1. Car starts normally, driven for a while, then turn it off for 1 hour.

2. Start up fine, then rpm's drop a little when turning headlights on.

3. Car just turns off while driving on road at 20 mph. Headlights still on. Car won't turn on, won't even try to turn over.

4. Shifted out of D to P, can't shift out of P, even with keys in ON position.

5. Checked fuses, they're okay.

6. Lights don't work, car won't try to start even, accessories don't turn on, can't shift out of park.

7. Haven't checked battery or jump started, but even if car starts, there has to be a bigger problem. Cars dont' just shut off while driving because of battery.

Any suggestions (not on really what the problem may be) on the bests ways to detect what the problem is?

 

First of all, the car will not start anyway if it is in Drive. Second, try to jump start it and see what happens. If that doesn't work, then you might think about the alternator as a possible problem.

 

alternator...it will not shift out of P because there is a solinoid that activates when your foot is on the brake and with no power it cant activate.

Get a new alternator and charge your battery.

 

so you think it is definitely the alternator?

is there a good place to find cheap OEM alternators, or perhaps remade ones?

 

sounds like the alternator to me and good point by awsm66.

you can buy one from http://www.foreignautoparts.cc

 

Tried to jump start the car, but it still won't try to start. Even if the alternator is going bad, it should still at least try to start the car...Could this possibly be a problem in the starter assembly, in the solenoid perhaps?

 

Try cleaning the battery posts with baking soda solution. It's probably the cheapest fix you can try.

You might think mere ol' corrosion on battery posts can't affect a car that badly, but you would be wrong. My previous car had dirty/corroded battery posts once, and it actually died while I was driving! Then it won't start, as if the battery's absolutely dead. Apparently juice from the alternator (which was working perfectly) can't power the electrical system without going through the battery (which was OK too, it was just been tested at an auto parts store), and the corrosion was apparently enough to stop most of the electricity from going into the battery (and the rest of the car.) And my battery posts didn't even look that bad from the outside!

 

Not a bad idea, but I don't think that's the problem here. There must be some kind of bad electrical connection. The interior lights, hazard lights, and exterior turning lights all work at normal intensity, yet nothing else does. This indicates to me a fuse/connection/relay problem, and I checked the fuses. I guess I need to tow the car somewhere and have them run some electrical tests.