I had to have my car (91' 780) towed as it died within a few hundred feet of the electrical shop I was heading to. I could had made it but I was in the wrong lane on the highway and the idiot in the other lane did not see me signal. So the car died within a minute.

I had been having issues in the last week or so. Yesterday when I was driving the car did not crank up first thing as if the battery was dead and the next time it turned over and started. Then the idiot lights were illuminating and then dimming during normal driving. It seemed also that the volt meter was in the red (11 volts) as opposed to the middle where it usually is. I did some quick research on the 700 FAQ and the symptoms pointed to bad brushes in the alternator.

This morning it started fine but the volt meter gauge was swinging from the red back to the middle and by the time I got on the highway and to the shop the gauge was in the red and showing no sign of charging. I believe it is the original alternator but not sure. Is there a way to check?

And should I just replace the brushes or if it is the original alternator would it be best to just get a new one? Also I jump started a friends battery a week or so ago and I hope I did not damage my car by doing so. I followed the instructions on the cables but I believe it said to clamp to the negative post of the bad battery which is a no-no but I was just going by what the instructions said.



thanks :)