Car starts then dies

[Gh0zTeR]

Well it’s been a while since I have had a problem with my car but I think this one has been brewing for a little while now...
For the past few weeks a few symbols on my dash have been sort of half lit when I first start the car causing a kind of... well not so strong idle but as soon as I gave it a little jolt of throttle the symbols would go away and the idle would be fine.
Yesterday the problem seemed to stay and about halfway home my ABS light came on only when I would hit the break when idling at a stop. Then coming around a corner the car stuttered and stopped dead after I managed to get it to the side of the road. I went to start the car right after but there was no power… like the battery was dead. I waited about 10 minutes and tried again and the car again and it started with no problem... but died about a minuet later with the same problem... I got my father to give me a battery boost and again the car started with no problem (no dim dash lights or anything) ((NOTE: I just remembered this... I noticed a few days ago that the all the lighting in my car seems a little dim)) anyways the car started after the boost and I drove it about a little more before the car died once again of the same problem... it was kind of strange cause I was driving rather hard trying to get the car home before it died and I was around 50% throttle when the thing started to die again. It was still running and I had ZERO throttle control it just stopped responding. So I boosted it once again and got it into my driveway this time before it died again... Now my car is sitting out in the rain and I have no clue what could be wrong with it... Alternator comes to mind... but I don’t have much knowledge to diagnose it myself... What do you guy’s thing?

P.S... I am sorry for the Story... it is a little long = (

Thank you.

 

[Gh0zTeR]

oh 1 other thing... the exaust smells sweet...

 

[mitsutuner]

Sounds like your alternater needs rebuild or replace. The ABS light works like a voltmeter in these cars. Since your alt is not charging your batt., the batt will fire the spark plugs until the batt goes dead.
Also this explains your dim lights & the ABS light coming on at idle when you put foot on brakes--the brake lights draw enough current to make the voltage drop at idle to the point where the ABS light comes on. OK, there is always a chance that only your alt drive belt is very loose--check this first & the wiring connections as well, & check that your power steering pump is not leaking fluid from the hose connection, because the fluid will drop down into the alt. If everything else looks good, you can assume no alt output..
Remove it yourself & Have your alt rebuilt at an auto electric place, usually only the brushes need to be replaced--way less than $100, plus they can easy bench check it first to verify the problem.

 

[Gh0zTeR]

Sounds like your alternater needs rebuild or replace. The ABS light works like a voltmeter in these cars. Since your alt is not charging your batt., the batt will fire the spark plugs until the batt goes dead.
Also this explains your dim lights & the ABS light coming on at idle when you put foot on brakes--the brake lights draw enough current to make the voltage drop at idle to the point where the ABS light comes on. OK, there is always a chance that only your alt drive belt is very loose--check this first & the wiring connections as well, & check that your power steering pump is not leaking fluid from the hose connection, because the fluid will drop down into the alt. If everything else looks good, you can assume no alt output..
Remove it yourself & Have your alt rebuilt at an auto electric place, usually only the brushes need to be replaced--way less than $100, plus they can easy bench check it first to verify the problem.

Jeez thank you so much =)
this place works so well because of people like you.
I really hope thats the problem =)

 

[philipkrotch]

its your alternator. guaranteed.

 

[Gh0zTeR]

that honestly makes me really happy =)
how would i check that with a volt meter ?
the battery in the car is 100% dead
but i have a mastercraft volt meter and id like to know how to check it =)

 

[Gh0zTeR]

anyone know how to use a volt meter to check my battery and alternator ?

 

[mitsutuner]

After you start or jumpstart your car, carefully loosen & disconnect the neg batt cable---if the car stops running, it means the alt is dead & instead it's your battery voltage that is firing your spark plugs,(for a short time only--until the battery is dead because the alt is not recharging the batt)

 

[Gh0zTeR]

Well i had it hooked up to another car last night
and it was going for about 3 min before i decided to unhook the cables
posative from my car first...
the second i disconnected the red cable
my car shut off like i was shutting of the ignition

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Yep its your alt then, the car should run (for a little while) without the battery being hooked up.