The car has had a slight miss for a while, but there is not enough detonation to set off a light. I was doing some repairs a few days ago, and when I put the alternator back on it started acting strange. The battery gauge on the dash was reading in the middle of the yellow, about 8 I believe. Above about 10 mph, if I would put it in neutral, it would idle at about 1500 rpms. Below that speed, it would idle at 1000. My turn signals worked very slowly as well. Today when I got on the highway, I went to accelerate and it barely did, just stumbled and misfired like crazy, and the speedo read much higher than it should have for the rpms. I got off the highway and sat at a light, where the car idled at about 500 rpms. At the next light it just died. I can't get anything out of it, there is no sign of life anywhere. Did my opti just die?

 

sounds like when the plug came out of the back of my Alt.

 

What does a misfire have to do with detonation (knock)?

If system voltage is low, it reduces the flow capacity of the fuel pump and the fuel injectors significantly. Idle speed is normally elevated when the car is moving (VSS not = 0).

Sounds like your battery died from lack of charge.

 

Which plug is that? I know I put all the connections back.

 

Nothing, I was so tired when I wrote that.

 

9formula4, you were right. I must not have gotten it on quite all the way, because it had backed off.