Hi,

Posted a couple days ago about most of my bank of idiot lights coming on.

Well, seemed obvious there was a charging thing going on (I have no mechanical aptitude whatsoever). A couple posts here told me it likely would be the brushes inside the alternator.

Tonight I went to the store and the car wouldn't start afterward. My son came and jumped me. Started immediately The car made it about a mile before dying again. Didn't try to rejump it..just put it by the side of the road. Before it died, the lights were very dim and the instrument panel light was so dim I could hardly see it.

My son, who is a car stereo technician and thus at least has a passing knowledge of auto electronics, felt the alternator and noted that it was very, very loose. I found this odd, because the belts did not seem loose.

OK, my questions:

1. Tomorrow morning he is coming over and we are going to pull the alternator out and have it tested.

2. Is it still possible just the brushes need to be replaced and not the whole thing?

3. Could the fact it was loose have something to do with all this (of course it could)...and what should we check regarding the looseness?

4. If the alternator tests good, can we just replace the voltage regulator or do we have to buy a whole new one? (The car is an '89...I have an unused '79 regulator laying around..could either the whole thing or just the regulator sub into my '89?

5. What is a reasonable price to pay for an alternator for this car?

Thanks much,
Mike