Alternator not charging...

Hi I have a 1990 325i BMW. I have replaced the alt and battery and it still won't hold a charge. I looked on some forms and they said the battery light is a fuseable link and if it was out it would cause it not to charge. I checked the bulb and it's good but the car still won't hold a charge. If I could get so help it would be greatly appreciated.

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This post was auto-generated based upon a question asked on our tech article page here: Pelican Technical Article: Troubleshooting Electrical Problems on Your BMW

[Wayne 962]

I don't think that battery is as you describe. I think on older cars, some were setup similar to that, but not as far as I know on your car. More likely you have a poor ground between the battery and the alternator. Check the resistance using an ohm-meter between the battery negative and the housing of the alternator - should be near zero. If not, you may have a missing or disconnected engine / transmission ground strap.

- Wayne