The mechanic said the reason the radio, lights, etc...were fading in and out was because the alternator couldn't produce enough juice to run everything. I had headlights, radio, heater, all running, and they wouldn't just cut out, but fade in and out. Hmmm...

But he told you before this, that your battery is bad? Or he stated this is what caused the battery to go bad? A 55A altenator puts out 770watts at 14volts and 726watts at 13.2volts.

I just read the thread that explained this - very cool