Get a voltmeter! Radio Shack sells a lighter-socket LED voltmeter for
$6.00! You will never have to guess at the state of your charging
system while you have one of these plugged in. And, if you can't
diagnose the problem if the lights don't do what they are supposed to,
you will have much more information to report to someone on the list
trying to help.
Why wait for a flat battery to strand you? You can see the problem
coming, ususally for weeks in advance, with a voltmeter.
Hugo, whoever sold you the alternator should be able to sort this out
and stand behind it. If not, you are buying your parts from the wrong
place.
Brian Holm
norgo@casagrande.com wrote:
>
> All,
>
> I recently had a new alternator put in my Pug. The alternator warning light
> came on the first time a heavy load (i.e, the lights were on) was put on the
> new alternator. I looked under the hood and found that my mechanic had
> forgotten to tighten up the positive lead to the battery. I tightened it,
> and the improvement was quite noticeable: the alternator warning light now
> glows dull when a load is on the alternator instead of brightly as before.
> Nonetheless, the light still does glow. Yet the battery has not gone
> flat...although I haven't been driving at night much. I'm assuming that the
> the alternator is fine (afterall I've been driving for two weeks without the
> battery going flat) and that either the alternator warning light is goofy or
> there's some connection problem somewhere. Does any one have any thoughts
> on this problem?
>
> TIA
> Hugo
> '87 505 STX
> Casa Grande, AZ