stalling/dying problems

[thechori]

today i started up my car (recently i've had to give it gas to start up), and i heard this loud, painful noise like a hiccup or something, didn't sound too good at all. the car got on, but i had to keep giving it gas to stay on, if i let off, rpm would fall and die, eventually i just let off the gas to see if it was playing tricks on me, but it died.

i started it up again, without giving it any gas; it got on, but it sounded like it was ready to die, it idled around 500rpm(it sounded REALLY shaky, as if it were on the brink of dying, but it didn't). i wanted to see if i could give it gas, so i did-- the car got up to 3000rpm, then immediately fell and died, after that the car had no power and i couldn't turn on any electronics, etc....

do any of you guys have an idea of what the problem is?? i'm thinking it's a mixture of things, maybe the alternator and a timing/sensor issue.. but i don't know much about cars :\