Strange Reaction To A Strange Incident

[madder]

My 1997 Carine Leanburn E had a recent bad day. Although I didn't witness the event I have reason to believe that a local building site dropped a heavy item from a Crane onto my car. I looked out the window of my house and saw my rear window shattered and the tree beside my car was also decapitated. The Glass seemed to break outwards suggesting an impact on the roof break. The car has a slight rattle when I drive it, like the wheel balance is off or even loose. And last night the day after the event while driving home my dashboard starting acting strange. I have a permanent engine light showing up which is actually nothing serious. But that went off, and I had 2 dimly lit warning lights on, one of them, the Battery, and the other beside the battery(looks like the old handbrake sign) but it wasn't the 'P' handbrake sign. Then my stereo lights went off as did the stereo, my headlights starting dimming with my main dashboard light bulbs. Then the Battery light and the one beside it started getting dimmer and dimmer until they went out, and the engine light came back on. Then the airbag light came on just as I was arriving home. I checked to make sure the Battery was still hooked up correctly and it is. But I have never seen a problem like this before. Can anyone tell me what might be happening? Thanks

[madder]

Well things just got a whole lot worse. Similar problems were happening today when i took the car out. Wipers were slowing down, lights were all coming on and off on the dashboard and eventually the car died. Dead as a dodo. Nothing when I turned the key. After about 10 minutes I tried to turn the key again and was getting a flapping noise like a kids toy machine gun. Might have been a fan. But the car wouldn't start. The radio then started to work again, and the airbag light was on. No Battery light on the dash though. I got jump cables and tried to see if the Battery needed a charge, and after a while the car did start up again. But it ony lasted for about 5 minutes. I then left it there for a few hours. When I returned it started up first go, and drove about half a mile before clapping out again. tried to start it again and it was dead as a dodo, nothing. After bout 5 minutes the flapping/fan noise was working when I turn the key but it still wouldn't start. I pushed it for a mile to what I hope is a safe place and intend on trying to collect it tomorrow, possibly via tow. Can anyone please shed some light on thsi problem?

[rjlawrence]

Well things just got a whole lot worse. Similar problems were happening today when i took the car out. Wipers were slowing down, lights were all coming on and off on the dashboard and eventually the car died. Dead as a dodo. Nothing when I turned the key. After about 10 minutes I tried to turn the key again and was getting a flapping noise like a kids toy machine gun. Might have been a fan. But the car wouldn't start. The radio then started to work again, and the airbag light was on. No battery light on the dash though. I got jump cables and tried to see if the battery needed a charge, and after a while the car did start up again. But it ony lasted for about 5 minutes. I then left it there for a few hours. When I returned it started up first go, and drove about half a mile before clapping out again. tried to start it again and it was dead as a dodo, nothing. After bout 5 minutes the flapping/fan noise was working when I turn the key but it still wouldn't start. I pushed it for a mile to what I hope is a safe place and intend on trying to collect it tomorrow, possibly via tow. Can anyone please shed some light on thsi problem?

It could possibly be the alternator failing. I had a Volvo once that did a similar thing, lights coming on on the dash. The car will start without an alternator on jump leads but won't keep going as everything will be running off the Battery.

A good way to check is if you manage to get the car started, if you or anyone has a multimeter put the red probe to the positive terminal and the black to the negative, the meter should read between 12 and 14 volts. If it the value starts dropping then the Battery isn't getting a charge and that usually means alternator trouble!

Hope this helps!