OT Mechanics: Car Trouble!

[NokiaDude]

Okay, here's my situation. About 15 minutes ago I went to McD's to get some food for the family. As I aproached the drive thru, I slowly entered at sharp turn and something clicked in the engine bay, causing my orange "Anti-Lock" signal to come on. That mean't something was wrong/broken. I ordered my food and payed, then I pulled upto the last window. The AC was on full blast, the radio was off. As I took my food from the window, my speddometer crept upto 45 mph and the revs shot upto 3k, but the engine was idling, and this was in park. I engaged (D) and went foward 10 feet, then something clicked again and I didn't want to risk going out into traffic. So I parked and turned off the car. Then I tried to start it, it wouldn't start. The lights would dim but there was nothing from the engine bay. My car is a 96 Chevrolet Lumina sedan, and the alternator hasn't been doing well.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Poltergeist ! Thats my guess.

Honestly, would you run your comp with the PSU going bad or would you change it out ??

For a start, I would install a fresh battery, clean the battery cables and at least wiggle all push on connections to
make sure they are in and tight.

When you disconnect the old battery wait at least 15min before a reconnect so the ECM will be able to reboot.
Start and drive for 20min. to reprogram.

Good Luck

EDIT: You are going to replace the alternator if it tests bad. Autozone will test it for free.

 

[Brutuskend]

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee
Poltergeist ! Thats my guess.

Honestly, would you run your comp with the PSU going bad or would you change it out ??

For a start, I would install a fresh battery, clean the battery cables and at least wiggle all push on connections to
make sure they are in and tight.

When you disconnect the old battery wait at least 15min before a reconnect so the ECM will be able to reboot.
Start and drive for 20min. to reprogram.

Good Luck

i LOVE old cars!!

 

[CrackRabbit]

and once you get going again, take it to an autozone and have them hook up a tester to it find out if your altenator is bad, or your battery is bad or its something else wrong.


crackRabbit

 

[Pepsi90919]

your anti-lock signal?

so you could say 'you got signal'




main screen turn on.

 

[zener]

then trade it in on the new Toyota coupe
40 mpg, 400 hp, and reliability and durability
i love new cars!! and high tech esp from Japanese designers that GM throws out the door
look out Big Three- here comes Toyota and Honda
gee, ya s'pose the next thing might be star wars land cruisers

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

Had a 97 Pontiac that did that kind of crap all of the time. Finally got rid of the POS and swore never to buy GM again. (Had 2 other GM cars that had various stupid problems before I got this one.)

 

[NokiaDude]

Okay, I found out my alternator is absolutely dead, so I was running off the battery with the A/C on full blast!!! I was lucky I could even get from my house to McD's! I brought the car home by starting it with a charged deep cycle battery I had in the R/V. Now it's charging in the lot. What would resetting the ECM do?