need help with electrical!! HELP!

[bgills]

my 87 has recently started messing up, i was driving it one day then i parked it, and it wouldn't get out of 4th gear...when i shut it off it wouldn't start, i jumped it, then it shifted fine, but my dash lights wouldn't work..then it completly died...put another battery in to get it home, when i charged my original battery it worked and started fine. my volt meter is on about 12 and when i turn my lights on all my guages drop to nothing,( water,oil and volt)...i took it to auto zone and had the alternator checked, they said it was running about 12.8 and they said it was suppose to be running about 14...i read something about a voltage regulator but i don't know. PLEASE HELP!

 

[GonOvr]

Change the alternator they are combined. The round plug on the back of your alternator is the regualtor.

 

[bgills]

I changed the alt. and it worked for a while,but not the truck will start every other day and once I run it and shut it off, I won't start for another day or so...I took the starter and got it checked and it all passed, I cleaned all connections....any opinions out there?

 

[mikebontoft]

when it doesn't start, does it even try to crank? You might have to have a load test on the battery (have the battery checked) I know you put a new one in but it could already be done from lack of a charging system.

 

[hoe_nah]

Clean your battery cables. Check aall grounds

 

[bgills]

i checked all the wires and all the grounds, the battery is fine, i ran a butting directly from the starter and it works.. so it has to be some wiring, maybe the ignition