Driving down the highway, not 3 miles from my house, 65mph, all the sudden: REEEEEEEE! Like a belt squealing like crazy, dash lights up like a Christmas tree, car still running, I make it to a turn around between the four lanes, car dies. Will not start, cranks REAL slow and weak, rr, rrr ,rrr, nothing. So, stranded in the median turn around in the dark with cars flying by each way, not near crap for a house or exit. I figure I have to get out of this turn around before some idiot bashes into me. So, with a real Olympic feat only seen when the adrenaline says do it or die, I see a gap in the one set of lanes, no cars coming, I push like hell and get rolling across since I see a gravel road across the highway. I never pushed something that heavy that FAST before, as I see headlights and know that it is get the Soob across STAT or T-Bone city. Since it was slightly uphill, a real feat, and probably funny if anyone had been there to watch. Anyway, surprising how fast you can push a car across a highway on an uphill grade when you know you are going to die in about 15 seconds. Ha! One phone call to AAA, and back home in minutes, turns out the tow truck guy lives 3 blocks from me. Well, eventful evening, we'll see what seized up tomorrow. Maybe no need to keep troubleshooting my high pitched whine anymore, since whatever it was failed!

Well - since the dash lit up like that, I would say good chance your alternator has passed on. On the bright side it's a relatively easy fix, and not difficult to get to at all. Inspect the belt(s) for damage too.

 

GD

Judging by the noise it sounds like either the alternator belt broke or the pulley seized/fell off. Either way you're in for a new alt/belt...glad to hear you made it across the highway safely.

sounds like you lost somthing in the alt.

 

the best senario...

all you need is an alternator...

 

worst

alt

battery

and digi dash if you had one....

I'll give you a "better best" option...

 

My '92 Loyal left me stranded Thursday afternoon(on the way for my fiancee and I to get our wedding license) because the crankshaft pully bolt left us(while the engine was turning over 5k rpm). My dash lit up and the temp. gauge started climbing.

 

We ended up waiting about 2 hrs for a friend to bring be a spare bolt I had(I do have three parts cars........) and it was a 5 minute fix.

 

Look to see if the crankshaft pully is where it is supposed to be(you will know what I mean if it isn't), and go from there..........

 

OK...., before I get a lot of BS about the crankshaft bolt, I changed the timing belts about 6 months ago, and the last time I checked(aobut 2 weeks ago), everything under the hood looked good..........

 

Don

Pictzie

Yeah, that is what happened here, see post WOW not stranded by alternator!