Electronics Issues
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 52
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From: Maryland
Electronics Issues
So, my car has a habit of getting into episodes where every shift is very rough and my navigation screen will turn off and restart while driving. Lights also flicker wildly when this occurs. Only happens about once every two months, and I regularly clean the battery as there is usually corrosion where the cable meets the terminal. Is this the sign of a bad battery? A bad cable? Alternator replaced about half a year ago
Driver
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 80
Likes: 11
From: Illinois
Here's a little (hopeful relevant!) story for you..
About a couple months back, I switched to AGM for my battery on my 01 Rx (Non NAV), and this new battery was about an inch shorter in height than the regular, liquid flooded battery.
Because of this height difference, the retaining bracket at first would not hold the battery completely down. Sometimes, while driving around, I would suddenly notice similar symptoms as what you describe: e.g. hard shifting, lights on instrument panel and dash flickering, Climate control display blink off for ~0.50 s and then suddenly come back on.
The reason? The unsecured battery bouncing around under the hood while driving, disconnected the negative cable, and so everything electronic was running exclusively from alternator, without the capacitor function the battery provided. Pulling over and slipping the clamp back on to the post would solve immediately this problem. (I eventually bought the spacer from Amazon which allowed the battery to raise by ~1.5 " and so I could properly secure the retaining bracked to hold the battery in place correctly. Since then, no cable has come off even with spirited driving and thankfully this issues never reoccurred.)
I suggest you verify all cabled that the battery connect to, as something may got separated while the vehicle is in motion to produce such symptoms.
About a couple months back, I switched to AGM for my battery on my 01 Rx (Non NAV), and this new battery was about an inch shorter in height than the regular, liquid flooded battery.
Because of this height difference, the retaining bracket at first would not hold the battery completely down. Sometimes, while driving around, I would suddenly notice similar symptoms as what you describe: e.g. hard shifting, lights on instrument panel and dash flickering, Climate control display blink off for ~0.50 s and then suddenly come back on.
The reason? The unsecured battery bouncing around under the hood while driving, disconnected the negative cable, and so everything electronic was running exclusively from alternator, without the capacitor function the battery provided. Pulling over and slipping the clamp back on to the post would solve immediately this problem. (I eventually bought the spacer from Amazon which allowed the battery to raise by ~1.5 " and so I could properly secure the retaining bracked to hold the battery in place correctly. Since then, no cable has come off even with spirited driving and thankfully this issues never reoccurred.)
I suggest you verify all cabled that the battery connect to, as something may got separated while the vehicle is in motion to produce such symptoms.
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
Here's a little (hopeful relevant!) story for you..
About a couple months back, I switched to AGM for my battery on my 01 Rx (Non NAV), and this new battery was about an inch shorter in height than the regular, liquid flooded battery.
Because of this height difference, the retaining bracket at first would not hold the battery completely down. Sometimes, while driving around, I would suddenly notice similar symptoms as what you describe: e.g. hard shifting, lights on instrument panel and dash flickering, Climate control display blink off for ~0.50 s and then suddenly come back on.
The reason? The unsecured battery bouncing around under the hood while driving, disconnected the negative cable, and so everything electronic was running exclusively from alternator, without the capacitor function the battery provided. Pulling over and slipping the clamp back on to the post would solve immediately this problem. (I eventually bought the spacer from Amazon which allowed the battery to raise by ~1.5 " and so I could properly secure the retaining bracked to hold the battery in place correctly. Since then, no cable has come off even with spirited driving and thankfully this issues never reoccurred.)
I suggest you verify all cabled that the battery connect to, as something may got separated while the vehicle is in motion to produce such symptoms.
About a couple months back, I switched to AGM for my battery on my 01 Rx (Non NAV), and this new battery was about an inch shorter in height than the regular, liquid flooded battery.
Because of this height difference, the retaining bracket at first would not hold the battery completely down. Sometimes, while driving around, I would suddenly notice similar symptoms as what you describe: e.g. hard shifting, lights on instrument panel and dash flickering, Climate control display blink off for ~0.50 s and then suddenly come back on.
The reason? The unsecured battery bouncing around under the hood while driving, disconnected the negative cable, and so everything electronic was running exclusively from alternator, without the capacitor function the battery provided. Pulling over and slipping the clamp back on to the post would solve immediately this problem. (I eventually bought the spacer from Amazon which allowed the battery to raise by ~1.5 " and so I could properly secure the retaining bracked to hold the battery in place correctly. Since then, no cable has come off even with spirited driving and thankfully this issues never reoccurred.)
I suggest you verify all cabled that the battery connect to, as something may got separated while the vehicle is in motion to produce such symptoms.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,560
Likes: 1,385
From: Austin, TX
If you can twist the cable clamp on the battery post or slide it up or down then the post is not tight enough.
Examine your clamp and the thickness of the post. Since the post of the terminal is conical, one has to loosen eh clamp and push it down on the post and notice a spread in the clamp. Then when you tighten eh clamp the gap is reduced till the clamp becomes firmly connected to the battery.
Salim
Examine your clamp and the thickness of the post. Since the post of the terminal is conical, one has to loosen eh clamp and push it down on the post and notice a spread in the clamp. Then when you tighten eh clamp the gap is reduced till the clamp becomes firmly connected to the battery.
Salim
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
If you can twist the cable clamp on the battery post or slide it up or down then the post is not tight enough.
Examine your clamp and the thickness of the post. Since the post of the terminal is conical, one has to loosen eh clamp and push it down on the post and notice a spread in the clamp. Then when you tighten eh clamp the gap is reduced till the clamp becomes firmly connected to the battery.
Salim
Examine your clamp and the thickness of the post. Since the post of the terminal is conical, one has to loosen eh clamp and push it down on the post and notice a spread in the clamp. Then when you tighten eh clamp the gap is reduced till the clamp becomes firmly connected to the battery.
Salim
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CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,560
Likes: 1,385
From: Austin, TX
Clean throughly with a soft wire brush [copper/brass wires].
Check if terminal is still thick [you have not lost a lot of metal]. Apply a thin layer of grease on all exposed surface of the clamp but do not apply on the area that will contact the battery post.
Also have the charing system checked.
Salim
Check if terminal is still thick [you have not lost a lot of metal]. Apply a thin layer of grease on all exposed surface of the clamp but do not apply on the area that will contact the battery post.
Also have the charing system checked.
Salim
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Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
Clean throughly with a soft wire brush [copper/brass wires].
Check if terminal is still thick [you have not lost a lot of metal]. Apply a thin layer of grease on all exposed surface of the clamp but do not apply on the area that will contact the battery post.
Also have the charing system checked.
Salim
Check if terminal is still thick [you have not lost a lot of metal]. Apply a thin layer of grease on all exposed surface of the clamp but do not apply on the area that will contact the battery post.
Also have the charing system checked.
Salim
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