I've found a few other posts on this, but no solution...

I have a stock 97 Civic DX Hatchback 5-spd with 104K miles.

One night, I noticed that the headlights and dash lights would dim and brighten randomly, along with the A/C fan speeding up and slowing down. Everything electrical surges. It does it with or without the headlights on. It does just as much at a stop as driving down the road. No change with engine speed. Its possessed.

I'm not getting any "engine light" errors and no blown fuses.

I came across Honda TSB 99-029, which deals with a shorted wire under the intake manifold, but I haven't gotten as far as re-wrapping all the wires.

Has anyone with this problem been able to solve the mystery.

Tks

 

is your battery light flickering(bad alternator)????have some one test the alternator for a/c current on the charge wire(the big one) if you have a/c current a diode has gone bad inside the alt.if not post again i think that model has an eld(electrical load detector)in side the under dash fuse box it helps control the alternator.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Today, with the engine running and lights on, the flickering was still there. I turned the key off, to the ACC position, then back to ON, without restarting. No flickering. (so probably/maybe not a short)

I sat there for about a minute or so with the lights on. No flickering. Then I went to restart the car and it wouldn't even turn over. (Bad battery? bad alt?) So I switched the battery with an old spare I had. It took a jump to start the car. More flickering. I ran the car for about ten minutes, turned it off, then tried to restart. No juice.

So its looking like the alternator or charging circuit is the culprit.

 

sound like a bad alt your battery is not getting re charged.or your alt charge wire is lose or broken.or you alt control is mest up get the alt tested first probably the alt 90%

 

I'll say 90% also that its your alt. I just had the same prob on my car a month ago. Get it checked out for free somewhere just to make sure. Sorry to hear it

 

alternator; have it checked.

 

go to autozone or checker, they will check and test your battery and alt for free.

 

OK, OK, I went to Autozone and ended up getting a new battery. (It was five years old, so about due anyway.) The alternator checked out fine too.

But I still have the electrical surge. Can anyone tell me how this ELD thing works? What does the ELD monitor and what does it control?

It only does this when the engine is running. If I just turn the ignition on, the lights, fans and everything run steady.

Just opening the door, the dome light seems kinda dim. Is there anything that would cause low voltage to the inside fuse block?

 

Saabarubi...you're right on track. TSB 99-029 is more than likely the culprit, not the alternator. check fuse #15. If its blown check your wiring that runs behind the intake manifold. You'll likely find a short.

good luck

 

Thanks guys, It was the alternator!

I think that ELD thing is inside the alt is it not?