For what it's worth, I've been having a similar problem. My alternator had died, and even though it was dead, the battery light in the dash did not come on when the engine was running.

95 Contour Zetec, ATX (wrecked, sitting in the barn) 95 Mystique Zetec, MTX 2000 Taurus SEL 3.0L Duratec 1994 Crown Victoria LX 4.6 V8 1993 Chevy Silverado 4.3 V6