Well I was driving my gf home and realized my tach wasn't moving and my dash lights were really dim. So I drop her off and drive to the tim hortons (2mins away max). I park and check my car to look for problems everything seems to be fine.
I go to start my car and it struggles to start. I let it roll down the hill and pop it in gear to start it and it starts fine. So I continue driving home as I know a problem will occur.
As I am driving the ECU will only let me hit about 2500-3000 RPM's before hitting the cut off. So I know the ECU went into Safe Mode (Not sure the proper term). So at this point I realize I am ****ed. As I am a 20 ft distance from my driveway the check engine light comes on but the engine is still on. Then all of a sudden it cuts out and I coast into the driveway.
Now I try to start the car and it tries to crank over and nothing. At some point I lost all power in the car.

Now with this all being said. What do you think the problem is?
I am ****ed because I have no money and I need the car to goto work

 

sounds like your alternator took a ****.
did the battery light come on? and have you tried jumping it off?

 

Battery Light never came on, I can roll the car down the hill fine and start it. Don't have jumper cables to try and boost it.

 

How bright were your headlights during the whole deal? If they were constantly getting dimmer, I'd be putting $ on the alternator. Could your battery light be burned out, maybe?

Damn, these alternators really blow ***.

 

do you get an ecu error code? you said the check engine light came on, or was that just becuase the car died... also, it could be a main relay problem to the max.... I had one crap out while i was driving, it would just shut off the fuel injectors and pump... and the engine would die. if you let it cool down for maybe 10-15 minutes it starts again, then dies or just won't start right after you turn off the car....

you will most likely need another method of transportation for tomorow... any busses near by? does your GF have a car? parents? just ideas.

good luck!

 

Battery light still works because if I go to start the car like normal battery light goes on as always. I even tried changing the battery with my other battery that is charged and trying to start it and nothing.
I personally hope it's not the alternator because I just sold my parts car

 

I didn't check the ECU For Codes. The check engine light came on then it died shortly after. But it died then wouldn't start 5 mins later it started then I shut it off to see if it would start again had to do a rolling start.
It might be the alternator.

Bus is an hour and a 1/2 walk for me, GF doesn't have a license and my parents I work with them but it's my last day there I got laid off. So Thursday I was supposed to be job hunting.

 

try roll starting it again. then when its started, try running as many electrical things as possible in the car... radio, fan motor, head lights, hazards, etc... if the car dies after you turn something on, then your alternator isnt supplying enough voltage to keep the car and all the electronics running. thats the easiest way i know of to test it. Or you could start the car, and use a multimeter to test the voltage coming from the alternator.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jeff &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I didn't check the ECU For Codes. The check engine light came on then it died shortly after. But it died then wouldn't start 5 mins later it started then I shut it off to see if it would start again had to do a rolling start.
It might be the alternator.
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ya sounds more like an alternator/battery problem then. perhaps you can turn your job hunting day into a alternator fixing day... its not too hard to do... you don't really need to remove the axle from the knuckle there is an easier way....

 

Problem is I have no money for a replacement lol.

 

do you know of any shops that rebuild alternators or electic motors? it could be the brushes inside the alternator are worn out and can easily be replaced for very little cash.
my last alternator that burned out i took to a shop and a guy replaced the brushes in a little under 10 minutes. and he only charged me like 20 bucks.

 

or just get a bike... lol.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jeff &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Problem is I have no money for a replacement lol.
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Problems like this only seem to happen when we dont have any money. I dont think ive ever had a car break down when my wallet was fat.

 

Put it this way, I can't afford to put 10$/gas in my car at this present point. I have no credit card and am in some decent amount of debt lol. The only luxury I have is once every few days getting a 1$ coffee.

Times are rough so if I have to replace the alternator I am F*cked.

 

sorry bout your luck man.

 

Just my luck a bunch of cheap EF's in my town and no money. I want to cry lol.
I was so tempted to light it on fire today

 

dear god dont do that... open up a paypal account and maybe someone will pitty you enough to send you $5. or hit up the sperm bank.

 

if your headlight or the light inside the car still work, but don't start either your alternator or distributor. Also check the two wires that connect to the main fuse in the engine bay by the passenger side. Maybe they touching on another. what about starter?
Last time, my car die similar like yours. I check everything, I found that the two wire by the main fuse is touched. I put elerical tape in between, start the car, working but not enough gas or power. I was going to call a tow truck to tow, but somehow, I move my battery around, and it's working, i drove home. Don't know why, but I do think that mabye the batter is touching the ground or something. Coupe days after that, my car can not go over 3000 rpm and it's still run but not over 3rpm. I then changed the distributor and now everything runing fine....this just my experience...
hope this help you a little...good luck man!!

 

If there was a sperm bank here I'd be there every 25 minutes busting my nut for money. But you don't get paid for that here in Canada.

I wish it was as easy to just open a paypal account and people send me money to fix my EF, But I am broke not starving and have no food. I don't really like handouts. Now people lending a helping hand by comming over and helping me fix the car is never refused.

I am going to try as many things as possible once it gets light out. 2-3 More hours till the sun comes up.

 

id drive up there and help if you werent like 2000 or more miles away. im not big on handouts either, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. good luck with your ride though.

 

The shittiest part of this was about 2 weeks ago I sold my parts car to pay bills. I really wish I didn't do that.
I know motors like DX's range from 50-300$, ZC's are 300-700$ With ECU,Tranny ETC. So maybe I can get a loan from a relative or something to fix the car or do a simple motor swap.
Who knows I just know I need to fix this and make it reliable.


I could sell my SI Seats and get some DX Seats or something.

 

before you start getting a loan from some1 to buy an alt why dont we make sure thats the actual problem.

Pull the f'n code from the ECU man!!

 

So before I got a lift to work I decided to try my car and see if it started. I started it and everything worked fine. Car started Ran it with my lights on, heating, radio, interior lights all at the same time. Also the Tach was fine. This is really messed up. I need to figure out what caused this so I can fix it.

 

dude pull the freakin code already!!!

 

That was already done.