Originally posted by Jason732:
Problem:
After starting the car, the "battery" light stays on, indicating some kind of charging system abnormality. As you drive, the light flickers oh-so-slightly the whole time. If you rev the engine, the light will completely turn off after a certain RPM is reached (what RPM that is, I don't know. I don't have a tach). The light becomes dim, but is still on.

I had a charging system diagnostic done at a local parts store and it was confirmed that there was 0 charging voltage detected. It was suggested that there may be a loose wire on the alternator.

What are the odds that there actually is a loose wire? Wouldn't a lose wire with sparatic contact at least make that 0v on the charging line fluctuate a little?




Not too likely...maybe a damaged wire/damaged post due to being loose and/or overtightened at one time.

Inspect it. If it looks OK, you probably just need to start thinking about having the alternator replaced.