<p>Did I miss something? What happened to the &quot;tell us the voltage when running&quot;</p>

nope, nothing missed, I'll get that measurement this evening, just wanted to be prepared if I determine the alternator is indeed bad.

also arrived today:
heat shield
http://pre09.deviantart.net/7cdd/th/...-d8vwjht.jpg?4

fan shroud
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1433377830

brake pads
http://img10.deviantart.net/e74c/i/2...ug-d8vwjaj.jpg

i have the same pads on mine.

ive been meaning to ask, how do i get a hood vent?

Okay, so results:

Battery measured 12.50 even when I took it off the slow charge.
Battery measured 12.18 when car was running at idle with no other load(lights off, no radio, etc).
Battery measured 11.3 when I put electrical load to the car(AC on full, all lights on, etc).
Battery measured 12.10 when I turned the electrical load back off.

I'm thinking now I ought to pull the alternator and I'll get it tested at the FLAPS.

<p>Bet you a tow hook the alternator is dead :P</p>

haha, what do I get if it isn't? I'm not taking that bet anyways. :idea:

<p>I'll pay you for one lol? Idk. Sounds like an alternator.</p>

definitely bad alternator.

If you already checked your fuses and none are blown then almost definitely an alternator.

fog light fuse was blown, replaced that before pretty much all other testing.

http://img09.deviantart.net/18e2/i/2...-d8w19e8.jpg?1
fans soon I hope!

this heat shield was designed by joeereid on the mazdaspeed forum. he sent me a paper template, i put it in CAD and cut it. We will see how well it fits.
http://img15.deviantart.net/54ee/i/2...ug-d8w19bu.jpg

Unless it's the 100amp, in which case your main relay won't trigger, it's never going to be a damn fuse. Stop talking about the fuses.

Double check the Alternator you buy has a life time replacement policy, I just picked one up for $165 at Baxters Auto. They're known to be bad out of the box, keep an eye on it for a few weeks, checking voltage at the battery every few days. If it doesn't hover around 14.5, just take it out and replace it for free.

I've seen the "room" fuse do some WEIRD crap on both my MSM and my brothers '03.

That said, it's clear it's the alternator, I'm going to pull it tonight. I'm a cheap skate with 3 kids to feed, so I'm gonna try to re-build using the write up I linked above. Mikes Place here in phx has the bearings, autozone has the brush, and we will see if I can locate a regulator. If not, or if it still won't go then I'm only out a few bucks, and I've got a line on a lightly used MSM alternator that someone swapped with a NA alternator to solve an issue with their hydra.

You do know that there is a fuse in the miata that stops the alternator from charging if it goes out right... it was very possible that "it's a damn fuse" and they are easy to check, and now we know that's not it. It would suck to buy an alternator and find out that wasn't the problem, always start with the low hanging fruit.

How much for the intake heatshield? I hate where FM puts it, and was actually thinking about this the other day.

Joeereid on mazda-speed designed it. PM him and he will send you a paper template for $0. I've yet to install this, it was kinda funky getting it into CAD so we will see if I got it right. If it does I might work out a deal with joe over on the mazda-speed forum to sell them for pretty reasonable, or just make the CAD available and anyone can get it waterjet cut locally. Whatever Joe wants to do.

Sounds good to me, there's not a water jet places around here.

well, brushes look good, bearing is fine, looks like it's the regulator. New alternator time :-(