Electrical/electronic problem

[ZeexII]

On my way to work this morning the engine died about 200 yards from work. Leading up to that point, about 5 minutes before, I started noticing things starting to go off, nothing before that. I first noticed the airbag light was on and the radio was fading out. Then I noticed the tach was sitting on zero but the engine was still running fine. Then the engine started to surge and cut out then smooth back out. Then I saw the speedo drop to zero, engine still doing the surge/cut/smooth out thing. Finally the engine died after turning onto the street I work on. I figured the alternator died. Tried to restart and it just barely turned over, so walked the rest of the way to work. Got a co-worker to jump me off and it started right up and everything looked normal. I didn't try it before hooking up the jumper cables but started it immediately after connecting them. Now I'm stumped. I don't have time to check anything else till lunch. Thanx

[scort2498]

might be the alt... not charging the batt and the jump hepled the battery for the crank or ur alt may have cut out... i say the lt is the culprit

[mechtech]

Clean your battery cables and terminals. Spend some time making sure the extra black ground connector by the neg terminal is perfect.
Check you water level in the battery.
With a common voltmeter, you should have about 12,5V when the car iss off.
Start her up and rev to 2-2,500 RPMs with the lights and fan on high. You should get 14-14.5V.
Let us know.

[TTFOWIA]

alt.

[Zx2 Frost]

Its the alt.
Car was running on the battery.

[ZeexII]

Thanks for the replies. I kept thinking it was the alt but the way things kept shutting down kinda threw me. I popped the neg bat cable while it was running and it died. The alt is only a little over a year old and it didn't act like this last time it failed.

[TTFOWIA]

there are 2 possibilities when the atl dies. either it will to that, or the batterie light will blink at hi rpm. under which case it will slowly die and with time, the rpm at which the light blinks will drop.

[Buster]

Definitely the alternator. The airbag light came on because of low voltage getting to it.

[TTFOWIA]

the only thing thats bugging me is the fact that it stalled. when it happened to me I kept the car running for a good 20mins after everything else was down (radio, RPM, lights, etc.) it kept going while EVERYTHING else had no power to keep going.

guess it depends on your battery

[ZeexII]

TTFOWIA,
It did the battery light blink last time. Didn't know it would do the other.

the only thing thats bugging me is the fact that it stalled. when it happened to me I kept the car running for a good 20mins after everything else was down (radio, RPM, lights, etc.) it kept going while EVERYTHING else had no power to keep going.

guess it depends on your battery
I forgot I had the defroster on too, probably why it died so fast.

Thanks guys. I guess AAA gives me a ride home tonight. The good news is that autozone said the alt has a lifetime warranty. Just a pain in the but to change. At least its in the high 70s today instead of 12 degrees with 35 mph winds like the last time.