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Hi,
Yes checking the chassis grounds is always a good idea.
The negative side of all the cars circuits IS one half the whole system in one fell swoop. But there are two grounds. One for the engine block and the other for the cars chassis or body components.
The positive side splits at the starter and another circuit goes onward to feed the fuse panel.
Failure in these are noticed with each item when it doesn’t work.
You are looking towards a system failure itself for under charging.
It could be a worn alternator after knowing it has good connections.
A battery that old can fool the regulator to some extent by itself. One cell could cause a false feed back but you are saying the battery is rather fresh.
So we are looking for bad cables.
The alternator works directly back and forth on those main cables and the housing of the alternators. The regulator itself senses tenths of a volt changes to ground.
This after the excitation from instrument clusters D+ wire and the idiot light goes out. The alternator is an independent system working on the cables.
Corrosion on the cable ends need to be inspected.
I have read the following and there maybe You Tube on this procedure someplace.
This is an old school test procedure.
I have used it much because I keep my cables in good working order.
It is a way to check the circuit side with a voltage meter to see if you can get all zeros on both sides.
It involves put both leads of the meter on terminal post to either a ground point or the other end of the positive side. Both leads on the same side should give nothing to read. Zeros.
A voltmeter needs to be across the battery’s potential to read 12.65.
If you get any reading at all there is a resistance somewhere along the cables or ground points.
It want be much but more than a digital on internal hunting or if the leads are closed.
It’s worth a shot.
I was able to troubleshoot a persons diesel truck once.
It was more interesting because he had two batteries so twice as many possible bad connections but only one alternator system.
It was a starter connector and possibly the engine ground, so it was the positive side and a ground.
You inspect and clean them all in this case.
In fact we decided a new cable was in order as there’s nothing extra is left in length on them from the manufacturers. Save a few pennies here cost dollars later but not on them!
What I don’t remember is whether a circuit has to be on some where but most of the time there is something on in todays cars.
So play around with it and see if the voltmeter can indicate an issue.
Anyways good luck and thanks for all the feedback it keeps interests up on the BRICKBOARD.
Phil
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