I drove my 2004 alero 8 miles one way then 8 miles back put gas in it then had to jump it off

Rotten gasoline...

Have the engine checked for vacuum leaks, that will cause a high idle speed. As a 35 year veteran of auto repair I can tell you that engine flushs are a 100% waste of your hard earned money.

Sounds like an electrical issue. You'll want to take it in.

it could be ignition coil(coil pack). misfire and vacuum leaks gives you engine light's on. and if fuel pump or filter not good, engine wont start.

long post.
ill reduce it for you.
misfires. (is RPM below 700 then misfire can be normal) for idle speed controls dead.
ISC the isc controls speed, of idle,.
mine stuck like zillion times, in 400k miles. endless.sticking
mine was a tiny gutless stepper motor drive ISC valve.
the cone valve is side gets nasty and sticks (
(PCV gases caused as seen on all engines)
i clean it.
the proof is the easy press of right foot easy raises idle back to 700rpm and engine stops misfiring.
ever get a tuneup this decade or running spark parts 500,0000 miles
for the new world record.?


now the tricky part of ISC, , fully explained in the SM serv. man.
the PCM learns its behaviors.
it learns all hot start settings and cold
so when you key on, it goes to the correct HISTORICAL spot.
if it can move there(sticks) engine car race.
or run too slow,
cold start would be worse, as hot isc is more closed
so if sticks there closed, the next cold start will be horrid
some newer manuals telly you to add 5% throttle if car is hard starting this is so common.

clean it. end story.
ISC

replace the alternator,this is the problem,please rate thank you.

have your idle control switch check, easy and inexpensive to replace. The idle control switch is what keep the engine stay idle. also have your throttle body clean by a professional having that many miles, it will give you better gas mileage.

check the distributor cap and rotor, and plugs

replace ignition system, start with coils, and coil pack housing under engine top cover. The plastic coil cover may be arking out. some people will tell you to look for "spider webs" on the plastic cover, don't you believe it!!! They go bad quite ofter and cost $50 a shot. also check your plugs, ONLY use autolite or ac delco REGULAR plugs, avoid bosch AT ALL COSTS.

I had this problem with my 1999 alero i took it apart and investigated it myself because i have been a mechanic for 25 years now but i had to replace the starter relay the whole ignition system and believe it or not new valves. After I replaced all of those my alero drove better then eer and the lights never went back on or any of the other lights....