Car Died while driving and wont start again!!

[skatershawn]

ok.. i have been having some issues with my car since i got it rebuilt and did the swap, i have had an idle surging problem since day one and cant figure it out... it some times at stops seems like it cuts out on running on two cyclinders and sounds horrible!
and recently a few weeks ago, it wouldn't start! I would go to crank it and it would make a click and then i would loss complete power, so i would mess with the battery connections! after a good amount of time it will start, but doesn't this often now! Check the battery... its good, have a new starter, and the connections are tighter then if they were welded on haha!

NOW two days ago... it started acting SUPER wierd! i was stopped at a light and smelt this horrible metal/paper burning smell and all my warning lights on the dash turned on... and go off when the engines is reved.. like the higher its revving the dimmer the warning lights are! This would come go frequently! INTILL Today.. i was stuck in traffic and the light came on again and then my radio started turning off and on consistently.. my rear defrost wasnt working, my car lighter wasnt' working, my wideshield wipers were moving at the speed of a snail (cause it was rainging) and then my car started running like it was only on two cyclinders again, starting sputtering and missing and then died... on one of the BUSIEST intersections of morning time traffic in austin!!!!
Car WILL NOT start... i tried what ive been doing the past week when it doesn' want to cranks and nothing!
ill disconnect my battery and wait around 30 secs and then everything is on in my car... once i try to crank it, it clicks and i loss all power again and again and again!!

CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP ME figure this out.. this is my Daily Driver and in north central austin, far from home and have no other way to work!!!
Please help!!

 

[falcon8r]

Your charging system isn't charging. You must test the output of the alternator aftr you charge the battery up. Once the battery is recharged, the car should run again temporarily. You need more than 12 volts out of the back of the alt with the car running and some load on the system like the rdef and headlights on. Likely the alt, is needing replacement. Next is the C's...... connections and continuity and cleanliness. Maybe some dielectric grease on all the connections. It will be fixed. Tres

 

[skatershawn]

well when i rebuilt to motor i replaced the starter, the water pump, and the alternator... i mean there is always the possiblilty i got a bad one but thats stupid hahah!

i have cleaned the connection and im planning on getting new terminal cables just to make sure!!

But that still doesn't make sense to why my car would sometimes seem to be running on two cyclinders!! and sputter all wacked out!!
I got an eprom ecu recently off ebay and the dude said he pulled it out a car at the junk yard that he thought was a victim of a timing belt snapping and said that the caps look to be new... got and and yes the caps surely werent stock ones.. but the board looked like the caps leaked bad and im not sure if it was repaired... im starting to think my ECU is crap.. could anyone agree??

And as i stated on first post.. i have idle surge that i cant figure out... replace the isc valve twice.. and the FIAV aswell!

 

[falcon8r]

Here is another scenario. The battery couls also be suspect. If the battery came under some abuse form discharging and such, it can become problem child with a bad cell. Have the battery tested too just to narrow the problems. With the burning smell, I would wonder if the alt knows to charge the battery.Wiring damage under the dash is a PITA.

BTW, I work on cars as an ASE tech and new-" bad" parts happen more often than I like. Huge waste of $$ vs. time spent for me. Ugh. Just a fact. Tres....

 

[skatershawn]

ok... sooo i replaced the terminals and battery... and now it starts..
BUT
those dash warning lights are on still!!
Its the one next to the CEL, the door one and my brake one!
the CEL isnt one tho!!

what could be causing this??

 

[skatershawn]

Ok Correction on the warming lights!
one is the one next to the CEL... which is WHAT??
The other is my Battery light!
And the last is my brake light!

They come on and off randomly but mostly stay on!
and when they are on my defrost doesn't work... nor does my Cigarate lighter!!
I just bought a New battery and terminals and my car starts right up but now these lights have stayed!
Can some one please help me figure this out?
and let me know what the pavillion looking warning like is?
Thanks for the help in advance!!

 

[falcon8r]

Hey Shawn, the pagoda is the low coolant light. Triggers at the bottom of the coolant overflow bottle at the radiator. I think that something is burnt out or has a bad connection. That is the intermittant problem. I have encountered bad ignition switch assem. that have given charging issues on other makes. I don't have the experience hot wiring mitsu. alternators. There is a way on most cars to wire the alternator to charge directly off the battery. That way you bypass the stuff under the dash and the battery stays charged. Hopefully someone else will chime in on how. I do belong to a mechanics site that may have this info but I don't like the searches,too much time -(IATN). Tres....

 

[cabbageman97]

The brake and battery lights being on means your alternator took a shit. The other one means you are low on coolant. And the reason your accessories don't work is because they are circuited off of your alternator.

Your car starts now, but it wont when the reserve capacity is exceeded. Then you'll be back to buying another battery.

 

[Hiitman]

The brake and battery lights being on means your alternator took a shit. The other one means you are low on coolant. And the reason your accessories don't work is because they are circuited off of your alternator.

Your car starts now, but it wont when the reserve capacity is exceeded. Then you'll be back to buying another battery.

Same thing just happened to me. All those lights came on and a day later the car died. Replaced the alternator, those lights shut off and she ran just fine.