Alt and Oil Light Blinking

[Anonymous]

Hello all, let me first say that I am a complete newcomer when it comes to cars. Yesterday, after driving my 1965 mustang around, I parked it in my driveway put it in park, turned off the car and all of sudden those "Alt" and Oil warning lights started blinking back and forth. Sometimes they'll go on when my car dies, but this was odd because they continued to blink even once I had shut the car off.

Anyways, I wake up this morning to find that the battery is dead. I was just wondering if there were any quick fixes, I am so inexperienced, so I don't know if this is a short circuit or what. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[addo]

I'd say that your ignition switch is probably faulty, and the instrumentation power feed continued after shutoff. It might be worth testing to see if power was still feeding to the coil!

Unless you have a modern radio with security code, if the lights stay on you might want to look at either a supplementary switch to kill the battery current, or simply disconnecting a terminal (maybe with one of those add-on battery post switches).

Regards, Adam.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks, i'll check that stuff out.

 

[Lazy JW]

... turned off the car and all of sudden those "Alt" and Oil warning lights started blinking back and forth. Sometimes they'll go on when my car dies, but this was odd because they continued to blink even once I had shut the car off...

I presume you left the car sitting with the lights blinking. This is a quaranteed dead battery in the making. If this ever happens again, be sure to disconnect the battery.

I am puzzled by the "blinking back and forth". Do you mean that one comes on, goes off, and the other one comes on? Are they ever on at the same time? Or just one, then the other?

Have you had any work done any time recently on the car?
Joe

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a diode in the alternator died.

Do you have another alternator to swap on to see if that is the problem? You could also pull the alternator off and have it tested. Check the voltage regulator, too.

 

[Lazy JW]

.. Check the voltage regulator, too.

That was my first thought but the "blinking" has me baffled. On a 65 the cutout relay should stay disengaged. Not sure what could cause the blinking unless the cutout relay were cycling on and off. Can't really fathaom what would cause it though.

That's why I asked the specific questions.
Joe

 

[80broncoman]

No matter what happens Disconnect the battery when parking over night till you know the wireing is in good working order.

I'd disconnect all wires that are not factory till you get the basic wireing sorted out. I have seen many wireing problems related to a "older Fix" by a previous owner.

I presume you left the car sitting with the lights blinking. This is a quaranteed dead battery in the making. If this ever happens again, be sure to disconnect the battery.
Joe