my 94 chevy caprice electrical problem

I have a 94 chevy caprice with a 265 v-8 engine in it. my car starts up ok when it sits for a while and it has its normal amount of power when it does but after it warms up a little my amp gauge on my dash leans toward the low amp end. when i hit the breaks, honk the horn, turn on my lights or do anything that uses power my car almost turns off. when i start it up something towards the back of the engine ticks really loud but it starts most of the time, but sometimes it just locks up and the starter wont even turn, it wont make a sound. i replaced the starter, and my battery already. it never turns off while it is running it only has trouble starting up after it has been running for a while, and sometimes even after the car has been running a while the amp gauge will return to its normal position by itself for a while, only to loose power again later on while im driving.

PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME PLEASE

Sounds like a bad alternator. Pull it out and take it to any big autoparts store. They can test it for you.

The alternator can be tested in car with a voltmeter. It appears that the voltmeter in the dash is trying to tell you something. An ammeter indicates current flow through the system; they went out in the sixties. Their need for large wires caused innumerable problems with packaging, and in most cases, the driver was confused by their operation anyway. The voltmeter, which is what you have indicates supply voltage to the point where it is connected, hopefully capable of showing what voltages are available throughout the vehicle. Before condemning the alternator, check the battery voltage at the terminals. It should read close to 14 volts with the engine running. If not, the battery could be internally shorted or the alt could be defective. Try charging the battery with an external charger. If the batterycharges, it is likely the alternator or control circuits. Check supply voltages to the alt before condemning it. If necessary, buy a good alt, not a chep one... they will only cause aggravation. Ray

Under Certain Conditions, The Battery Cable Connection At The Underhood Electrical Center Stud May Overheat. This May Cause Melting Of The Battery Cable Plastic Cover, The Plastic Stud Housing, And/or The Stud Itself, Resulting In Intermittent Loss Of Vehicle Power. This Condition Is More Likely To Occur If Extra Electrical Loads Have Been Added To The Vehicle.

Correction:

1. Disconnect Negative Battery Cable From Battery.

2. Remove "aux Batt Pos" Cover From Electrical Center Stud. The Electrical Center And Stud Are Located On The Top Of The Right Hand Wheelhouse, Just Ahead Of The Front Of Dash. See Figure 1.

3. Remove The Stud Nut (not To Be Reinstalled) And The Positive Battery Cable From The Stud (figure 1).

4. Remove The Two Nuts Holding The Electrical Center To The Wheelhouse.

5. Remove The Top Cover From The Electrical Center.

6. Remove The Electrical Center From The Plastic Bracket. Use A Small Screwdriver To Release The Retaining Tabs (figure 2).

7. Remove The Small Shorting Prevention Cover From The Lower Portion Of The Stud Assembly (figure 3).

8. Remove The Bolt Securing The Ring Terminals To The Bottom Portion Of The Stud (figure 2).

9. Remove The 4 Large Maxi-fuses.

10. Remove The Terminal Position Assurance (tpa) Closest To The Stud (figure 4).

11. Use A Small Flat Blade Screwdriver To Release The Four Terminals Securing The Two Busbars In The Electrical Center (figure 5). Pull The Busbars Out The Bottom.

12. Release The Retaining Tab, Then Slide The Stud Assembly From The Electrical Center (figure 6).

13. Install A New Stud Assembly, P/n 12161130, To The Electrical Center.

14. Reinstall The Busbars. Make Certain That The Busbars Are Not Damaged, And Click Them Firmly Into Place. If The Busbars Are Damaged, Replacement Parts Are Available, P/n's 12129481 And 12146182.

15. Reinstall The Tpa.

16. Reinstall The Maxi-fuses. Refer To The Inside Of The Cover For Correct Positions.

17. Route Wires Horizontally Toward Front Of Dash (at A 45 Degree Angle Away From The Electrical Center). Secure Ring Terminals To The Lower Stud Assembly. Torque Nut To 8 N.m (70 Lb.in).

18. Reinstall The Shorting Prevention Cover Over The Bottom Of The Stud Assembly.

19. Reassemble The Electrical Center Into The Plastic Bracket.

20. Reinstall The Top Cover.

21. Reinstall The Bracket To The Fender Skirt. Tighten The Nuts To 6.0 N.m (50 Ft.in.).

22. Reconnect The Positive Battery Cable To The Stud, Using A New Nut, P/n 11516161. Torque To 14 N.m (10 Lb.ft.).

23. Reinstall The "aux Batt Pos" Cover To The Stud. If The Cap Was Damaged, The Replacement Part Number Is 12146183.

24. Reconnect The Negative Battery Cable.

Parts List

12161130 Stud Assembly 11516161 Nut, Stud Assembly 12146183 Cover, Electrical Center Stud 12129481 Busbar, Cavity L1 And L3 12146182 Busbar, Cavity L2 And L4

Note: The Cover And Busbars Will Be Replaced As Needed, And Will Probably Not Be Required In Most Vehicles.