Bad Battery/Alternator? Please Advise

[JackRabbitStorm]

Battery voltage was good (12.5V), all the fuses appeared to be good, so I just gave up and called to have it taken to my shop. It's 10F out today, and icy. I figured that it probably wasn't the best idea to jack it up and start messing around with it on ice.

 

[oddball]

Agreed, no fun in that kind of weather. If it stayed at 12.5V with the engine running, then your alternator is very dead.

 

[JackRabbitStorm]

Heard from the shop. The car had ran poorly since I purchased it in September of 11, but I figured it was due to the hackjob exhaust that was done on it.

Shop: Connection to starter was melted, starter was shot, cylinder 8 coil was not connected properly, fouled plug, and an air intake hose was broke off, alternator tested fine

 

[joegr]

Heard from the shop. The car had ran poorly since I purchased it in September of 11, but I figured it was due to the hackjob exhaust that was done on it.

Shop: Connection to starter was melted, starter was shot, cylinder 8 coil was not connected properly, fouled plug, and an air intake hose was broke off, alternator tested fine

Makes sense. That's one of the major electrical connections. (Not just for starting, the connection to the alternator goes through the starter junction too.)