My 95 Z28 had the "Check gauges" light on, and the ammeter was running down in the red. The car started fine and ran fine (just put in a new battery a couple of weeks ago), but today, when I was entering the freeway, I floored it. Something went pop, and when I looked in the rearview mirror, there was a cloud of smoke behind me. I stopped for gas, but when I went to start the car, it started hard (barely turned over); as I drove I could smell something burning, so I pulled over and opened the hood. The alternator was smoking, so I'm sure that sucker is toast. However, as I limped home, my tach and speedometer were all over the place (at one point, my speedometer said I was doing 150 mph when I was actually doing about 20.
Anybody have this happen to them before?

 

a lot of your sensors are based on the electronics system, when you mess with (or your car messes with) your electronics system by providing very low voltages, or very high voltages it throws everything else out of whack. Fix the source, then see what else is fried.