Thanks for the prompt replies. I too had wondered about the regulator, but it had been replaced within the last 20,000 miles. However, when I pulled the old one, one brush clearly extended a shorter distance than the other. On the armature of the alternator I could see that the slot dedicated to the old brush that was long was copper colored. The slot that had been dedicated to the old brush that was short was a metalic gray color. Does this confirm that the brush was not making contact? Does the fact that the brush seemed to wear out very quickly suggest any other problem? Thanks again.

Hans