Tell me more about replacing the voltage regulator with the alternator in place. I'm pretty sure I'd want to do this since the part is pretty cheap and especially if you're saying it's not difficult. Do you have a link to a DIY? What part exactly am I looking for and where can I get it?
Update - I see Pelican has the VR available for order so I know where I can get the part but I'm not sure about being able to replace it with the alternator in the car. i didn't find any DIY that speaks to that. They all say you have to take it out first.
Another update - Just got back from O'Reillys and had them do a battery and charging system test. They said everything was OK. Charging system voltage at 13.6, which seems a little low to me. They could be right though if there's a parasitic drain with the car off. I have a digital multimeter with a miliamp range so I might be able to check the basic system if I can find a way to clamp the test lead probes to the cable and terminal. My meter doesn't have alligator clamps, just sharp probes.
I'm not too sure about how to test the car since the interior lights will be on when I open the door and I don't see a way to disable them. They'll go off after a long time but it will take forever if I have to wait 2 hours each time I pull a fuse.
The alternator has to come out of the car to replace the voltage regulator.
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