Well, it turns out that my alternator IS faulty, and is undercharging the battery (thanks to those who insisted I check it!). With the engine on the machine was reading 13.91-93 (volts?), whcih the guy said was under the bottom limit of 14. Guess it needs replacing, 2 months after my warranty expired
So, how complicated a job is this? It looks like it is just connected by 4 bolts, some wires, and the belt. I was just going to get a new one from Autozone, any particular brand or model? I'm not a racer or a stereo guy, so I don't think I need a different one than what I have now, unless there are obvious advantages. How do you take off the belt? Any tricks to the replacement? I'm planning on just doing it in the parking lot of autozone so I can get it checked afterwards. Thanks.