Lights on inst. cluster : battery

[Bukowski]

Turn key on : what should I see on the instrument cluster?

I'm getting a ! and a red light at the battery scale, under the lowest voltage.battery level needle goes from 12 to about 1/2 way between 12 and the next mark. Battery is less than a year old, alternator new. Still have to check for excess discharge.

After ignition, ! and the battery light go to the off position, i.e. dark.

[dgcantrell]

While running (the car, not you.. LOL) or not running?

[Bukowski]

Not running

[dgcantrell]

I think it's normal. Mine does the same thing. No issues with the battery or charging. What does the voltmeter gauge say when it's running. Anything above the 12 volt (even if it's just a little) is what you want. Well, at least between 12 and the red warning at the top of the gauge. (14-15volts, I can't remember exactly) Normally it will jump to about max charge on startup and then drop down depending on how many electrical items you have switched on.

[Bukowski]

looking good - thanks.

[DannoXYZ]

Also note that the "battery" light is powered by the voltage-regulator and is technically called a "charge lamp". When it goes on while the car's running, it signals a failed alternator, NOT a bad battery.

[Bukowski]

DannoXYZ - light never came on during normal operation, however, HF tester indicated bad alternator and good battery. Alternator is now new.

Pelican - get that alternator gasket as an add-on for customers, would save a lot of time to fix all the other things on the car!

[Bukowski]

update:

[!] and [RED] lights have been recently strong at key on, but turn off when engine running.

have a problem where the starter does nothing - maybe the radio turns on - for 3 seconds, before it starts like new. Updated my other post on testing for current leaks. suspecting the now functional power antenna of the radio.

[Bukowski]

alright - some time and things have come to pass, and now here's what happens:

engine cold
key on
every single warning light comes on.
key -> ignition/start
engine running
every single warning light turns off
gauges read good values (skipping details for now)
key -> off
engine : hot
key : on
[ same as above ]

... going to look again today...or tomorrow...

shouldn't this be exactly the same for every 944?

why wouldn't these light up before, but now they do?

I still don't understand what the warning lights are supposed to do in an everything-normal scenario...

[djnolan]

The warning lights all come on when you turn the key to run before starting to show you the bulb is good. Once the engine starts, they should all go out unless there is a problem or something is on like the parking brake or parking lights.

[Bukowski]

checked again : cold or hot, result is same as above.

... so why wouldn't the warning lights turn on - as they do normally, as decribed here - but then all of a sudden go to working normally?

... some things that occurred before this happened were the oil pressure warning lights turning on while driving with oil that is too thin for summer... which led me to speculate that the computer had some particular data configuration where the lights don't come on, but the high-temp / low oil-P condition reset something in the computer, sort of resetting things back to normal.

[944 Ecology]

The computer has nothing to do with the lights in the instrument cluster.

A peek at the wiring diagram for the cluster would make that obvious.

[Bradical]

Originally Posted by Bukowski

so why wouldn't the warning lights turn on - as they do normally, as decribed here - but then all of a sudden go to working normally?

The electrical system is 31 years old. Mine has been gone through with a fine-toothed comb, extensively- with nearly every component replaced and it STILL does random things that defy logic.

And all of the warning lights are circuits set among sensors and senders- the DME computer strickly deals with injector pulses based on engine speed, afm position and allows components like the fuel pump relay and ignition coil to operate. Its not gathering information and generating codes like a modern vehicle.

[Bukowski]

... and now, back to the expected [ ! / battery-red-light / oil-pressure-red-light ] on when the key is turning on the electrical system. This is the day after some hot driving, when the oil pressure light comes on at idle, but disappears if you tap the gas pedal. One difference with before is I was parked on a slight incline overnight.

I'll report back what happens after driving around a while.