What Are the Symptoms of a Bad Alternator, ...will the car run off the battery Options

[7TPorsh]

The other morning my car wouldn't crank; lights on dash but no juice. So I charge the battery up and start the car....drive around for a bit. Stop and start after half hour. OK

rive some more and get home...turn the car off and same thing; no juice. I take the battery to FLAPS who analyzes it and says it's bad....even though my meter says 12.5 volts.

I get a new battery and installl. Car starts and runs and I drive back to FLAPS to test system in the car. Master guru technician says machine says I need a new voltage regulator. Of course they don't car it so I drive back home.

i get in the DD and hunt down a new voltage regulator and put it in. Car start and drives...so i drive back to FLAPS. On the short drive there the car is running "on and off".

i make it there. the 2nd master guru technician hooks up the meter and I manage to barely get the car started and running but it shuts off. He tells me the same thing again, the voltage regulator is bad.

I say i changed the voltage regulator and he says no its the one in the alternator. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

So I coast the car back towards home but couldn;t get it started...going to try again later.
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So does this sound like a bad alternator? Car cranks but wont fire. Always thought it would run off the battery if alt is bad. Please help.

[Toast]

The symptom is the generator light comes on. ;-)

You can get things like dim lights or slower starting. But usually it just goes out. I was able to drive all the way from Riverside to Jean Nevada on just the battery only before I finally didn't want to chance it the rest of the way. That's about a three and a half hour drive with headlights on.

Could possibly be the starter. If the alternator is getting weak your voltage will be lower. Its easier to test the alternator and the battery.

I can get a voltage regulator fairly cheap here in Vegas. Let me know if you need me to locate you one.