I agree it sure ought to be in the charging system... the SC has nothing to do with the electrical. But I have replaced everything. There may not be any cause and effect related to the SC, but as you noted the SC doesn't come on in park. It comes on 2500rpm and it comes on when there extra load on the engine. Well that's exactly how the car behaves. No light in idle and only light on when SC is engaged. If there a short or something in the SC wiring that could feedback to the computer and cause this. And the voltage is right at 14.5 all the time except upon acceleration when the SC comes on. What's with the coincidences between the SC and the battery light.. and it is the battery light not the check engine. I will go back through everything electrical. Thanks for the feedback

 

Can think of a number of possibilities but what was the voltage reading when the light came on ? "And the voltage is right at 14.5 all the time except upon acceleration when the SC comes on".


SC clutch probably pulls 10 amps. Is the battery light brighter with the headlamps on ?


One possibility is an open diode in the Alternator - will work but not at full rated power. Probably needs a load test with a clamp on DC Ammeter.

 

I have rethought my original statement, how good is the battery?
The power to operate the SC electro magnet may take too much power from the battery.

 

Belt slippage at the alt when SC engaged?

 

My thought at first but I think if the belt slipped from SC load the belt would slip on the SC pulley.

 

Padgett: The voltage is a steady 14.5 all the time except when I accelerate. It's drops to 12volts on acceleration. And stays there until I let off. Let off, it jumps back to 14.5. At steady speed no light. Light doesn't seem brighter when lights on and voltage also is same whether lights on or off. But hard acceleration the dash lights and all lights flicker... indicating a problem electrically. The battery is new, alternator new, but I haven't checked to see if possibly it is bad for odd reasons. I am going to take to Autozone or someone tomorrow and have them check that despite it being new. But the odd phenomenom of acceleration and voltage drop is puzzling as it seems to be related to SC kicking in.

 

Padgett: The voltage is a steady 14.5 all the time except when I accelerate. It's drops to 12volts on acceleration. And stays there until I let off. Let off, it jumps back to 14.5. At steady speed no light. Light doesn't seem brighter when lights on and voltage also is same whether lights on or off. But hard acceleration the dash lights and all lights flicker... indicating a problem electrically. The battery is new, alternator new, but I haven't checked to see if possibly it is bad for odd reasons. I am going to take to Autozone or someone tomorrow and have them check that despite it being new. But the odd phenomenom of acceleration and voltage drop is puzzling as it seems to be related to SC kicking in. Does load test need to be done on bench or can it be done on car?

 

Does a load test need to be done on bench or can it be done in car?

 

Was this problem ever solved?

 

I hope so since it was in 2018.

 

When it comes to "battery light comes on at high RPMs", I had the same thing with the third alternator I put on the SE. Somewhere above 2000 rpm, the damn alternator would quit charging - belt was fine, tensioner was fine, etc.

Replacing the alternator did it. I suspect that the ripple frequency of the alternator output confused the (obviously defective) regulator - I can't prove it, but that's what it seemed like. Personally, I can't imagine the tensioner in our cars being at fault - that is a HELL of a spring. I could see the spring breaking but that would mean NO tension to speak off, and the bet would be off the pulleys in short order, or so I would certainly think. But a "weak" tensioner? I doubt that.

 

He indicated that the battery and alternator had been replaced. Possible that he has a loose connection that opens up on acceleration. More than likely the belt is slipping when the SC is working hard. I'd investigate the belt and tensioner, while in there checking the connections.