Beretta.net

I was driving home from work this morning with my lights on because it was still dark when after the third bend my car acted as if it shut off.  My guages went dead and my lights were dinging as if i shut the car off and left them on, but the weirdest thing is i still had full power???   I was driving home with the 4 ways on after that and i smelled something burning but it only lasted a few seconds, it could've been another car but i doubt it. I've tried shutting it off and restarting it but i just keep getting the same thing, car on and guages and lights acting as if the car was shut off.

I dont know if it makes a difference but i let my car idle 15 minutes before i started driving and i use my ebrake frequently so that my lights arent on during the idle time. Do you think this is an ignition problem?

oh by the way my car leaks, i found that out yesterday after i drove through a car wash and alot of water went down the drivers side post from the roof, do you think theres anything down there that can affect this problem? Fuse panel maybe?

The leakiness is not a problem.  I'd check the passenger side  wire harness entrance above the computer just to be sure.  If that's not leaking, forget water being a problem.

As weird as it sounds, check fuses.  The fact of your headlights and interior lights acting the way they did could happen if the headlight switch [pull it out and inspect for obvious heat damage, burn marks, etc].  I wonder if the headlight fuse took a beating.

Car runs fine = not ignition problem.

ebrake = not associated with this problem.

an idling situation for 15min could heat-soak something.  If you smelled something burning, check wires coming off those relays under the hood for obvious frying.

Andy

Fuse under the dash or a fusable link near the starter.  They are not hard to find unless it melts the insulation off.