Charge Light

Jimbo1177 · Post by **Jimbo1177** » December 30th, 2007, 1:54 pm

My charge light on my instrument cluster has started to flicker on and off while driving. I replaced the battery as I had had it for several years but that didnt help. I had the alternator replaced with a rebuilt one two years ago. Any ideas what it might be? Hoping to get it into a shop soon, just wanted to see what if anyone had an idea what I might be in for before hand. Thanks.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » December 30th, 2007, 6:50 pm

check the grounds to your battery, starter, alternator, and the engine ground. It could be that your grounds are too carroded.

se7en · Post by **se7en** » December 30th, 2007, 9:03 pm

also, it could be a crappy alternator. I have run into that before with cheaper rebuilt ones.

They usually only last like 2 years. check your warranty, and maybe get it tested at a parts store.

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Jimbo1177 · Post by **Jimbo1177** » December 31st, 2007, 1:37 am

Thanks for the input. Kind of what I figured but I just wanted to make sure there werent any MX-3 specific culprits.

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » December 31st, 2007, 3:03 pm

The charge light is almost always, in my experience, due to the rectifier...which is in the alternator. This is where old cars are nice because the regulator and recitifier are separate from the alternator and really easy to test.

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » December 31st, 2007, 3:18 pm

This is where old cars are nice because the regulator and recitifier are separate from the alternator and really easy to test.

Still pretty easy to test on our cars too.. Just get out your handy dandy volt meter.. check battery voltage.. record the reading.. start the car.. and check battery voltage again. If the regulator is bad.. you will see the voltage at the battery jumping around erratically even at normal curb idle speed. Just saw this exact symptom 2 days ago on Supermans DE swapped MX-3. Charge light is on solid and voltage at the battery with the engine idle was bouncing between 13.4 on upto 16.1, Pretty sure thats the regulator gone bad. Pretty easy fix though on the V6 cars

Tunes67

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » January 2nd, 2008, 1:28 am

Point taken and of course you're correct. I guess what I meant to say, and was really thinking, is that to repair a regulator or recitfier nowadays you have to repair the alternator as they are internal.

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