My Acura Vigor has been driving just fine until yesterday; I smelled something electrical that is burning, and then the car just stopped. I suspect it has to do with either the distributor or the alternator. Any suggestions?

Your suspicions are correct, at least one of them. You are indeed dealing with a bad alternator. Among the signs that you have a malfunctioning alternator is a weird burning smell coming from the engine. The alternator is working in conjunction with a system of belts. When one of the belts is not turning freely, it will create excess friction that will cause the belt to heat up, which in turn produces a burning rubber smell. If you smell something like an electrical fire, it's an indication that the belt is slipping on the alternator pulley and thus, causing the alternator to perform poorly. In some cases, tightening the belt will solve your problem. But, if the smell persists, you may need to have your alternator checked by your dealer or your trusted mechanic.

I've had this Acura Vigor for almost 10 years now, and it already has high mileage. The other day, I noticed that there is a loud noise coming from the engine, and there's a burning plastic smell coming out of the engine compartment. Is this a major problem that I should be worrying about?

Those symptoms, along with poor engine performance, all indicate that you have a leaky exhaust manifold. And yes, this should be a major concern because a leaky exhaust manifold is hazardous to your health. The hot exhaust gases that are escaping from the engine can be a fire hazard and will melt nearby plastic components. If you're lucky, you will only need to replace the exhaust manifold gasket since this is the most worn part of the exhaust system and usually is the culprit for the leak. However, it could also be due to a broken mounting bolt, which will have to be replaced as well.

My Vigor won't start, and I think the battery is dead. A tried a quick boost from the battery charger and it worked—the engine started. The car starts fine after I decided to charge the battery overnight. But when I tried it without the charge, the car refuses to start again. What could be causing this?

The conclusion, based on what you've described, is that something is draining your car's battery. You have to find the parasitic battery drain to stop it. You will need a multimeter that is capable of reading current in order to find the drain easily. Unplug all systems that may be drawing current from the battery such as your car charger and stereo. Car chargers still draw electricity from the battery even if the device itself is unplugged. You should also make sure that your stereo is completely shut down and not just on standby mode. If your car is equipped with non-factory alarm, it is best to check it as they are known for sucking even healthy, fully charged batteries. The proximity keys can also cause battery drain especially if you left the car in a public parking garage for a few days.

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