Help! I need your collective knowledge...

[2002maniac]

Car died today, here's what happened...

The Check engine light came on but the car was running fine, a few blocks later the tacho went wacko and then went to zero. I was a bit alarmed but the engine was still running fine so I continued. I stopped at a light a few blocks later and the car stalled, I started it back up and it ran fine, when I pulled away from the light the motor bogged and had like zero power, and before long it was sputtering and dead.

WTF?

I was on the way to a party so I left the car and called for a ride. What should I check first when I go look at it tomorrow?

I checked the fault code and it was a 1231 (Battery voltage/DME main relay)

Did I just fry the DME relay? please help me :(

[kowalski]

could be either that or your alternator, check running voltage should be arround 14.

[Court M3]

check the wires running from alternator also. Just had the same prob with the ///M.

[Mike325]

I agree. That is most likely a dead batt or alt.

[2002maniac]

wierd thing is the lights and all other electrical work great still :shrug

I'm going to check it out in a bit.

[chuckybob]

sounds like the ecu to me

[2002maniac]

how would I test the DME main relay? Where is it and what does it even look like. I'm an electrical retard, I'd rather fix a blown headgasket than trace wires and scratch my head.

[2002maniac]

Update!

I checked the wiring from the alternator and it all looks fine. The battery is fine and cranks over the motor without problems. I swapped in my spare ECU and still nothing. I ordered a DME relay (the white one) from BMA and had it overnighted to me but that didnt fix the problem either.

Anyone have any ideas? I really need this car fixed now :(

[Mystikal]

It's the alternator.

[2002maniac]

Really? Wouldnt a bad alternator just stop charging the system? The system has plenty of juice.

[AdamF 88iS]

Really? Wouldnt a bad alternator just stop charging the system? The system has plenty of juice.

How much juice, exactly? If it's got less than 12v, even if its 10 or 11 which doesnt seem like much of a loss, digital electronics won't function anywhere even close to normal. Check your alternator output.

[2002maniac]

Check your alternator output.

how do I do that if the engine doesnt run? There is 12.5V with the car sitting.

[2002maniac]

Turns out it was the fusible link in the small wire that runs parallel to the battery cable from the trunk.

Damn electrical problems...