ok, i just went out to perfom the load test on battery and what do you know, its flat. will do it once its fully charged - at the moment it could be an indication that the battery is in fact rooted. although, ive noticed prior to this i would have to have a battery is about 14v for the car to even crank over and when it does it struggles to start. if it doesnt start, it seems as though it is draining the battery everytime i try to start it to the point where if i hold it to the 'start' position all you could hear is the ticking noise that is associated with the starter motor. having said this, when this all started i did get electrical smoke coming form the alternator region so could the alternator be the culprit as it isnt charging the battery like it is suppose to.