Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuiie
mach4 sorry for the misinformation I ment to say the battery light comes on during initial key on before starting then goes out after the engine is running so if the light does not come on during or when there is trouble with the charging system or the battery then how do I know how reliable is it since there is no volt or ammeter to go by?
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There is a lot of information that is not provided by gauges. For example there is no boost gauge, no vacuum gauge, no oil temp gauge, no egt and so forth. MB has provided information on the key components - fuel, oil pressure, water temperature and idiot lights for others like the alternator. It's kind of like a first cut. If there is no battery light, you can be assured you'll not have charging (the alternator needs voltage to the field in order to start charging) and the light is actually indicating that there is power to the alternator.
If you have a problem, or suspect you do, then it's time to break out the diagnostic tools - in this case a multimeter would give you a first cut on charging voltage and also battery voltage. You can't definitively test a battery without a load test, but low voltage would be a good indicator. At this point it would be good to check your battery terminals, test your battery voltage and test your charging voltage. That will provide data for any additional tests needed.