly shorted, no open fuses?

Are the battery terminals in good shape? No corrosion, connected tightly but not over tightened? Is the battery's ground connection in good shape? Nice and clean at both ends, no corrosion?

Hi humidity under the hood, like when the car is covered in snow, can corrode all sorts of connections. All the involved connections should be checked, ensure they're all clean.

Finally, is the alternator drive belt in good shape? Nice and tight, no cracks, etc?

All just the few thoughts I had...
Pat☺

Alternator replacement in the Accord is finally done. Out came the OEM unit and in went a remanufactured Denso unit. The car runs and sounds significantly smoother than before, so that’s a huge plus. No more battery light on thankfully!

Mileage: 134,497






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The Honda has been running flawlessly. Gassed up at Costco this morning and calculated my mileage, 21 miles per gallon for a tank that lasted me 12 days.




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Today’s endeavors included an engine oil change, transmission fluid flush and fill and a brake fluid bleed.

My bestie works at the Honda dealer so after closing time today I was able to go up there and have him throw it on the lift. Oil change was a quick and easy process. The transmission fluid though was in rough shape. I’m pretty sure it had never been serviced before, the fluid was dark dark dark when it first drained and the metal flakes on the drain plug magnet were not pretty.

We did the drain and fill of the transmission three separate times and in between we would get the car up to speed and shift through the gears to cycle the fluid throughout the torque converter. By the third drain the fluid was looking cherry red. It also shifts noticeably smoother but nothing significant though.

When it came to bleeding the brakes the process was easy enough and straightforward. Gravity bleeding with a vacuum pump. The fluid in the master cylinder was black and when it was bleeding through the valve you could see all the dirty particles going through clear hose. All four corners were bled without issue. No noticeable change in braking performance though. Which I guess is good?

All in all the Honda is doing alright. There are certain things that need to get done in the not so distant future like rear brake pads and rotors, power steering pump, engine oil pump and very possibly a steering rack if it begins to seep bad enough. Otherwise the car is in great driving condition and “passes the multipoint vehicle inspection” that techs perform at the dealer. So I’m happy with that.






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Some Skyline Drive action




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I’ve been trying to think of ways I can continue modifying the Accord without breaking the bank. I’ve had an okay experience in the past with LED headlights but figured I would give it ago one more time…

A few intricacies but nothing major. The connector that plugs into the bulb doesn’t “click” into place, which makes me wonder if it’ll wiggle loose over time. It very well may. But all I’ll need to do is snug it back up to the bulb and keep driving. Other than that no issues to be reported.

Also I didn’t know I had a DRL light on my dash and apparently it’s supposed to be functional! Had no idea! But evidently it works now, so that’s a huge plus. I had to get separate bulbs for the low and high beams but no big deal. $55 out the door on Amazon from a company I’m familiar with and I’m happy with my purchase.

It’s all about the smiles per gallon, baby.


Low beams


High beams


Daytime running lights



DRL’s in action


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My 2000 Civic SI just topped 242k and still works flawlessly. Your Accord with around 140k is just finishing the break in period.

You'll be driving her for a long time as long as you replace that timing belt on schedule.

That’s awesome to hear. Honda is a different world for me since I’ve been driving a Toyota the last 11 years. It’s funny you mention that because I was just looking at the Aisin timing belt & water pump kit just a few days ago. It’s definitely on the to-do list as it’s never been done on this car before. Ideally I’d like to get it done before the end of the summer.

I’m beginning to catch up on all the standard maintenance it needs so it’s a slow work in progress. Did a full brake job yesterday as a matter of fact.


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It has never been done? I'm not sure about your specific car but most Honda timing belt/water pump service intervals are 105,000 miles. If that belt breaks, your engine is gone...so don't put it off too long.

I agree on getting that timing belt done ASAP!!

I can't say I have ever seen a rotor break like that!!

Is that what prompted you to do the brakes?

@gomiami Nope, never been done. And yup, I’m on it. With it being an interference engine that’s definitely a concern for me.
@AuSeeker Lol, no, I broke the rotor trying to remove the screws in it by whacking it with a hammer. I had success doing that with the front rotors and then I was able to unscrew them. The rears I had to drill the screws out, so no biggie.


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