As I was pulling out of the parking lot at work this morning, my car was fine. Then, all of a sudden, it started sputtering intermitently. I was like "WTF????" Well, I drove it some more down a couple of backroads, and noticed that the dash was flickering randomly and quickly between normal, everything on, and everything dim (both normal and all on). I pulled over in a parking lot and checked the fuses - all good. I tapped on the fuel injectors and made sure the wires were hooked up. All good. I did not smell any burning or hear any unsual noises besides a cylider being out. After I started it back up, it quick intermitently sputtering and I just completely lost a cylinder (or 2) :reddevil . Well, I had to drive home, so I limped home down the highway (an hour drive) at approx 70 mph. Same problem all the way home - missing cylinder and flickering dash.

WTF???!!!!

This was a sudden occurence. Did the ECM go? Did a wire/group of wires short out?? HELP!! I have to have my car fixed by tonight so I can go to work. I will already miss class today to figure this out...
:mad :mad :confused: :confused: :smash: :smash: :smash:

 

Did you check for codes?

 

try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and let the computer reset itself, maybe it's something simple. Also check your Throttle Position Sensor, Mine came loose once and the whole car went crazy with trouble codes.
Good Luck!
Tim

 

The engine light did not come on, but I will check for codes.

Please, if anybody out there has had this happen to them, HEEELLLLPPPP!!!!

 

Check how much output your alternator is putting out. Measure with a voltmeter accross the battery. Should be in the range of 12-14.4 volts or so. If it's much higher or lower, then your alternator is bad. Something similar to this happened to me. My dash was showing that the alternator was putting out 17-18volts. The dash was acting weird. I had to change out the alternator.

-Tim

 

OK, no codes (just 12 - all clear). I just disconnected the neg and pos battery posts. I will see what happens. :cry

 

Just reconnected the battery, dash and engine still messed up. The alternator reads 14.x volts when I can see the dash, the stereo, lights, etc work properly. AAAAGGHHH!!!

 

Check to make sure your battery conections are good. I got some seriously strange errors when my terminals corroded.

 

terminals are good, just hooked them back up and they were a ok.

Could the ECM have just crapped out on me? I am sort of hoping so, I need a good excuse to pop in an 86 computer anyway. :D

 

Check the feul pressure.

 

OMMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FIGURED IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY CAR IS LIKE BRAND NEW AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

You guys will never guess what the problem was!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :D :D :D


the spark plug wire :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :bb :bb

YES!! My car runs like new now, I gained 8.5 mpg and gobs of power from replacing the spark plug wires (what a great ad for a wire manufacturer!)

I feel like such a DUMB**S.... :nopity :nopity :nopity

Thanks for your input guys! I appreciate all the help!

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

Bad spark plug wires wouldn't cause the dash to flicker. The problem will probably return. I would check for a bad connections between the ecm and its harness'. Simple as unplug and re-connect the connector. Good luck. :smash: