charging light on with ignition off?
 

Charging light stays on when ignition off, then when the ignition is on, the light is off? can a short cause this? i've got multimeter and test lamp in hand. i've been disconnecting and checking under the dash, as well as engine bay.
any suggestions will help?
thanks

did you swap the alt recently?

Is the ignition staying on when the key is off?

No, its the original alternator. and yes, intermittently the ignition will stay on with the key in off position.

if it is intermittent, I would think that it is a bad ignition switch.

Do you have a lot of things hanging from the Key? Too much weight will bust the switch.

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I'm getting voltage at both pins at the connector to the alternator. I am unable to get more distinct with the online FSM. I know one wire goes straight to the charging light and the other???

One of the alternator wires , the W/L, goes directly to the EGI or Main fuse on a series five. IT has power all the time, unless the battery is out of the car.

The other goes to the warning lights. The ALT warning light comes on if the W/B wire has a gnd on it. That wire WILL have a gnd on it if the alt is not putting out. As in the engine not running.

For the Warning light to come on, not only do you have to have a gnd on the W/B wire, but you have to have power to the Warning light assy. THAT power come from the METER fuse. THAT is your problem.

The METER fuse cannot have power on it unless the ignition key is to ON.

So. Either your ignition key/switch is buggered up, OR you have something back feeding power to the IG1 fuses in the interior fuse box.

I don't think it's the alternator because you say BOTH small wires on the alt have power. One from the EGI should have power. The other one that has power, the White/Black one, is backfeeding power from the METER fuse, which might be normal if the key was to OFF and not in the igniton.

So. What other lights/meters are on when the key is to OFF? And remove the small plug from the alternator before you answer that. Then take a look and see what other indications there are that the ignition is still ON even with the key to OFF.

No, it's not a short causeing the problem.

IF you have indications there is power on with the key to OFF, then find the ignition switch plugs, located about a foot fwd of the switch itself. Pull the two wire plug apart that has a Black/White wire and a pure Black wire. THEN see if you still have power to *whatever it is*.

Anytime the small plug is off the alt, the WARNING light for the ALT should not show.

still going at it.