Dead or Dying Battery, or?

THIS IS WHY (guys and girls) "we" need to learn to troubleshoot, unless "you like" throwing money at it

Possibilities..........green field connection or that end of rotor is grounded causing "full field" charging
VR is UNgrounded
VR is actually defective
Harness voltage drop---the "usual" problem
I dont see a bad battery causing those symptoms, but a bad battery can cause things like never returning the ammeter to zero

Start car run at fast idle, monitor battery voltage. Disconnect VR. If voltage drops to below 13, alternator rotor/ field/ brushes are not shorted

Remove VR scrape mounting bolts and remount making certain it is grounded

If voltage is still high, check for voltage drop in harness

If voltage drop tests are OK replace VR

To check for voltage drop, turn key to run, engine stopped. Hook one end of meter to "key" side of ballast, stab the other into the battery POS post. You are hoping for a reading below .3V (3/10 of one volt) If reading is a volt or more this explains the over-charge

To check "ground" side, run engine at fast idle, make the following check first with accessories off, and again with lights, heater, etc running

Stab one probe into battery NEG post and stab other into VR mounting flange, make sure to stab through paint, rust, etc. Once again, the lower the reading the better, zero is perfect.

The voltage drops measured above will result in the addition of charge voltage, that is IF the VR is correctly working at about 14V and you have 2V drop in the above measurements, the system will charge at 16V