car not running right all of a sudden! need HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

[adamvr4]

First it started with the check engine light. it comes on every time i start the car and stays on for about an hour. After an hour ill turn off the car and turn it back on and the engine light is gone. This weekend i was on the express way and decided to put in a cd and forgot that i had the bass up high and when the cd came on the bass hit really (HARD)and somehow fried my altenator. I have an extra heavy duty battery in the trunk so i had enough juice to make it to Doug's (OldHairyBastard)house. I replaced the altenator and everything seemed fine. I was back on the express way headed home and decided to hit a little boost, then something seemed funny. It drove but when i cam to stop with the clutch down or in neutral it idled all the way up to 2500 rpm. the check engine light came back on but now when i turn the car off it doesn't want to start. it'll crank for awhile, some times it wont crank at all. ILL sit there and try to start it for about an hour and no luck. I got it started once and it idled perfect and i drove it for a while, then it idled really high again and started that BS again. sometimes it starts fine, other times it wont start at all. is it my ECU? help me please!

 

[14u2nV]

One bass hit shouldn't fry an alt, I"m thinking you have a major short or your charging system is not good. what voltage do you get running/not running? Check your ecu, see if anything is fried. can you turn the engine over easily by hand (ratchet @ crank pulley)?

 

Check all the wires that attach to the thermostat housing. If they come off you will get very similar problems, I.E. constant idling high, hard to start, etc. Not sure why or what they do, all I know is that one of mine come loose under load, popped a CEL and it started idling funny.

Won't help you right this second, but get an old palm and a datacable and you can read the codes right off the brain. Or, spend the same money at your local parts store for an odb reader which will tell you what the problem is.

 

[rgeier11]

click

Why don't we start with the code.

 

[Hertz]

Have you had the capacitors replaced? Newbie post #1.

Also, you really shouldn't be driving around with a CEL at all unless you know exactly what it is. That's not wise.