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Topic: Battery indicator light stays on... (Read 1298 times) previous topic - next topic

Battery indicator light stays on...

Hi Everybody - got an 84 302 that has been sitting for a while.  The battery was dead, so I jumped it, drove it for a while all was well.  Restarted it today and the dashboard battery indicator light stays on after the car has started. 

I checked the battery with a voltmeter - it registers 12v with the car off.  I get 14.02 with the car running, so it seems the alternator is charging fine and the regulator seems to be doing it's job as well as the voltage with the car running is 14.02. 

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas?  I need to take it to have the emissions checked and the testing station told me they won't even check it with an indicator light on - so any help/advice that anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Battery indicator light stays on...

Reply #1
From my experence with the early style external regualted setup. It that the push on plugs on the back of the alt get lose or the Big plug about 6-10" away from the alt has a bad conection. I fought with that in my 84 T/c  until the 3G swap. But make shure those are tight and the big plug isn't melted or something. inspect the wires and look for corosion. Those plugs on the back you might try to repace with crimp on ring terminals.
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird

Battery indicator light stays on...

Reply #2
pull the batt lightbulb. the resistor parralel to it will keep your alt charging
louie  :birdsmily:
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]       
My famous last words:
It seemed like a good idea at the time.        88TC R.I.P.      88 Sport build in progress

Battery indicator light stays on...

Reply #3
The regulator is likely bad... Pull it's plug, if the light goes out thats you problem...

Battery indicator light stays on...

Reply #4
Sounds like you are missing the stator voltage from the alternator to the voltage regulator.
With the engine running you should have 7 volts on the "S" terminal of the regulator. That's the white with black stripe wire. If you don't have it there check the "S" terminal on the alternator.

The stator voltage causes the regulator to open the ground circuit for the battery indicator lamp. This is the light green wire with red stripe on the "I" terminal of the regulator.

 

Light is out - THANKS

Reply #5
Hi Everybody - just wanted to say thanks for the replies and great info.  On the surface, the wiring looked fine, but after I pulled the alternator and dug into it a bit deeper, I found that one of the connectors for the push on wires on the back had become corroded AND the big grey connector 3 wire connector between the alternator and the regulator was basically falling apart. 

Cleaned up the wiring and pigtailed the grey connector and I'm back in business.  THANKS AGAIN to all who replied!