# Battery light issue

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [September 6, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678 "2011-09-06T00:14:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ibbiyaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@ibbiyaya](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ibbiyaya)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/1 "2011-09-06T00:14:58Z")

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Today my 98 Expedition just started at 50 mph or 3000 rpm with battery light flickering and voltage fluctuation toward high end of 18 volts. Battery is 1 month old. No problems under 45 mph or 2500 rpm. Any ideas??

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**Author:** ![bennyandthejets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@bennyandthejets](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bennyandthejets)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/2 "2011-09-06T02:04:58Z")

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Sounds like the voltage regulator in the alternator has gone south. If you can verify the voltage is really that high with a reliable VOM, I’d change it before you burn out all of your light bulbs.

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**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 9:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/3 "2011-09-06T09:41:15Z")

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The alternator is bad alright. Change it out ASAP.

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**Author:** ![Bisbonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Bisbonian](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bisbonian)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/4 "2011-09-06T18:42:56Z")

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The battery light doesn’t tell you the condition of the battery, it is better to think of it as a charging system warning light.

Agree with the above posts regarding your alternator though.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/5 "2011-09-06T19:56:48Z")

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Make mine a 4th vote for the voltage regulator in the alternator.

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**Author:** ![beninsd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@beninsd](https://community.cartalk.com/u/beninsd)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/6 "2011-09-06T22:35:51Z")

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Actually GM had a problem with an intermittent connection on the ignition wires that went to the starter. They had some wires that connected to the battery cable post on the starter, and if they ran into an intermittent short, they would suddenly show a voltage jump that would max out the voltage gauge. I had this happen recently to me.

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**Author:** ![FordMan59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@FordMan59](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FordMan59)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/7 "2011-09-06T22:51:25Z")

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Sounds like a bad voltage regulator.

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**Author:** ![ibbiyaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@ibbiyaya](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ibbiyaya)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-light-issue/67678/8 "2011-09-07T13:18:10Z")

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THANKS–getting checked/fixed today.