multiple trouble lights

[LASERBRAIN]

hey everybody. i feel like an idiot for having to ask about this as this is my second laser and i should know better by now, but this morning on the way to work, i got to a stoplight, and stopped and then i noticed that the radiator light and the battery light as well as the brake light in the cluster were all on at a not so bright kind of way... no check engine light though, and they all came on at once. i got to the parking lot, popped the hood, no leakage, no odors, engine running fine. (it seems) i have the factory service manuals, and the haynes... i thumbed through both (except the electrical volume) and i couldn't find anything off hand that would tell my why these three lights come on and stay on. i tried turning off the engine and taking the key out for a while, then putting it back in to see if the thing might reset, but it didn't. neither of my cars ever came with an owners manual, i know that kind of stuff is sometimes listed in there....does anyone know what this could be?
thanks
Jon 91 Laser (1.8L) Hey, it keeps me out of trouble! well, almost...

 

[LASERBRAIN]

one more thing i failed to mention: the whole time, no matter how i drove the car or revved the engine, the oil pressure was in normal tolerances and the engine never got any hotter than it usually does. just the lights coming on.... so wierd.
Jon

 

[ArticNemesis]

When those three lights come on, I am sure it refers to a dying alternator / battery (has to do with charging system.)

 

[Kevin90GSX]

Originally posted by ArticNemesis
When those three lights come on, I am sure it refers to a dying alternator / battery (has to do with charging system.)

ditto what he said. Its probably one of those. Is the car misfiring at all? Ive also seen the lights kick on because of bad plug wires and such.

 

[LASERBRAIN]

well, i looked through the electrical volume of the factory dervice manual, and it turns out that the battery light will only come on if there is a problem with the charging system. regardless if any other lights come on. sure enough, i checked the voltage at the battery with the engine off, and it read 12.24. and again with the engine running; 12.41. not good. so i searched far and wide, (i.e. advanced auto parts, autozone,carquest...) nobody had a 75 amp alternator in stock. i called pep boys but they put me on hold for a year, so i hung up.. tried going there... they had the cheapest one with a lifetime warranty. 164.99 w/core. everyone else wanted 180.00 and Pep-boys had it in stock! so that was cool. 3 hours to locate the part, 10 minutes to put in back in. and the bosh alternator, comes with it's own individual readout of the computer testing that it has undergone and mine will do 101 amps max. that's bada$$. so thanx to everyone who gave their two cents. I really appreciate it.
Jon

 

[Defiant]

Originally posted by LASERBRAIN
i got to a stoplight, and stopped and then i noticed that the radiator light and the battery light as well as the brake light in the cluster were all on at a not so bright kind of way...

I've seen this a lot with DSMs, and I don't know _why_ the brake and radiator lights come on when the alternator dies.

Eh, but I don't get having the regulator in the ECU, either. Odd stuff.