Hi guys, went out in the car yesterday and was greeted shortly after setting off by the battery warning light on the dash. Popped the bonnet and found a lot of oil everywhere. The seal has failed and covered the engine bay and alternator. The alternator is now knackered and also requires replacing.

It turns out that this is a very labour intensive job to replace what is a relatively cheap seal. I'm looking at a bill of around £800 for the seal replacement, alternator replacement, air con re gas and an oil change. It could have been worse I guess!!