CL9 Electrical components turning off when braking

[DatZaZaKid]

Over the last few weeks my 2004 Accord Euro (auto, 190k+) has had an intermittent problem where if I am driving at speeds of about 80km/h then I brake, not slow breaking but not slamming the break either – think traffic lights on a 80kmh road, the car seems to lose electrical power to internal components. The head unit (music turns off) and dashboard loses power (i.e. all dials go down to 0 and backlight turns off) and starts back up again after about 1-2 seconds. The mechanical components of the car seems to work fine; the engine still runs, I can accelerate/brake, have power steering, etc… I haven’t had this happen to me at night so I can’t confirm if the headlights still work or not.

It was rare enough that I wasn’t exactly in a hurry to get it fixed but over the last 2 days it’s gotten worse. This morning it happened about 4-5 times in the space of about 5 minutes while driving/breaking around 40-60 km/h, the final time it happened the ABS, VSA, and check engine lights came on (pictured below).

However after I turned the engine off and on all of the warnings went away (pictured below).


The only aftermarket electrical modification I have is a HON1U3 Grom audio unit, however I’ve had this for over a year now so I am pretty confident it’s not causing the issues.

My research on the internet seems to suggest alternator/engine grounds.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

[ECU-MAN]

Check the under dash fuse box for loose connectors or fuses, also check any ground point you can find under the dash.

[DatZaZaKid]

Ok, had a chance to do this over the weekend.

Inspected all of the fuses (located under dash and under hood of car), cleaned battery connections.

Not too sure where the grounding point is under the dash... couldn't find information on where that's located either.

I have had the issue occur only once after i did all that.. but it is still happening.

[Fredoops]

Simple.

Alternator's dead

It's a VERY common problem in the accord euros

[DatZaZaKid]

Simple.

Alternator's dead

It's a VERY common problem in the accord euros

Could be possible, but the car isnt really showing any other signs of the alternator failing (i.e. i don't have dimming lights, starting up problems, noises from alternator, etc...). Not ruling it out as i know the alternator is an issue on the CL9s but would like to explore other possible issues first as changing the alternator isn't the cheapest thing...

I'm starting to think it might be something to do with the ABS wiring as the problem only, sometimes, occurs when i am braking... I cant cause the problem to happen on demand so it might still be a waste to go to an auto electrician at this point.

[Martin77]

From what I am hearing the problem could be related to the brake system (only happen when you brake) or the mechanical jolt (something comes loose) when the brake is applied.

Is the earthing wiring, especially from the chassis to the battery in good condition. Over time this deteriorates and can cause a problem. This is another common issue with the Cl9 on top of the alternator Fredoops mentioned above.