Re: Why is battery light on all the time?

Posted by JimGnitecki On 2008/6/26 17:01:55

My buddy Randy, the mechanic, IS a veteran pro mechanic and hot rodder who in fact restores and hot rods cars. He is viewed by his boss at work as THE diagnostic expert.

He checked the voltage at the generator at idle and while I revved the engine, and pronounced it fine.

He also showed me that the voltage across the battery with the engine running was well above the static 6.15 volts I have seen when the ignition is "off", but I don't remember the reading he showed me.

Interestingly, when I took the car out yesterday, the day after we did the diagnostics, it exhibited the following behaviors:

1. The battery light did go "on" when the key was turned on, but then also went out immediately after the engine was started, each and every time. This happened all afternoon while I ran errands to 7 different places. I have no idea what "changed" from the evening before.

2. The signal indicator light in the instrument panel worked reliably MOST of the afternoon, but then towards the end of the afternoon, it started this behavior: when I tuirned on either the left or right signal, the indicator lamp in the instrument panel would flash 2 times, and then stop flashing. This happened most times, but not every time, after it began to happen. When I got home, I deliberately left the car running, turned on the left signal, and stepped outside the car to look at the actual singal lamps at the front and rear of the car. Both were flashing properly even though the instrument indicator lamp was not!

Today, a day later, I stpped out to the car, put the ignition switch into the accessory position, and activated the left signal. The exterior lamps flash properly AND the instrument light is again working correctly.

Do I have a Packard ghost resident within my car?

Jim G