Hey Guys,
Listen to this..

I had a brain wave and finally thought of something. I took my volt meter and went out to my car. Turned it on and thouched the battery leads.

12.57 Volts .. not bad

Then I Started the engine, touched the battery terminals

18.77 Volts .. woah!

So I stopped the engine and went and checked the battery again and :

16.35 Volts .. and I kept the contacts on and watched the number descend...

I think overcharging may the correct diagnosis.

I looked down past the exhaust manifod and saw the alternator easliy but getting to it....It looks as though from the bottom qould be better if I removed the panel covering the bottom of the engine.

Am I on the right track? It feels right.

Steve