Battery Light stays ON when car is OFF
 

I had a weird issue over the weekend. I took my '64 out for a ride and stopped at the parts store. As soon as I turned the car OFF to go inside, the battery light came on, and stayed on. So, I started the car, shut it off again and the light went out.

After leaving the parts store, I drove home, parked the car in the garage, shut the car off and the battery light stayed on again. I disconnected the battery, and reconnected it, and the light stayed off.

I didn't find much in the service manual about this. I haven't done much troubleshooting yet, but could it be the battery? The alternator? The regulator?

I have never had this happen before. It had been a while since I drove the car and the battery is old, but it still cranks the car over without a problem. All the harnesses are new as well.

Sounds like the key switch in the dash is going bad. Try to get a NOS GM ignition switch.. The 9 terminal has an extra terminal thats a switched ground to kill the AC when you start the car..

Thanks. It is a repop that I got about 5 years ago. I will try to find a NOS one, or at the very least another repop

I think it could also be a bad rectifier in the alt.

I had it happen before, one of the diodes in the alternator failed. Check the battery voltage - if it goes up more than 14.5 volts or so when the engine is revved that's probably the problem.

Check the regulator too, I've seen them cause that problem before.

X2
 

Does sound like a sticky mechanical regulator.

Should listen for a click when he takes the battery cable off.

Thanks guys! I will check all these things this weekend and report back.