System Check - Charging

When the charging system is operating normally, the charge indicator lamp will come on when the ignition switch is turned on and will go out when the engine starts. If the lamp operates abnormally, refer to Instrument Cluster System Check. If an undercharged or overcharged battery condition occurs, refer to Battery Is Undercharged or Overcharged. Remember that an undercharged battery is often caused by accessories being left on overnight, or by a rear compartment or instrument panel compartment lamp that stays on. Testing and Inspection

Noise from a generator may be caused by the following components:
^ Improper routing of hoses, wiring or shielding against the generator housing.
^ A loose drive pulley
^ Loose mounting bolts
^ Worn or dirty bearings
^ A faulty diode
^ A faulty stator
^ Brush/slip ring friction

Precautions
^ Do not reverse the connections to the generator.
^ Do not short across, or ground any of the terminals in the charging circuit, except as directed by the instructions.
^ Do net attempt to hot wire the generator by connecting B+ voltage to any of the generator 4-way connector terminals. Use only an approved test harness as described in these instructions.
^ Never disconnect the output terminal while the generator is operating.
^ Use only approved Metri-pack terminal probe adapters to connect the meter leads and the jumper wires to the connector terminals. Using improper adapters will damage the concrete terminals and cause charging system or test harness failure.
^ Before connecting a charger or a booster battery to the vehicle battery, refer to Battery Charging.

Inspection
Before testing the generator inspect the following components and conditions:
^ Battery. Verily that the vehicle battery is in good condition and fully charged. Refer to Battery Check. Testing and Inspection
^ Built-in hydrometer in the battery. The green eye must be showing in the hydrometer.
^ The voltage across the battery terminals with all loads OFF should be above 12 volts.
^ Verify that the battery connections are clean and tight.
^ Drive belt for damage or looseness.
^ Wiring harness at the generator. Verify that the harness connector is tight and latched. Verify that the output terminal of the generator is connected to the vehicle battery positive generator lead.
^ All charging system related fuses and electrical connections for damage or looseness.