MX5Ireland

Suspect the alternator is fecked, anyone got a spare so I can try out to be sure or is there any way I can check my own.
Don't fancy going to the expense of purchasing one unnecessarily.
Would lazy wipers be down to this?
Took it for a spin this evening and all the electrics began shutting down, limped home....very scary.It began misfiring as I touched base and it cut out completely when I tried to flash the headlights at one of the kids in the drive.Completely dead thereafter
Had this same problem with another vehicle last year, turned out to be alternator, hence my diagnosis.

comments please??

Oh Yeah, it's a '91 1.6 mk1 eunos

I would say if you get it started again then check the voltage at the battery with a digital volt meter (€15 from b&q if you don't have one) Should be getting about 14v when car is running dropping to 12v when shut off. HTH

Gonna trickle-charge the battery and check it again tomorrow evening, it has been lying up a while, battery is not old so should hold the charge. Checked the voltage on Sunday and got 15v across the terminals when running, didn't check it with engine off...no point in doing it right now as electrics are dead . It may well be that it's a dud battery or else the alternator's gone, unless...... something else is draining the power?? There is not an alarm fitted so that wouldn't be the problem, will also be fitting new drive belt as a precaution...fingers crossed

One that's overlooked.
Check 14v-15v at 2500-3000rpm at the battery. My belt never slipped at idle but it did at high rpm.