My 2000 Protege 1.6L DX (115k mi)died of what appeared to be a bad alternator 1.5 months ago. Got the alternator replaced, and a week ago it died again of the same alternator symptoms! The mechanic took it back and replacedthe alternator thathe determined wasa 'dud.' As he was fixing a few other small issues, various electrical systems (lights, clock, stereo) began to dim. At this point it's clearly not the alternator, and the voltage suppliedis bouncing around between 12 - 17 volts. After a thorough search (or so I'm told) revealed no shorts or grounding problems, he concluded the only other option is to replace the Power Control Module.

This is not a cheap proposition, but he was able to find a used one for $300. I'm having nightmares of perpetual electrical system headaches once the swap is made. Is this a reasonable solution and am I being paranoid for no reason? Maybe someone can suggest something we've missed.