Dear GregR,

Hope you're well. The failure mode you describe suggests that prior to the stoppage, the car was running on battery alone, i.e., that the alternator stopped charging the battery. Eventually, the battery's stored energy was expended and the car stopped.

Some questions:
(a) How old is the battery?
(b) Are the battery's posts and cable clamps corrosion-free?
(c) What does a volt meter show as the battery's charge?
(d) How old is the alternator (year and mileage)?
(e) Is the alternator drive belt in good condition and properly tensioned?
(f) Does the crank pulley's steel center (core) turn independently of the rim?

As to (f), if the crank pulley is the factory-installed unit, the rubber - that bonds the steel core (through which passes the hex bolt that secures the pulley to the crankshaft - may have failed. That failure cuts the power transmission from the core to the grooved rim, on which ride the drive belts.

If so, the alternator, water pump, and power steering pump may turn more slowly than normal. So, the battery will be under-charged as the alternator is not turning at normal speed.

To check the crank pulley's condition, use white paint to draw a line from the center bolt out to the outer edge of the pulley's "face". If you can cause the engine to crank, and the single white line becomes two separate segments, the crank pulley has failed.

Please post your findings.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook