I think my battery is dead but i wanted to check with you people first. here is the situation. I was driving out to the country and three minutes after driving I noticed my battery sign started comming on. and i mean started becuase it fadded bright and then receded. it only came on when i floord the gas or aggressivly sped up. after about ten minutes of driving and starting my car twice, a lot of other lights started comming on, i had the srs and the anti lock breaks and the water pump an another i belive, but i cant remember. anyway i got'er home and then i decided its time to turn it off and it wo uldnt start after that. i got nothing for a start, no click no thing, i co uldnt hear anything electronic , o nly the throttle "box" humming. and i got a voltage of 7 volts. so i jumped it and it started right up. and i unhooked the cables and then the voltage started droping like .1 volts every second and the engine started to sound wonky. just in a way that you notice something aint right. so i sh ut it off and it wouldnt start again, same symptoms. ... So th ink i need a new battery ?

yea, thanks everyone. i have decided its my alternator as well. but i will formaly test it at the local canadian tire. they do it for free. but i will indeed try and locate a used one. but i'll price out a new one as well. just for shits and giggles.

One thing to remember is that the auto stores can only test the alternator while it is installed in the car, this applies to the Volvo 850's and maybe others too.
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Winston 94 850 T W

" One thing to remember is that the auto stores can only test the alternator while it is installed in the car, this applies to the Volvo 850's and maybe others too. "

that doesnt make sense to me. as long as they spin the pully it should produce a current. why does it have to bein my car ?

"that doesnt make sense to me. as long as they spin the pully it should produce a current. why does it have to bein my car ? "

That is what I thought too but I went to 3 auto stores that will test it for free and was told that it has to be in the car, with a fully charged battery and engine running. One store tried to hook it up but it would not fit, I then offered to make it fit but they refuse my offer, so I wasted 2 1/2 hours running form store to store. I just want you to learn from my mistake :)
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Winston 94 850 T W

how do i check the alternator ? just see if its sending a 12v signal ? thats not something i wanted to hear :(

Don't forget what was said earlier, it may be a slipping belt. If your battery died because of age, it wouldn't keep a charge any more. Check the voltage from the amp at different rpm's.
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95 854T, 88 780, 88 245

Invest in an inexpensive digital voltmeter or multimeter, ($10-15) and follow the note below which I recently copied from this forum.
QUOTING..........
A voltmeter would reveal more information than an ammeter for most problems. In my experience a digital multimeter can be connected as needed to occasionally check the charging system. This is much more accurate than a permanently installed automotive type meter with a pointer and crude scale.

The following checks may be helpful since you had or may still have dimming lights (including the warning lights). The battery voltage with no load (ignition and everything else off) should be 12.6 V - if at all lower, the battery may have a bad cell or an internal short.

With a load such as headlights only turned on (ignition off) the battery voltage should drop very little, e.g. to 12.2 to 12.4 V, unless the lights are left on for a half hour or more. If drop is more than this then either the battery was not fully charged at the start of the test or is becoming weak or is not holding its charge.

With the engine running there should be an overvoltage, around 13.8 to 14.2 volts (measured across the battery terminals) depending on ambient temperature (higher voltage at lower temperature), engine speed, and what electrical loads are operating. A dead charging system will not produce an overvoltage (you might read only 11.5 volts or even less) and a weak one will drop to smaller and smaller voltage, say 13 or 13.2, as various additional loads (lights, wipers, defroster) are turned on. If the charging system appears weak, it is important to check that all connections, particularly grounds, are intact and not corroded. Sometimes due to a bad connection the charging voltage will appear ok at the battery but will be low at some other point. Then the accessory connected at that point might not work well. Sometimes on fuel injected cars the engine will not run well and/or you will get a 'check engine' light due to a poor connection. If with the car running you get 14.8 o!
r 15V at the battery then the system is overcharging and you may have a bad voltage regulator. Various lights on the car may burn out prematurely.

You can use an ammeter in series with the battery to check if there is a load draining down the battery when everything is supposed to be off. On most cars only a few milliamperes of current should flow to power the clock, burglar alarm, door lock receiver, etc. A bigger draw or leak could occur due to corroded wiring (maybe winter salt spray in cold areas), or an improperly installed aftermarket item like a stereo. Most multimeters would also do this job.

I'd ck the alt. and the surp belt. Sounds like the alt may be the problem.

I would say it’s the alternator because the engine died after you jump started it, as the alternator would keep it running if it was working. I just changed my alternator 10 days ago one of the brushers was worn out, you have to remove the power steering pump in order to get the alternator out, note that they are bolts on the back and front of pump. You get to the front ones through the holes in the pump pulley, I got a good used alternator for $50.00 a re-built one form my local auto stores are $200.00 exchange. I am trying to locate some new brushes for my dead alternator so I can have a spare. Good luck
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Winston 94 850 T W

Agreed.