GT03 TJS

I have NO f***in clue what happened....

New Years Eve, I get in my car to go out for a party, try to start it and it backfires and stalls. Its been doing this for maybe a month once in a while and i get a check engine code for "camshaft positioner circut failure". I've replaced the sensor twice to no avail and my mechanic was at a loss for why the code kept returning. I figured after the holidays I'd take the car to a stealership and get it thouroughly checked out.

so i start it up again and let it warm up for a few minutes...everythings fine

get on the highway and within 5 minutes all of a sudden my lights dim....few seconds later my ABS light came on....few seconds later my stereo shuts off completely...then BAM car dies doing 65mph and i barely managed to steer it in nuetral to the breakdown lane.

i go to turn the key and nothing...no lights...no nothing....i called my father who lives in 40 minutes away and he towed me home.

we tried jump charging it once we got off the highway and it would jump enough to turn on and drive a short distance, but would die, and wouldnt start up again....again...no power at all....totally dead.

i'm bringing it...towing it really....to a stealership tomorrow....from what i know about cars and what my friends and father know, i still have no clue what it could be...ive had suggestions from a bad wiring harness, to a bad ECU. to a bad alternator, to a bad starter, bad solenoid, cracked camshaft, camshaft not aligned right and about a million other things....

has anything like this happened to anyone before? im sure i'll find out for certain tomorrow...but i hope its a solve-able problem within $1000 or so, otherwise i'm gonna hafta park it for a while [:@]

stang2000

Sounds like a bad alternator. Especially since you say your lights dimmed. Have it check at Autozone or whatever is close before going to the dealership!

mvr

im no mechanic but that kinda sounds like a alternator issue, i had my alternater die on me while driving in my last car (99 ford contour). like you said the lights started to dim, then my gauges went haywire then i had no power stearing, breaks and it was real hard to shift and i had to drive in first gear to the nearest parking lot. its freaky stuff.

GT03 TJS

yeah it was pretty freaky...it was in heavy highway traffic on new years eve at night and i was in the middle lane trying to move into the right lane and then the shoulder with no lights and no blinkers and no power.....im lucky that nothing worse happened...

if the case turns out to be the alternator, whats a better move...getting it fixed? or replacing it totally with a higher amp one? And I've had this startup problem before I got my underdrive pullies so I'm positive that its not a result of them....

any other possibilities?

dlazrael

really sounds like an alternator...

stang2000

Well 3 for 3 so far that's possibly the alternator. Get it checked out and just replace it. I haven't checked around for higer amp ones, so I'm not sure if they make em or not. I know they don't make a chrome one like I want, but they may the regular stock style. Get 1 with a lifetime warranty, then you'll never have to worry about paying for it again.

That is of course if it is the alternator!

GT03 TJS

http://mustangsunlimited.com/SubCat....;KeyWords=LMK1

there ya go...theres a ton of aftermarket alternators, all different amps and different finishes...couple of chrome ones in there just for you too...

StickShifty

do it yourself, they are easy to swap out.

FrostByte

Dont buy a rebuilt one. It ends up being a waste of $$ if if its warranted cause they dont pay for labor.

jmmorgan82

Do it yourself. Just loosen the belt tensioner, move the belt away from the alternator, undo a couple bolts and you've got it off.