A red wire had come off the alternator. I just discovered the problem. Apparently I've been running the car fo ra few days like this. Running off the battery I guess. Can this ruin an alternator? My dash voltmeter is no longer showing a reading. There are two wires coming off the alternator,a red and a white. The issue was the red wire was not making a firm connection because it is in such a tight spot at the fender I could not push it on securely. In order to get a good connection I ended up removing the alternator. Re installed everything but not not getting a 14.5 when engine is running.