Yesterday as I was driving home my car starting acting completely wrong.

The order of events were as follows.

First, the radio turned off and the ASR, ABS, SRS, and Check Engine lights came on.

Then the vehicle shuddered as a started to pull over. Then the engine quit just as i was pulling into a parking lot.

I tried to start the engine after that but there was just a clicking under the hood, (not the starter motor) and the windshield wiper decided to operate slowly. Then after that nothing.

I called a friend and he deduced that it was a internal short in the battery. Which made sense at the time. He came with a new battery and the care worked fine for the 40 or so miles home.

Now today, I was driving home from class, Im getting to a stoplight and the car shuddered and all the same idiot lights came on. Immediately I turned off all powered devices. Radio, aircon and fan, and unplugged my charging cell phone. That seemed to buy me time as the idiot lights turned off. I made it the 5 miles home but only just as the car died in the drive way.

It has the same post incident symptoms as yesterday. Clicking and wiper operation.

Now I have no idea where to go. I suspect the alternator but the battery warning idiot light never illuminated so Im hesitant to replace a good alternator if I don't have to.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance,

Gregory

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Current
2006 E320 CDI, 57K bought at 67K "Liesl"
1986 190E 2.3-16, 198K bought at 56K "Brigitta"
1987 300TD (Chuggin Along), 292K "Friedrich"
1995 E320 Wagon, 200K "Louisa"

Past
1987 300SDL, (sold) 125K, bought for 1$ "Kurt"