ok, it didnt post this the first time, but here is the prob:my car will randomly no start. all my accessories work, but it acts like a flooded carb would(but i have TBI). only does it sporadically. alternator?

 

Matt,

Quite honestly, the alternator has little to do with starting the engine. It maintains a fully charged battery so that the engine can be cranked by the starter, but does nothing during starting. If the power accessories are operating normally, there is obviously some battery voltage. The headlights are actually a pretty good electrical load and thus a good visual indicator of voltage during cranking. If the headlights go very dim or completely off when you attempt to crank the engine, you may have a weakly charged or damaged battery with little or no reserve capacity. You might also have a high resistance connection that is interfering with the cranking circuit.

You neglected to mention the model and year of the car in question, and may have an issue with the VATS system. If you have the anti-theft system, monitor the "SECURITY" lamp on the dash when you turn on the ignition. The lamp should flash several times then go off. If the lamp remains on, you may have a poor connection at the key cylinder contacts that sense the resistor block in the key, or a failing VATS system.

 

89 RS, so i do have VATS. security light stays on for a couple seconds, and has for the last 13 months(how long i have owned the car) then turns off. i don't see why it would be a problem only now, though?