While driving yesterday the BRAKE, FUEL, O2, and BATTERY lights came on. Shortly after the idle started acting up and unstable. Any ideas what might the cause be? Thanks.

 

NEEDS A ALTERNATOR.NEXT TIME IT DOES IT PULL OVER AT AUTOZONE OR ADVANCE AN GET THEM TO CHECK ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE.SHOULD BE 13.5 TO 14+ VOLTS.YOUR BLOWER FAN PROABLY TURNED OFF ALSO WHEN THIS HAPPENED

 

Well, the alternator checked OK but the battery was bad. So I changed it, it took care of the dash lights but the rpm jumps up and down and the engine sounds like it's running cold with 3500 rpm when idle (I can hear the hissing sound of the chocke). Any thoughts?

 

make sure you dont have any vacum hoses loose or broken an check closely at the trottle linkage,the actual shaft that passes through the carb.grab the linkage an try to move it side to side.they where out at the bushings an also cause vacuum leaks an where the dash lights on at the time you had the alt checked?Edited by: ISUZUGURU

 

The alterntor was taken off the car when checked at Autozone. I've replaced a bunch of vaccum hoses but the idle does not want to go below 3500. Could it be a sensor of some sort?

 

Idle fluctuations may have been caused by a vacuum leak thatcauses too much air to enter the throttle body.If you've replaced the hoses already, then most probably an overly hot engine is causing your problem. I don't think the sensor has got to do with it though.