First off, sorry for the long post. I drove a rental car back home, leaving my Volvo at the beach - and I'm rather emotional right now, but here's the story:

I was driving to the Outer Banks of NC from the Raleigh/Durham area with the wife for our 2nd anniversary. We took the 1993 240 wagon, because it had just returned from the shop with a brand new battery.

The old battery had died after I had left the hazard lights on for an hour or so the week before. I assumed the problem was solved with a new battery, but perhaps there was a bigger problem lurking... the Volvo shop did not check the alternator, but did replace the alt belt.

Last Thursday, we left for our trip. It was raining the whole way, and I had the lights on, the wipers on low, and the radio on. About 3 hours and 200 miles into our trip, while entering the Alligator National Wildlife Refuge, I notice the following symptoms occur over the course of 5 or 10 miles, average speed 50mph:

1. We notice the A/C isn't very cold anymore
(it had been serviced a month prior)
2. ABS warning light comes on
3. SRS warning light comes on
4. I can actually see the needle on the fuel gauge steadily drop.
5. Wiper blades seem to slow down, moving in a choppy manner.
6. I roll up the power windows, and they are also slow
7. I get nervous, and turn off the radio, turn off the wipers and lights.
8. The feul gauge needle starts to rise, and then drop slowly again.
9. It is difficult to stay at speed, car begins to slow.
10. We run out of gas? The needle is below the orange zone.
11. We coast to a stop in the middle of nowhere. Stranded.

The tow truck operator put in 3 gallons of gas in the tank, and I sat behind the wheel, apprehensive. I turn the key, the car cranks quickly. The feul gauge needle rises to above half a tank! I idle the car for a minute or two, and it sounds fine. No warning lights are on anymore. It's fixed! I turn on the radio, I turn on the lights, I turn on the wipers, and the ABS warning light comes on. The car dies again. I had it towed to the Outer Banks, and some guys are working on it. They think it's the alternator. What does it sound like to you?