1) If it didn't glow at all I'd say the plug had fallen out of the back of
the alternator or there was some other disconnection. But glowing some of
the time - and at the wrong times, as it happens - means there is some other
problem inside the alternator either with the voltage regulator, diodes,
brushes etc.
The light should glow brightly when you first turn on the ignition, go out
when the engine is started and revved to at least 900rpm, and not come on
again unless the revs drop below about 600rpm. The only other time the
light will glow is if the ignition is switched off or otherwise disconnected
i.e. due to a fault while the engine is still spinning. You can see this if
you rev the engine just before you switch off the ignition, where the light
will come on the flicker and die as the engine slows and stops.
2) Yes it is, if is wasn't put in properly to begin with. Does the lever
waggle about i.e. have any free play when it is in gear? On both my cars it
doesn't, but it did when the anti-rattle gizmo was missing. There is a
little plastic ferrule that goes between the small ball on the end of the
lever and the socket in the shaft in the gearbox extension. It seemed more
natural to me to put this in to the shaft first then replace the lever, but
I found this pushed the ferrule out the bottom of the shaft and onto the
ground. Maybe yours only got pushed out after a bit of driving. I had to
fit it to the ball end first, then push the two into the shaft. Even then I
had to chamfer the end of the ferrule as it was a really tight fit. The
plate that hold the lever in to the extension has three shouldered bolts and
springs, and there is also another spring and bit of metal which also bears
on the large ball when the plate is in place. All these also prevent rattle
and slop. Certain years also suffered from a buzzing which comes from
inside the knob, which was just poor design.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
> First item: my charging indicator light no longer lights up when I turn
the
> key on
>
> Second item: Is it possible for anti-rattle mechanisms to fall out or
> apart?
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