Check Engine + No Tach = Sputter Sputter
 

Breif history: My "battery" light popped on a few days ago, but everything was working fine. I have been trying to find a day to take it to the shop, but they all open after I get to work and close before I get home. Doesn't leave a whole lot of time to take it.

Okay, so cruising home today, car running fine. All of the sudden, JERK, JERK, it starts jerking, the tach starts jumping. Like every 1/2 or 3/4 of a second. Not really frequent, but pretty frequent. I thought it would sputter out of the "fit" but it didn't. Then it just bogged down. If I hit the gas, it would bog, but if I lightly kept the gas on, it would barely go. Oh yeah, and the tach and the temp guage quit working when it bogged too. And I think the A/C quit working too.

So I pull over, check it out, and can't find anything wrong with it. Start it up, same problem. Vroooooooom, cough, vrooooooooom, cough. Tach and temp guage are working. It just coughed for a few seconds, then the CEL came on, and the tach and temp guage quit working. It revved without coughing, but if you tried to give it some good gas, it would cough. So, I drove it home at about 10% throttle because anything over that made it cough and bog down.

WTF?

Oh, it was dark and the battery didn't seem to run down on the way home with the lights on. Dunno???

PS - I searched every thread on this site and haven't seen anything that had the same exact problems, so don't say "it."

battery light means its your charging system. check the fuse for the alternator to see if it isnt blown, test the battery? pretty sure the fuse is blown if the batt light is on.

damn i thought it was your speed sensor until u said the gas part. hmm i would check all your grounds, alternator, and al your fuses...

Okay, I will check all the fuses. That seemed to be a pretty widespread answer to a lot of the threads when I was searching.

I will have to wait until I actually have some light before that happens though, I hate testing crap in the dark.

So I agree and I think it is probably a "wiring / electrical" problem, but WHY did this happen?

Little update for you guys...

I finally broke down and took it to the dealer. They said there was some sort of problem with the computer and replaced it for $150. I had to pay for the diagnostics but the computer was replaced under warranty.

Good luck with your problems!!