Honda Civic. Manual — part 303

Dead battery

Check battery cells,

alternator belt tension

and alternator output

Loose or corroded battery connections

Check all charging

system connections

Ignition circuit or switch malfunction

Check and replace as

necessary

Alternator Light Stays On With Engine Running

Loose or worn alternator drive belt

Check alternator drive

tension and condition,

See Belt Adjustment in

TUNE-UP article in the

TUNE-UP section

Loose alternator wiring connections

Check all charging

system connections

Short in alternator light wiring

See Indicator Warning

Lights in STANDARD

INSTRUMENTS in the

ACCESSORIES &

EQUIPMENT section

Defective alternator stator or diodes

See Bench Tests in

ALTERNATOR article

Defective regulator

See Regulator Check in

ALTERNATOR article

Alternator Light Stays Off With Ignition Switch ON

Blown fuse

See WIRING

DIAGRAMS

Defective alternator

See Testing in

ALTERNATOR article

Defective indicator light bulb or socket

See Indicator Warning

Lights in STANDARD

INSTRUMENTS in the

ACCESSORIES &

EQUIPMENT section

2008 Honda Civic EX

GENERAL INFORMATION Trouble Shooting - Basic Procedures

Alternator Light Stays OFF With Ignition Switch ON

Short in alternator wiring

See On-Vehicle Tests

in ALTERNATOR

article

Defective rectifier bridge

See Bench Tests in

ALTERNATOR article

Lights or Fuses Burn Out Frequently

Defective alternator wiring

See On-Vehicle Tests

in ALTERNATOR

article

Defective regulator

See Regulator Check in

ALTERNATOR article

Defective battery

Check and replace as

necessary

Ammeter Gauge Shows Discharge

Loose or worn drive belt

Check alternator drive

belt tension and

condition. See Belt

Adjustment in TUNE-

UP article in the

TUNE-UP section

Defective wiring

Check all wires and

wire connections

Defective alternator or regulator

See Bench Tests and

On-Vehicle Tests in

ALTERNATOR article

Defective ammeter, or improper ammeter wiring
connection

See Testing in

STANDARD

INSTRUMENTS in the

ACCESSORIES &

EQUIPMENT section

Noisy Alternator

Loose drive pulley

Tighten drive pulley

attaching nut

2008 Honda Civic EX

GENERAL INFORMATION Trouble Shooting - Basic Procedures

IGNITION SYSTEM TROUBLE SHOOTING

Loose mounting bolts

Tighten all alternator

mounting bolts

Worn or dirty bearings

See Bearing

Replacement

ALTERNATOR article

Defective diodes or stator

See Bench Test in

ALTERNATOR article

Battery Does Stay Charged

Loose or worn drive belt

Check alternator drive

belt tension and

condition. See Belt

Adjustment in

appropriate TUNE-UP

article in the TUNE-UP

section

Loose or corroded battery connections

Check all charging

system connections

Loose alternator connections

Check all charging

system connections

Defective alternator or battery

See On-Vehicle Tests

and Bench Tests in

ALTERNATOR article

Add-on electrical accessories exceeding
alternator capacity

Install larger alternator

Battery Overcharged-Uses Too Much Water

Defective battery

Check alternator output

and repair as necessary

Defective alternator

See On-Vehicle Test

and Bench Tests in

ALTERNATOR article

Excessive alternator voltage

Check alternator output

and repair as necessary

2008 Honda Civic EX

GENERAL INFORMATION Trouble Shooting - Basic Procedures

Fig. 1: Ignition Secondary Trouble Shooting Chart

NOTE:

This is GENERAL information. This article is not intended to
be specific to any unique situation or individual vehicle
configuration. The purpose of this Trouble Shooting
information is to provide a list of common causes to
problem symptoms. For model-specific Trouble Shooting,
refer to SUBJECT, DIAGNOSTIC, or TESTING articles
available in the section(s) you are accessing.

2008 Honda Civic EX

GENERAL INFORMATION Trouble Shooting - Basic Procedures