CRV Charging System

[brianl703]

Probably not your problem but it is a much better ground once you clean it up like that.

I can't imagine that the ground path between the battery and the alternator involves a chassis ground connection. Negative from the battery should be bolted somewhere on the engine, and the alternator frame ought to be bolted to a bracket also bolted to that engine.

Putting a multimeter between the battery negative terminal and the alternator frame would tell if there's excessive voltage drop in the ground path.

 

[Nukeman7]

I can't imagine that the ground path between the battery and the alternator involves a chassis ground connection. Negative from the battery should be bolted somewhere on the engine, and the alternator frame ought to be bolted to a bracket also bolted to that engine.

Putting a multimeter between the battery negative terminal and the alternator frame would tell if there's excessive voltage drop in the ground path.

The Honda's ground wire runs from the battery's negative terminal post and "Y's-off" in two directions. The main ground path connects to the engine/transmission while the other secondary wire path is bolted to the painted fender as described by JimPghPA to ensure complete grounding of the vehicle.

 

[brianl703]

The Honda's ground wire runs from the battery's negative terminal post and "Y's-off" in two directions. The main ground path connects to the engine/transmission while the other secondary wire path is bolted to the painted fender as described by JimPghPA to ensure complete grounding of the vehicle.

Yes, so the ground path between the alternator and the battery goes through the engine, not the chassis (bolted to the painted fender), exactly as I thought.

 

[supton]

If CCA is less than 70% of listed on the battery or life left is less than 70% replace the battery.


Many upgrade to a 24F for CR-V's.


There are threads on "Honda CRV owners club" forum of how to do this upgrade.


You need the battery tray from a 2013 Odyssey and if you want to do it right you also get the battery cover for same.


Your existing hold down clamp and J bolts will work with the upgrade.

I recall buying those parts and finding out that it would not fit. Or I couldn’t figure out how to shove it in there. Maybe tonight when it is home again I will check, a 24F would be nicer.

 

[Nukeman7]

I recall buying those parts and finding out that it would not fit. Or I couldn’t figure out how to shove it in there. Maybe tonight when it is home again I will check, a 24F would be nicer.

You will need to bend down flat the sheet metal anchor tab for the front J-hook for the Odyssey battery tray to fit. Watch the video I attached in Post #11 above. It is discussed at the 4 minute mark.

 

[supton]

You will need to bend down flat the sheet metal anchor tab for the front J-hook for the Odyssey battery tray to fit. Watch the video I attached in Post #11 above. It is discussed at the 4 minute mark.

I see that now, missed that when I tried a couple years ago.

 

[JimPghPA]

I recall buying those parts and finding out that it would not fit. Or I couldn’t figure out how to shove it in there. Maybe tonight when it is home again I will check, a 24F would be nicer.

I upgraded my 2016 to the 24f. The parts I bought for a 13 Odyssey where I got the part numbers off of the CRV Owners Club forum we're an easy drop in. Basically just remove the 51R
battery, lift up the battery tray to remove it (it is not bolted in), drop in the new battery tray, there are two indentations on the bottom of it that stick out that dropped right into the holes that are already there to position it properly. Put in the 24f, put the battery cover over the battery oriented so you can use the top clamp and J bolts, put on the top clamp and the J bolts. It was not hard to do and the battery tray fit the holes that are already there perfectly.

 

[JimPghPA]

I see that now, missed that when I tried a couple years ago.

As far as I can remember there was no need to bend anything if you use the 13 Odyssey battery tray. But it's been over a year since I've done it so maybe I forgot about that part. But don't remember bending anything.

 

[supton]

As far as I can remember there was no need to bend anything if you use the 13 Odyssey battery tray. But it's been over a year since I've done it so maybe I forgot about that part. But don't remember bending anything.

Don't feel like messing with it now, maybe tomorrow night. I recall maybe the tray not fitting nicely (due to that bending required), but also the box around the battery just not fitting. In the vids shown here, no one is using the box around the battery, so maybe that can be omitted.

My biggest complaint--I hate Honda--zero space here. I swear, they did *not* engineer this vehicle for service. Dipstick for the trans is under the battery! I'm sure a bigger battery will make access easier (no, I'm being sarcastic there). I'm sure all makers do stupid stuff but this vehicle just has been low on my list ever since it showed up on my doorstop.

 

[JimPghPA]

The Walmart MAXX three year battery is the best bang for the buck when it comes to batteries. You can go to any other automobile parts supply store and pay 40 to $60 more for the exact same battery with different stickers on it. They're all made by the same place and they're made the same way. Sometimes Walmart puts a battery on a rollback special but only online. You can shop online with your phone for that. If it's online on a rollback special you can purchase it and then pick it up at the store. But if you go to the store even though it's online rollback they will not match the price. Considerable savings if it's on rollback. And by the way the 24f battery usually sells for the same price or even less than the 51r.

 

[DuckRyder]

my experience with 51Rs is that they die suddenly and at about 3.5 years...

Id look seriously at the ELD if the battery does not fix it...

 

[supton]

Battery is down a bit, testing 53% now SOH? odd. Anyhow, pulled it out, tried to put that box down--it seems to hit too many things. I bent that lip over, but it's not hitting that lip. Both sides on the left (in this pic) are hitting things.

Edit: ah! have to watch the linked youtube video in a regular browser window to see the comments--and in the comments, someone with a 2003 commented:

Time to do some trimming, and then figure out this required hold down bracket.

 

[supton]

Alright, calling it on this 24F conversion--don't think it can be safely done.

I bent the tab, bent more metal, won't sit flat (nubs on the tray don't engage anything--I can trim those though). But even if I crash the tray into the support, the bolt on the back of the headlight housing is really close.

Going to get a 51R instead and just replace in 3 years if I have to.

This is after the notching. I could live with losing a bit of plastic, but not the potential rub hazard.

 

[wag123]

Don't feel bad supton. I tried doing a 24F conversion on my wife's 2011. No way that it was going to fit so I gave up. I don't know how other people do it.

 

[Nukeman7]

Alright, calling it on this 24F conversion--don't think it can be safely done.

I bent the tab, bent more metal, won't sit flat (nubs on the tray don't engage anything--I can trim those though). But even if I crash the tray into the support, the bolt on the back of the headlight housing is really close.

Going to get a 51R instead and just replace in 3 years if I have to.

This is after the notching. I could live with losing a bit of plastic, but not the potential rub hazard.

Supton, I think your issue is using the Odyssey battery tray which is oversized about 1/2" wider in each direction than the dimensions of the actual 24F battery. When I performed the conversion on my son's 2002 CR-V, I used a generic LYNX brand battery tray and did not have to cut anything. Only had to drill 2 small holes into the bottom of the tray so I could fasten it to the sheet metal with stainless steel sheet metal screws. I bought the LYNX battery tray (currently labeled as a Duralast part) for $8 at Autozone.

DURALAST/LYNX Battery Tray

 

[supton]

No go on new battery. New Walmart 51R, charged up by a smart charger before install. Idled for 5 minutes while filling up to take trash to the transfer station, maybe longer? another 5 minutes down the road, 5 idling and then on the return it finally elected to charge. It was a cold night though, below freezing. Did not check voltage, too much of a rush.

Just does not want to charge when cold.

 

[supton]

Swapped the ELD, could not figure it out yesterday, but found a post on a CRV site about how to deal with 2003 (presumably older ones too): you have to remove the fuse box, flip over, remove the back panel, and then you can get access to the plug on the ELD. Just removing the topside fuses and pulling on the ELD will show, for at least for this year, there is insufficient length in the wiring to do that.

Time to let it sit and see what happens next.

 

[supton]

Yep, not the ELD. Still won't charge until it warms up. I'd swear, it wants to wait until the cooling fan kicks on? might be just a happy coincidence. I don't have a wiring diagram that I could try to start tapping wires to see what is up.

Maybe order an AC Delco? The job doesn't look super easy.

 

[Nukeman7]

I prefer the DENSO remanufactured alternators and starters for Hondas, but they may be backordered. AC Delco Gold is probably as good as any on the list. The job really is not difficult if you just take your time and approach it methodically. The technique where you remove the radiator support "T" brace is much easier than the other methods as I indicated in Post #3.

 

[JHZR2]

I can't imagine that the ground path between the battery and the alternator involves a chassis ground connection. Negative from the battery should be bolted somewhere on the engine, and the alternator frame ought to be bolted to a bracket also bolted to that engine.

Putting a multimeter between the battery negative terminal and the alternator frame would tell if there's excessive voltage drop in the ground path.

Stranger things have been done. Granted on much lower output systems.

My MB diesels all solely ground via battery to fender, then opposite fender to engine block.

I can’t say I’ve measured voltage drop on any because they’ve always just worked. But it’s something I’ll check someday…