2 dead alternators + 800km of driving = hell

yeah, so I couldn't make it out to the meet this weekend and here's why (it'll probably be long, but worth the read)

little background: car has been sputtering under low rpms but goes away after 5-10mins of driving, (first suspicion was the coils)

saturday 10pm - went out for dinner, forgot to turn off the rad fan (toggle switched for now) killed the battery, got a boost from a buddy

11:30pm - got gas, started up fine and went to pick up gf from college/bathurst

12:30am - making a left onto college from spadina.. lights start to get dim... very dim.. very bad sputtering... car dies RIGHT at college/bathurst

2:00am - friends come with a battery to atleast get me to my gf's house in the jane/finch area. in the meantime paid a cab $10 to boost me which did sh.. obviously, but it was worth a shot, I was desperate

2:30am.. get to gf's house, picked up her stuff, had to drive to markham to meet up with her brother who is visiting from out of the country.... car dies 5 mins from her house..

3:30am.. buddy comes with his mom's car battery, we drive her to markham with his car, leave the car at her house, and he drives me home in mississauga, 5:30am.. finally in bed.

sunday: 12pm. - brother finds a free alternator in brantford, goes to pick it up...

2pm. - calls me to tell me he's on the side of the highway in brantford with... you guessed it.. a dead alternator. (this is an '89 civic)

7pm - after driving from missisasuga to york dale to get an alternator for him + stopping by jane/finch to get my tools out of the car, we take half the honda apart to get the alternator in and go figure.. the guy sold me the wrong one...

8pm - most mickey mouse mounting rig ever.. but it holds strong and we both make it home.

10pm - go pick up the car from gf's house and drive it home with yet another battery (if I'm on the highway I'm ok, the second I get off though.. everything dies)

11:00pm, get a ride to brampton to meet my ride and drive to waterloo to go back to school.

yeah. it sucked

11:30pm... COLD BEER.

Wow, sounds like you had quite the night man. Hope you don't kill another alternator.

Could be that the altinator needs better grounding. That was all I needed.

Comparing the cost to replace them to the cost I went through in advil for the headaches was about even

Hope you find the problem.

Just wondering, whats the best way of grounding your alternator better?

^^^
Clean the alternator and bracket where they meet.
Sand them down until they're shiny.

Luis, you should also do the same with the battery contacts/wiring, and the power wire at the alt.

Someone needs to invest in CAA. Best $100 ever I ever spent.

I done it already, it’s the only business, that gives you good prophet from the
beginning.

Mehrdad

yeah I'm definitely getting CAA after this escapade

Luke. You drive a DSM. CAA PLUS IS A MUST!!! Or, you can end up like this ---->

Ground strap from alt terminal to frame

Just in case anyone ever runs into the same problem with a swapped civic. D series alternator needs modifications to mount to a B-series motor!