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t-bone + trev29 are giving good advice.
Some additional bits on the topic.
What year car? Early eighties through mid-'87 are known for self-disintegrating wire harness. Um, all over the car, sorry to say. This could be what's up with your car. Have a look at some of the exposed wires; look for crumbling insulation and visible darkness or corrosion on the resulting exposed copper.
On 240s with that problem the harness containing the thin red exciter wire that trev-29 mentioned often gets messed up. If your car is in the suspect period, I'd find the gray connector as he described and substitute a new wire from the gray connector directly to the back of alternator. OK to leave old wire in place as long as you disconnect (cut off) both ends. Use red stock for new wire to avoid any confusion in the future.
If you don't already have a proper wire crimper to do the splices this is a good time to get one. Far less money that what you already spent on alt + battery and I expect you will need it again for this car.
When checking alt output with alt running in the car, I'd check using the fat red wire on rear of alt and the alt. housing. Then also check same red wire and a good chasis or battery ground. Both should be good, 13.x - 14V.
Some detail on charging voltage:
Understand that alternator output is slightly lower at higher temperatures so a stone-cold car will run at more like 14V to recharge the battery that just started the motor. When warm, the voltage drops to something like 13.2 - 13.5 or so if I recall. Battery is more able to accept the higher charging voltage when cold, so the circuit is built that way.
For the next time -
Many times you can save a bad alternator by getting a new voltage regulator, it screws into the rear of the alternator. Can be changed while alt. is still in the car. You can also replace just the brushes pretty much the same way for just a few dollars, but you can make a pretty good case for replacing the whole regulator instead.
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DAMHIK: Don't Ask Me How I Know - - - Sven: '89 245, IPD sways, electric rad. fan conversion, e-codes, 28+ mpg - auto tranny. 500 mi/week commute. '89 245 #2 (wifemobile). '90 244 (spare, runs).
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