This first part of the story may be unrelated, but it happened today as well so it may help.

While driving this morning my 'abs' light came on. So I did an emergency stop and sure enough it locked up. I pulled over to the side of the road and turned off my car and started it again. The abs light did not come back on and I tried stopping and it didnt lock up anymore.

I drove it fine all day until about an hour ago when I tried to accelerate and it wouldnt and the tach was on zero. My CD player was still playing and speedometer was still working, but all of the warning lights on the dash were on too. I put my blinker on to turn into a parking lot and it was really really hard to turn - I had no power steering. So I parked the car for a minute then cranked it back up.

It drove for about 5 minutes before it wouldnt accelerate again. I was doing about 60. The tach was hovering at 1k, but it wouldnt accelerate no matter how much I gassed it. This is exactly what it acts like if I run out of gas. But I filled up my tank about 10 minutes before any of this.

I then carefully drove it to my church about 10 minutes away. It didnt stall out the whole way here. Im scared to attempt to drive up this big hill here because theres not much of a breakdown lane on it.

We just got done replacing the fuel pump. We replaced the alt and start about 10 months ago. I really hope its nothing big this time.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

The parts about the power steering and the lights sounds like you lost a belt.

The power steering worked after that initial time. Even when it stalled the second time I had power steering - the only time I didnt was when it stalled the first time.

I just went and checked the belt anyways and it looked seated fine. (theres only one on a 2nd gen right?)

Thanks anyways for the help

Sounds like you might have an alternator dying. I had similar result when mine started to fail at 198k miles. All the idiot lights on the dash came on, including ABS light. Although, before you spend $200 on a new alternator, check all your battery and alternator connections for corrosion. Clean the terminals. Also, get a $10 volt meter and check between the battery terminals. With engine running you should get around 14 volts and about 12.8 with engine off. If you get less than 14 volts with engine on, you are not getting a proper charge. Seems like the computer is smart enough to start shutting off accessories when the alternator is failing, at least on my 93 it did. I was still able to drive another 25 miles home from work when mine started.

Good luck.

-Robert

I'd second what Robert said. Sounds very similar to what happened to me when my alt died. Of course similar things happened after I replaced the alt because I did not seat the negative terminal cable on the battery correctly.

Check your battery connections and volts first, then check the alt.

Thanks alot for the help.

I just drove it for 35 miles but I kept the heater, fog lights, and radio off just in case. I didnt stall out the whole way home. When I got here I pulled the positive battery cable while it was running, but it did not stall out.

The alt. died once several months ago. I wrote about my symptoms here:
Alt. Problems

The symptoms are different - mainly the stalling out. It never stalled the first time my alternator died.

But I will do some more driving tomorrow in hopes of replicating the problem.

My Haynes manual said stalling could also be due to malfunctioning emissions equipment, bad fuel, clogged fuel filter, or a vaccum leak in the intake manifold gasket. Do you think that any of these could be the source of my problems either?

Again Thanks -
I dont know what I would do without this board!
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IU'd look at the bad fuel filter as a first, then gas, then the intake manifold. A clogged fuel filter would definently starve the engine from having fuel, thus it stalling. Im not saying this is your problem, its a universal thing. Bad fuel would also do this. You can see if it is the intake manifold by starting the engine, and spraying something like carbeurator cleaner, wd40, or some other highly flamable spray thats not harmful to the engine. If your engine revs when you spray it, that would show your intake manifold is leaking, thus sucking in cumbustible wd40, and revving higher rpms than before. about the malfunctioning emmissions equipment...all I can think about is your o2 sendor(all Ive had to deal with), I haven't known it would be a reason for stalling, just bad gas mileage and performance. let us know what you find out <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/coolg.gif" alt="" />

Well, in reading that he said that he filled up with gas 10 minuests before all of his woes started, it would seem possible that he got a bad batch of gas. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Did you get the gas at your normal place? OR was it someplace new. I know that one time on a trip I got some gas from a lil mom and pop shop and I had terible gas millage and bad accelaration until I put some "better" gas in it.

I picked up the gas from a new place for me, but it is a pretty well known place around here.

If it was the alternator how come the engine is stalling out before I loose radio everything else. When my alt. went before I lost everything lights/dash/radio but the truck would keep running. I guess it was getting just enough power for the plugs from the battery.

Where exactly do I spray the WD40 when checking for a bad intake manifold?

Thanks Again

I just went out to crank it to check for a bad intake manifold and what do you know it wont start.

Its just turning over and I cant hear the fuel pump kick on when I turn the key to 'On'. I just had the fuel pump replaced just over a month ago for $400+. Why in the world would it die so quickly?

I dont have the money for another one. This one better have a warranty.