Help, car keeps dieing
The "quick test.............."
Pull the green wire off the alternator field (one field is blue, one is green) and ground the terminal on the alternator you just disconnected. Start it, watch the ammeter and bring up RPM It should charge more and more as RPM increases.
If this does NOT happen, put your voltmeter directly onto the alternator output stud to ground. Measure voltage with engine running. If voltage is way high, you have a problem in the charging line. If voltage is low, "same as battery," around 12 --below 13 volts, alternator is not charging.
If that happens, check the harness. To do that, pull the blue field wire off and ground that alternator terminal. Hook the green wire back up. Pull the connector off the regulator and devise a way (screws, etc) to jumper the two terminals on the regulator harness plug. Repeat the test. If the alternator charges significantly in both tests,.............
then work the connector in/ out several times on the regulator and inspect for corrosion, and "feel" for tightness. Try to have someone watch the ammeter, engine running, as you wiggle the connector. Also make absolutely sure the regulator case is grounded.
If this does not restore operation, replace the regulator.