All electrics cut out when turning on headlights

[repeated_love]

I have an issue with my 1994 Honda Accord Exi 2.2L automatic sedan.

If I am driving and switch my headlights on all the electrics cut out in the car and then switch back on.

This could be a wiring issue with something causing a short circuit while the car is moving. Or it could be a battery/alternator issue where the car is drawing too much power.

Can anyone recommend any where to start as I would expect a check of the whole wiring to be a long and expensive job.

I have had a stereo and speakers put in and have had the immobiliser removed to try and isolate the problem.

What else used to happen was the small light near the front doors would blink on and off after I had turned the car off.

[curtis265]

i suspect alternator. Measure the voltage across the batttery terminals when the car's running. If it's around 13-14 then your alternator's good

Measure the voltage when the batt's dead too, if it's less than 12 then the battery's stuffed

[ECU-MAN]

could be a bad earth or bad altenator

as above, run the engien and measure the battery voltage. then turn on the headlamps and measure again, compare the difference,

load up the altenator as much as you can, tun AC onto MAX and rear demister, highbeams and measure yoru batt voltage


post your result here

[repeated_love]

With the car off 12.90
Car on 14.00
With stereo, AC, rear demister on stayed at 13.90
With high beam on dropped to 13.15

On a side note my AC cooling doesn't work as the relay is supposedly gone so only the warmer was on and I also recently had the front headlight wiring and sockets replaced as they had melted the plastic.

[ECU-MAN]

check your Grounds

[repeated_love]

check your Grounds

Can I ask where the grounds are found

[ECU-MAN]

from the AT or MT to the chassis
from the battery negative to chassis

from the front engine mount to roccer cover to ground

inside the car, under the dash

[repeated_love]

And how do I test them, do I use a multimeter and if so what am I testing for?

[curtis265]

check if they're dirty/loose or what not

[SU-WOOP]

easy check. set the multi meter to OHMS from negative post to negative terminal any thing over o.2 ohms indicates a voltage drop across the terminal
then repeat terminal to all other ground points if you find any point to be over 0.2 clean inspect and recheck
p.s dont forget to hold the tips of your multi metter to obtain its internal resistance and be sure to remove that number from your results