mkIV alh Cluster loses power above idle and car stalls without throttle

[madmikeismad]

Really weird problem here. For all purposes, the car is a 2002. Yesterday the entire cluster lost power while driving home from work, then came back on when I got home. Today, everything was working fine while driving to work. On the way home, the cluster died again, and after some testing, I realized it was only when the engine was above idle rpm. While idling, the cluster worked, but is sometimes dimmer than it should be and the battery light is on. I tried starting the car again a couple minutes ago for more testing, and now it won't stay idling without throttle input, and stalls as soon as I let off. But it starts right up every time and runs for about 2 seconds on its own.

So the car won't idle, and the cluster loses power with any rpm.

Any ideas?

EDIT: With more testing, it seems everything in the car works only intermittently, and only at idle rpm. With any rpm rise at all, everything in the car stops working. But if I turn the heater fan on, everything flickers, all the lights, window controls, etc, and the battery light in the fluster flickers faintly.... Car also idles on it's own randomly now, but still stalls if I blip the throttle at all.

 

[madmikeismad]

Son of a *****. Tested voltages.
Car off: 12.8v
Car idling: 17.3
Blower motor on: 16.8
High Beams: 16.5
Revving the engine to only 3k with everything on: 18.2v!!!!!!!!!


So I've got a high performance audio system alternator here if anyone wants one.....