Dimly Lighted Battery Indicator Light

[yuri2002]

okay, the battery reading with the car off is 12.68V. While it is idling, it's at 13.85-14.0V. When I revved it up, the reading briefly jumped to 14.15-14.3V, then dropped to 14.0V. I have cleaned all the contacts, and I applied the battery anti-corrosion disc on each terminal. The charge indicator light went out after the rain shower we had yesterday for about 150miles, but it came back and stay lighted dimly for another 50 miles with no rain. So if CTScott is correct, then it's just another annoyance I have to live with till I sell the car. Boy, I am not too impress with toyota quality. I didn't expect a Denso alternator to go back after 120K miles. On the other hand, it has been trouble free for 4.5 years and the gas saving is great. Thanks all for your help :)

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by yuri2002

okay, the battery reading with the car off is 12.68V. While it is idling, it's at 13.85-14.0V. When I revved it up, the reading briefly jumped to 14.15-14.3V, then dropped to 14.0V. I have cleaned all the contacts, and I applied the battery anti-corrosion disc on each terminal. The charge indicator light went out after the rain shower we had yesterday for about 150miles, but it came back and stay lighted dimly for another 50 miles with no rain. So if CTScott is correct, then it's just another annoyance I have to live with till I sell the car. Boy, I am not too impress with toyota quality. I didn't expect a Denso alternator to go back after 120K miles. On the other hand, it has been trouble free for 4.5 years and the gas saving is great. Thanks all for your help :)

If you want to test my theory on the aftermarket alternator, measure the voltage on the sky blue wire in pin 1 (right most top pin) of the left connector on the cluster.

[yuri2002]

sorry scottCT, I don't know where is the connector with the sky blue wire? Can you show me a pic and tell me how I would measure the voltage? Thanks

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by yuri2002

sorry scottCT, I don't know where is the connector with the sky blue wire? Can you show me a pic and tell me how I would measure the voltage? Thanks

The connector is the left one of the two that connect to the instrument cluster. You need to measure the voltage between the blue wire on the top right of the connector and a ground point (like the sheet metal on the left side of the picture). If your can't get your meter probe into the connector to touch the pin, which the wire is crimped to, you will have to stick something like a paper clip into the connector hole to touch the pin with. Put your meter on the voltage mode, and with the engine running take that measurement.

CHG wire.jpg