Thanks for the reply 5-90, I was going to pm you on this if no one replied. What happens is sometimes, usually when I get in to come home from work rather than when I get in to go to work in the morning, the check engine light will come on, I've had this occasionally for a month or 2, but recently the voltmeter will read almost in the red at start up, sometime it will correct itself when I rev it up but lately its been taking a minute or 2 on the road before it will "kick" in, while its in the red of course the lights are dim etc. so I know I have a voltage issue, thought it was just the alternator though, it is getting older now, at least the 3 years that I've had it. Any ideas anyone?
By the way this never happens when we're rolling, once I'm going the check engine light never comes on, just on start up.