Uh oh! She just died. Options

[Amphicar770]

Per earlier post, picked up from shop today. Drove to work, running great. Driving home, running great although I notice volts reading less than 12v, temp gauge not working.

Almost home, a few blocks away. Going down hill. Huh, did engine cut out. Why, yes it has. Turn key. It cranks but no start. As if no spark or no fuel. Coil feels quite hot if that matters. By side of road now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

[Amphicar770]

Hmm, may not be the coil after all.

When I picked it up from shop I noticed voltmeter gauge was only reading about 10.x Volts.

After it died it had plenty of juice to crank the starter but when I got home and hooked up charger it confirmed 10.x volts and showed about 10% charged. After charging, it is back up and car Meter reads 13+ until I turn on the lights. The charger has an option to show alternator percentage and that is only at 25%.

I'll have to check at battery with voltmeter. Will confirm belt did not break but I am thinking it could be voltage regulator whic is original. I did have alternator rebuilt by reputable local shop before I put engine back in. Alternator wire harness is new as are the battery cables and ground strap at tranny.

[pbanders]

Hmm, may not be the coil after all.

When I picked it up from shop I noticed voltmeter gauge was only reading about 10.x Volts.

After it died it had plenty of juice to crank the starter but when I got home and hooked up charger it confirmed 10.x volts and showed about 10% charged. After charging, it is back up and car Meter reads 13+ until I turn on the lights. The charger has an option to show alternator percentage and that is only at 25%.

I'll have to check at battery with voltmeter. Will confirm belt did not break but I am thinking it could be voltage regulator whic is original. I did have alternator rebuilt by reputable local shop before I put engine back in. Alternator wire harness is new as are the battery cables and ground strap at tranny.

Strongly suggest you read this and follow the appropriate tests.

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/ChargingSystem.html

This excerpt in particular applies to your situation:

"Because we are so used to hearing about 12V automotive electrical systems, we tend to ignore the exact battery voltage. Take for example a battery that reads 12.35V. At first it seems to be in perfect condition (about 12V right?) but in reality a 12.35V battery is only 50% charged, 12.0V is 25% and 11.80V is completely drained. Whenever the battery reads 11.99V or lower it is basically a "dead" battery that has lost almost all of its charge. This will give you a rough guide to the state of charge (SOC)."

BTW, a fully charged battery is 12.76V, after you've dissipated the surface charge. Any voltage lower than that is telling you the battery isn't at 100%. You read a higher voltage when the car is running because the alternator is charging the battery (~5 to 10A).