Twice this month my 94 Accord has failed. The first time on the freeway after sitting in my work parking lot all day.
The second time after I left the freeway, stopped at the offramp light, and drove about 1/8 mile.
Symptoms:
Acellerator arrow drops to 0, dashboard lights begin to dim, radio stops, headlights begin to dim. By the time I pull the car to the side of the road the power door locks don’t work. The little warning bell still works (I opened the door with keys still in the lock.)
The first time it happened I had the car towed to our regular repair shop (after hours). The next morning he reported that the battery was completely drained. He charged it and the car ran just fine.
This time, while I was waiting for a ride home, I decided to try to start the car. It started up. As it idled for a few minutes the headlights and dashboard lights changed from dim to bright. The radio came back on. By the time my ride came I was able to drive the car the rest of the way home. This morning the car works.
Any ideas? We live in the Sacramento, CA, area. The temperatures have been above 50 degrees in each case.
The battery may have a problem along with the charging system. I recommend you have the electrical system load tested. Clean the battery connections also.