The check engine light came on two days ago. today i started the engine to move the car back so i could clean the garage, and when i went to move it back in, the car started and then quickly died. after that the starter seemed to engage some and disengage, making wierd noises [but not clunking noises like most people report]. there was a smell of smoke that was like burnt rubber or something, and now the starter doesn't engage at all, but makes a whirring sound. the battery died a couple of weeks ago, and would not hold a charge at all, so i replaced it with a new battery. The headlights are bright so I don't think it's a battery problme, but I suspect it IS electrical. If the starter went out, can that kill the engine AFTER the engine is running? I also found out I had forgotten to clean the air filter for quite some time, but don't think it's related to this problem [it's a K&N, and was pretty dirty].
Dec 7, 2008 at 2:10 AM
