I was coming back from seeing my old man tonight in walnut creek and as I got onto an offramp in san francisco my car died. I was downshifting and when I noticed that as I tried to give it more gas the car wasn't moving. I didn't over rev or anything, the car seemed to shut off. My buddy came to try to jump the car but it didn't work. I was thinking it could be the alternator b/c the car turns over like it's about to start and then fails. I'll know the details by tomorow

 

alternator is my first guess

 

Would be mine too......either that, or one of your wireing pig-tails under the hood somehow got disconnected!

 

Its not the alternator because if it were that then when your buddy came to jump you it would have worked. The alternator recharges the battery but when it doesn't work an alternate source can still get your car started. It could be the starter or something electrical. I never had my Acura cutoff on me like that but I had a VW do that to me and it was an electrical problem.

 

+1

 

Do you know if you are getting fuel to the engine? As others have mentioned, it's most likely not the altenator, if it was a jump start would have worked as a temporary fix.

 

yeah, i think the car would've ran for a bit if your friend's car was connected. fuel to the engine is the next check for you imo. spark plugs? maybe one blew up or something.

 

Check ignition switch maybe? Try starting your car and holding the key just slightly over the run position. Carefully not to far. If the car stays running its the switch.

 

he didnt mention how long he let his friend's car charge his battery before he tried to start, then again your probably right the car would have started eventually with a jump, but only would have ran as long as his battery lasted assuming its an alternator problem

 

the shop told me yesterday that the timing belt broke! They're going to put on a new one and do a compression test tomm. I'll have my fingers crossed...

 

do you still have any CEL misfiring codes? if I could recall...if you do, have them check that out too while your at it.

 

yea, I still have the codes. Hopefully they can figure those out too but w/ my luck I doubt it

 

my 1st guess would have been the timing belt...I hope all is well with your car. Hopefully nothing went wrong when you tried turning it over when the timing is off. good luck

 

How many miles do you have on it?

 

the swapped engine supposedly has 50k

 

Or maybe you ran out of gas?

Sounds like the problem I had when my Benz's gas gauge was broken.

 

If the timing belt broke, I would expect damage to valves & pistons. Good luck with it.

 

took the words right out of my mouth - I don't expect a broken timing belt would just require a replaced belt.

 

I think our motors are non clearance type motors. If the timing belt broke the valves are surely bent but the pistons could be fine if a valve top did not break off. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

You're right - pistons may be fine. They may be dinged up a bit but fine.

 

you guys are scaring me, how much should I be looking at?

 

dude, in case you didn't know, a timming belt breaking on a car is BAD BAD news. Not to mention it happened durring a downshift. GOOD LUCK.

 

Didn't the shop who installed your motor also replace the timing belt at the same time? If so, it shouldn't have broken the belt.

 

supposedly they did but now I'm starting to question that

 

i would get in touch with the shop and tell them they owe you a timing belt and possibly new engine if they said that they did work they did not do. Ask the dealer to retain all parts