The battery charge red symbol would go on at low RPM, but disappear if you increased engine RPM. Then the brake and abs warning lights came on, then the dash lit up like a Christmas tree, and the car barely made it to the nearest gas station. Car would not restart; a jumpstart got it going again, and all looked well, until half a mile down the road, when the same thing happened, and the car died for good.
After a tow home, and a night charging the battery, the car would start. Voltage reading at the positive alternator terrminal was the same as at the battery positive terminal, roughly 12.3 volts.
Does this describe a dead alternator? The problem literally came out of nowhere, and fast (within ten miles of driving from the first symptom to the final death). Car is a 2004 Ford Freestar with the 3.9 litre V6, if that matters.
Alternator output should be about 14 volts. It appears you are reading the battery voltage. Alternator is gone.
The problem is most likely within the alternator but a problem with the wiring to it can cause problems also. You can remove it and have it checked at Autozone for free.
Dead alternator is a definite possibility, but there might be other things too (I don’t know if your system has an internal regulator etc.)…