1995 302 battery light on low out put from alternator

output at the alt should be 14.2-14.5

Check and double check all your connections

If you have any powdercoating on your brackets, sand it off where the alternator meets.

Check your fusible links in the alternator to battery power wire

do a search and you'll find some great information by JT (hissin50)

Clay is always too nice to me.


FWIW, the CCRM is not your issue.

When you remove the alt's reg plug, you remove the grounding pathway from the battery light. This is why the light goes out. Your alt can't possibly function this way either.


Resistance checks in alt wiring are all not efficient, nor helpful.
Do some quick voltage checks. The regulator is labeled A, S, I (the letters are embossed on the reg).

A is battery voltage. If this is missing, check the alt fuse in the underhood fusebox.
I is the signal to turn the alt on. It should show 1.0+ volt while the car idles.
S should float about 1/2 battery voltage.

The one time resistance/continuity checks are useful is to check the S circuit if you have an issue there. Disconnect the reg and the little lonely plug and check continuity between both wiring pigtails (S and the lonely little guy). You should see about 1 Ohm or less.

I would really inspect the fusible links that Clay noted. Maybe a wrench hit something while doing the balancer (not accusing anyone of anything but I often try to think of what someone could have done while doing an R/R). The links on my car were on the driver's side of the PS pump housing, just before the cable goes to the PDC (underhood fusebox).

In general, check the wiring harness as it leaves the alt. The insulation can vulcanize and the wires break, short together, etc. If you have to 'chip' the wire loom off, expect to find vulcanized wiring underneath. It's a hot climate and underhood heat thing.

I've covered this stuff in greater detail before (you might find more detail in other posts) but this is the broad strokes.

Good luck.

look at that...you didn't even have to search

JT: I always recommend your info to peeps. I couldn't tell you how many times I've searched through the forums trying to find information to get me back on the road when I first started messing with cars...only to come upon your old posts. That alternator issue I had was driving me crazy...

no problem at all...always better to research and diagnose rather than throw parts at it.

Being that it started messing up after someone worked on it it's possible the alternator lead somehow touched ground (though I don't know how it would do that since you don't need to take the alternator off to change the balancer). You never know though, mistakes happen...ask me how I know, lol.

good luck on it.

Nice car btw

Does the light stay on no matter the RPM of the car?
Dont take the alternator testing good off the car as meaning it is good. I had an alternator test fine on the bench and end up being the problem, whether it was the regulator or alt.

That's great news man!

That fuse not being there will def. cause a no charge issue.....that seems kinda fishy to me though...someone had to have taken it out for some reason

Me thinks someone somehow had an accident while trying to change your balancer.

If you have any other issues just let us know

Clay