FiestaFiasco

Nothing obviously wrong with connections on altenator or battery.

Took some battery voltages on Monday:
Off voltage: around 8.0 if the car has only just been turned off, rising to 10.2 when the car has been off for 30 mins
Idle voltage: starts around 7.2, dropping to around 6.7 over 5 minutes
Idle voltage with max load (lights, wipers, fan): wipers got slower, lights got dimmer, couldn't get back round to the battery to test voltage before it stalled.

Started the car this morning, battery light was on initially then turned off. I put on all the loads but nothing I could do would make the problem return. Lights are bright, wipers are fast and the battery light stays off.

Only things that have changed is that I parked the car the other way on the hill (nose down) and it has stopped raining. Is it possible that water had collected somewhere causing a short circuit?

Weird.

Could you give me a clue what the altenator looks like or how to find it?

Drum shaped thing with lots of looped copper wire, next to the big exposed moving belt, bottom left as I stand in front of the car looking into the bonnet?