Thanks for your response, Steve...
And I'm sure you're right - the light is not indicating a charging system
failure. I know this for two reasons.
1. Even though it's been glowing for perhaps 2-1/2 years, the battery
(which was old when I bought the car eight years ago) still spins the
starter faster than any other B I've owned. If there were a charging
failure, the battery would have failed long ago.
2. My voltmeter tells me there is two volts more voltage on the brown
circuit than on the white circuit. Since the light bridges brown/yellow
from the alternator with the white downstream of the ignition switch, the
2-volt difference between the two is causing the 2-volt glow on the lamp.
Regarding the remainder of your argument, however, remember a white wire is
only a switched brown wire - and the light *does* (and should) glow all the
time when the engine isn't running - as long as the switch is on - for
precisely the reason you state.
I emphatically agree with your final statement: "Fun stuff!"
Allen
>From: "Steve Murphy" <k8vo@flyingbeers.org>
>
>Hi,
>You might have noticed my post and the replies a few weeks ago about the
>same problem...
>
>Theoretically, the lamp should glow in the presence of a diffential voltage
>between the battery and the alternator, but, it is wired between the
>alternator and the switched ignition wiring, even though the alternator's
>"charging" output is connected directly to the battery circuit. If it were
>wired to the actual battery circuit, the lamp would glow whenever the engine
>was not running!...
******************************************
Allen H. Bachelder =iii=<
Sinking Creek Home for Wayward MGs
49 YT, 57 ZB, 58 ZB, 65 B, 67 BGT, 73 B, 73BGT, 76 B, &...
New Castle, VA 24127
USA
540/544-7333
******************************************
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