Yep, sounds like toasted wires, in that light?

 

clarification...it didn't catch fire. it was just smoking off the exhaust really bad. no flame

 

Ah, good to know!

 

Don...I have a voltage question......If I drive the car around and duplicate the rough idle condition, and simultaneously read the voltage off obd as it is rough idling, is that a useful observation? I have noticed that when the rough idle is going on, the daytime running lights flicker a lot. So if voltage is low during rough idle, is that an indication of weak battery or a normal response from an alternator that is not being driven at a constant speed?

 

battery or alternator. 14.5 driving meads the alternator is working

 

just an update on this one....Im kinda stumped on it. I seem to have a random thing going on. I have driven car with intent of dulicating the rough idle after freeway cruising and I have been able to get it to do it, and other drives when it ran just fine with no rough idle. On the occasions i have gotten it to rough idle, I have observed the obd to see what id changing and nothing is changing. I don't get misfire codes or anything else. Just the two pending O2 sensor (#2) pending faults. Even during the really bad idling when it seems to want to stall, the voltage remains 14.5.
I have encountered another start up event when I got a dashboard of warning lights with flat gages, no steering and the padlock thing that I again cleared with the gas pedal reset.

 

Alternator voltage does not mean much. What is the voltage NOT running. Under 12.5 volts is deadish.

Why not fix the O2 sensor problems? If CA means California you aren't going to pass emissions.

P0137 means the sensor is not getting enough power. (like a wire is shorting out or burned through)
P2270 means it is stuck lean. That means it is not producing enough signal.

You at least need a new #2 sensor, maybe wires. Yes, could make for rough idle.

 

yes, im doing the sensor and will follow up on the battery voltage. thanks for continued help

 

O2 sensor coming. Checked voltage at battery. 12.3 sitting, drops to 10 cranking, up to 14.4 after starting. I believe thats all notmal. But I have a sick puppy. And very random. Yesterday drove the car. It ran smooth and fine most of trip. But upon entering driveway the rough icle commenced and it was awful. Lifted hood and looked underneath, it sounded like a box of marbles rattling around. Ugly. Sat overnite, drove this morning. Started right up, quiet, smooth good acceleration. Stopped for gas. Upon restart, got a multitude of indicators and codes. Got the padlock again, service traction, service esc, brake indicator on, cel on ......shut it off, gas pedal reset, it all went away and I drove home smoothly.
When it runs (and especially when cold) all is well. After warm up, all bets are off. Latest codes today were something about drivetrain and network.

 

if "notmal" is a contraction for "not normal" then you are correct.

If you meant to type "normal"... Well I guess it is normal for a dead or damaged battery.