so i pull my car into the shop to clean her up today. i finish up, start the car and the check engine light comes on, the temperature gauge goes all the way up, and the brake light is barely visible. the engine barely sputters to life, and dies if you rev it. i disconnected the battery for a half hour hoping to reset the ecu, go in , no check engine light, fires right up, revs freely, then i hit my headlights and she dies again and pops another CEL. i noticed all the interior lights are very dim also, i checked the battery and have 14 volts at the battery and i also checked at the ecu and it also read 14v. i hope someone can help otherwise im spending the night at work tonite!!
the vehicle is a 96 ex 5-speed

 

ok, so i borrowed a OBDII scanner and it showed code 1298 manufacturer air /fuel metering. the car will start once i clear the code but headlights are very dim and the car cuts off if you unplug the scanner. i have no idea what is wrong... somebody please help!!

 

Possibly Alternator/Voltage Regulator? I think the VR is built into the Alternator so replacing it might be the key. If the alternator isnt working (or working very slighty) your power will be very small and headlights will dim, etc..

My best guess.

 

PROBLEM SOLVED!!! this dont make much sense to me but i replaced the ground on the battery and she runs like a champ. been idling in the shop for about ten minutes with no CEL and i already took her for a spin round the parking lot. everything but the check engine light makes sense, dont know a bad ground shows air/fuel monitor, but everything is working now. hopefully this thread helps someone else.

 

It makes sense to me because bad connections will do all sorts of weird stuff.
like i always say : CHECK ALL CONNECTIONS before you say something is dead!!
My 89 exi coupe has 307 000 kms and 50% of the time when something goes
(or so i think) it is a rusty or broken terminal . And if you want your charging
system to work right (and basically anything electrical) those battery terminals
have to be nice and shinny.

 

We all should have known that one. The old bad ground trick. Very weird symptoms.