'86 C-GT Alternator repair?/short in system? (long)

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <33E359AD.70FE@tiac.net> Allan Jones writes:

> 	I have a discharged battery and it will not hold a charge. The car
> showed signs of losing its charge over a period of a day or two and then
> died. I_can_jump the car and the engine_will_idle and rev showing
> no_battery_idiot_light and showing a_reading_of_13 on the digital volt
> display. But after shutting down, it will not re-start.

My money's on the battery being toast.  I wonder why?  My guess is that the 
battery has been cycling through low and high charge states because of a 
clandestine current consumer somewhere, and has now finally given up.  
Batteries will only tolerate a certain number of really deep discharge and 
recharge cycles - must of the time, they stay pretty close to fully charged.
 
>From here, I would say that you will probably have to replace the battery.  If 
this appears to work - beware!  It's probably only fixed the symptoms and not 
what caused them by killing your old battery.  Find that current consumer.

-- 
 Phil Payne
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club