Flickering leads to shuttering

Today we drove about 300 miles to minnesota, almost burning the usual quart
(since I havent switched those evil bosh plugs out yet - tomorrow) but now
when I turn my turn signals on, the car momentarilly jerks slightly as If I
ran over a big bump, and when I turn my lights on the battery idiot light
comes on for a split second, also making the car jerk.

Also, the biggest problem:
On our way there, while accerating, having the A/C on full, and cruise the
car felt like it died. My GF was sleeping and woke up thinking we hit
something, but the car just kept running afterwards.

I must also note that all of the gauges, lights etc act like all power is
cut off.

Is my alternator still the likely culprit? This is acting like its dying
again, though I just had it replaced a few months ago (eliminated problems
completely, including odd engine noises.)

What causes alternators to fail? Could my battery help cause these issues?
Help!

-Brian

In article >,
says...
> Today we drove about 300 miles to minnesota, almost burning the usual quart
> (since I havent switched those evil bosh plugs out yet - tomorrow) but now
> when I turn my turn signals on, the car momentarilly jerks slightly as If I
> ran over a big bump, and when I turn my lights on the battery idiot light
> comes on for a split second, also making the car jerk.
>
> Also, the biggest problem:
> On our way there, while accerating, having the A/C on full, and cruise the
> car felt like it died. My GF was sleeping and woke up thinking we hit
> something, but the car just kept running afterwards.
>
> I must also note that all of the gauges, lights etc act like all power is
> cut off.
>
> Is my alternator still the likely culprit?

Um I cant tell from here.

> This is acting like its dying
> again, though I just had it replaced a few months ago (eliminated problems
> completely, including odd engine noises.)
>
> What causes alternators to fail?

Usually heat.

> Could my battery help cause these issues?

Yes.

The ecm isnt getting voltage like it should thus everything it controls
goes haywire.
Autozone or advanceautoparts/partsamerica may be able to test your batt
and alt for free... Go from there.

Shweet. I was thinking of taking it somewhere to get it tested and then go
back to the AAA 24 repair place I had to take it so I could get to work on
monday when it failed last. I was told the repair had a 1 year warrenty...

"BläBlä" . S!RCRE4P.C0M>
wrote in message ...
> In article >,
> says...
>> Today we drove about 300 miles to minnesota, almost burning the usual
>> quart
>> (since I havent switched those evil bosh plugs out yet - tomorrow) but
>> now
>> when I turn my turn signals on, the car momentarilly jerks slightly as If
>> I
>> ran over a big bump, and when I turn my lights on the battery idiot light
>> comes on for a split second, also making the car jerk.
>>
>> Also, the biggest problem:
>> On our way there, while accerating, having the A/C on full, and cruise
>> the
>> car felt like it died. My GF was sleeping and woke up thinking we hit
>> something, but the car just kept running afterwards.
>>
>> I must also note that all of the gauges, lights etc act like all power is
>> cut off.
>>
>> Is my alternator still the likely culprit?
>
> Um I cant tell from here.
>
>> This is acting like its dying
>> again, though I just had it replaced a few months ago (eliminated
>> problems
>> completely, including odd engine noises.)
>>
>> What causes alternators to fail?
>
> Usually heat.
>
>> Could my battery help cause these issues?
>
> Yes.
>
> The ecm isnt getting voltage like it should thus everything it controls
> goes haywire.
> Autozone or advanceautoparts/partsamerica may be able to test your batt
> and alt for free... Go from there.

Should I also note some other odd things that I've noticed with my car, in
its current configuration;

-The Keyless entry has never worked more than 15ft, even with new batteries
and contacts within the remote cleaned
-When jumping the battery, it acts like its dead for 15 minutes (guess) and
after sitting for a while, not being jumped, it finally comes to life, the
clock comes on, and the car can start. (The previous battery didnt do this,
until I finally killed it after draining it 3 times)
-Problems usually increase with humidity, and or rain.

"HyperCube33" > wrote in message
...
> Today we drove about 300 miles to minnesota, almost burning the usual
> quart (since I havent switched those evil bosh plugs out yet - tomorrow)
> but now when I turn my turn signals on, the car momentarilly jerks
> slightly as If I ran over a big bump, and when I turn my lights on the
> battery idiot light comes on for a split second, also making the car jerk.
>
> Also, the biggest problem:
> On our way there, while accerating, having the A/C on full, and cruise the
> car felt like it died. My GF was sleeping and woke up thinking we hit
> something, but the car just kept running afterwards.
>
> I must also note that all of the gauges, lights etc act like all power is
> cut off.
>
> Is my alternator still the likely culprit? This is acting like its dying
> again, though I just had it replaced a few months ago (eliminated problems
> completely, including odd engine noises.)
>
> What causes alternators to fail? Could my battery help cause these issues?
> Help!
>
> -Brian
>

It doesnt like to start on the first try. 98% of the time, I have to sit
until all of the guages, etc finally "warm up (or home) and then I can
start. I've looked into this problem more than anything since its annoying
to say the least. It doesnt match the description of other hard starting
problems, including one where it "wont start until the car is cool." It
actually starts better when the engine is up to temperature, like when it
was just shut off.

I'm assuming this is a non-related problem but since I cant find anything on
my current electrical crisis or my starting problem, I figured I should post
it.

On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:03:22 -0500, "HyperCube33"
> wrote:

>It doesnt like to start on the first try. 98% of the time, I have to sit
>until all of the guages, etc finally "warm up (or home) and then I can
>start. I've looked into this problem more than anything since its annoying
>to say the least. It doesnt match the description of other hard starting
>problems, including one where it "wont start until the car is cool." It
>actually starts better when the engine is up to temperature, like when it
>was just shut off.
>
>I'm assuming this is a non-related problem but since I cant find anything on
>my current electrical crisis or my starting problem, I figured I should post
>it.
>

imho:

I had the same kind-of symptoms. 97SL2 wouldn't start if you sit down
and then cranked it, you had to wait with the car on for a while(time
to bucket in and adjust mirrors). The wait time would be different
depending how long the car was off. If the car was off an hour,
almost no wait, but a day, you had a few minutes to sit.

It was a faulty check valve in the fuel pump. The fuel manifold would
drain back to the tank, and the pump had to fill and repressurized it.

So have your fuel pump checked.

Just saying...

tom @ www.NoCostAds.com