MSD/Starting/Charging Issue, Novice Needs Help

10 volts? That battery is beyond dead.

If you have a battery charger, put it on the battery overnight. Trying to charge a battery that badly drained once you get the charging system working can be very hard on an alternator.

The charging system problem is fairly easy to troubleshoot. One field wire is connected to +12v with the key on. The other field wire goes straight to the regulator.

Disconnect the wire that runs straight to the regulator from the alternator. This should leave you with +12v on the still connected field wire with the key on. Now check the voltage at the other field terminal, it should be close to the voltage at the other field terminal. If it is zero volts, then your alternator has a bad brush or rotor winding.

If you have voltage on the field terminal that you disconnected the regulator from, start the car. Connect your voltmeter to the battery. Connect a jumper wire to the field terminal on the alternator that you disconnected the wire from. Ground this wire while observing the battery voltage. If the alternator is ok, it will charge at it's maximum output. This is "full fielding" the alternator. You may see charge voltages as high as 17v. This test should be done only long enough to verify alternator output.

If the alternator charges when full fielded, then the problem is the regulator, or a wiring defect.

Hope this helps.

B.