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I've seen 900s that demonstrate a tremendous drop in idle and electrical output due to bad ground cables connecting the battery ground to the body whenever the cooling fans kicked on. The cable looked great from the outside but the interior wiring was badly corroded and it was causing some drops in electrical function. This may be one trouble spot for you.
Can you recall the last time you've heard your radiator cooling fans running? There's a quick test using a small screwdriver to bridge your thermo time switch on the radiator to force the fans to start spinning. What happens when you do this test?
Check for sufficient coolant in your reservoir.
Check the fuses for your radiator fans.
Your problem description makes me suspect the electrical system.
Personally I'd be reluctant to drive the vehicle in moderate ambient Virginia air temperatures for any distance where the car will warm up to normal and then encounters stop and go traffic. The overheating risk is too great. I'd only drive it if you have very short distances where there's no risk of warm/hot stop and go driving.
You mentioned that your alternator was replaced recently. Who did that work and can they investigate your current electrical problem? The new alternator may be malfunctioning. If you can, glance down beneath your master brake cylinder and look for loose or disconnected wiring; there are only a few that attach to your alternator.
An improperly grounded alternator will give you problems.
The voltage regulator in your alternator may be failing which would prevent sufficient recharge of your battery. A dying battery could produce some of the symptoms that you're describing.
To sum up:
1. verify that radiator fans are functional
2. check for 13+ volts charging at the battery
3. check for loose alternator wiring and/or grounding
4. is there sufficient engine coolant in your reservoir?
All the steps listed above are covered in wide detail within this board's archive.
These are quick guesses given your description.
Good luck.
posted by 166.77.103...
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