hi
the battery light on the dash randomly goes on and off
sometimes it will be on for a few seconds somethimes for half an hour
the voltmeter shows about 14/15 volts
ive yet to take a look at all the conections on the alternator (will tomorrow) i was just wondering is the alternator on its way out? is it a connection? or is it the battery?

any help appreciated

my car did the same thing i tried ignoring it for a few months but couldn't handle it so yes its the alternator on its way out

It could be the regulator inside the alternator, it will also put the battery light on if it is overcharging, on the EA's it trips at 14.55 volts, EB and ED it is 14.7 volts, not sure about the AU's

IF your battery is losing charge (ie dropping volts as well as mine was) then DO check your connections mate. I was really worried that I would have to buy a new alternator but upon closer inspection found my earth wire to the alternator ( not the plug but the lone thick wire ) was almost completely disconnected inside the wiring where it was supposed to attach to the connector that goes on the back of the alternator.
Could be movement over time ? Who knows but check before spend grassopper

check your alternator brushes and also the earth connection to the motor

i think its the regulator as its now charging at about 15 volts eikkk can you buy the regulators on their own if so how much?

thanks for your help

Yes mate you should be able to buy a regulator but I'm not sure how much they are but I understand they are cheaper than a whole alternator, perhaps $35 to $50 max ? Now I see your driving an AU and I think the alternator's are the Mitsubishi ones ( quite circular design with a diamond logo on the centre at the rear where the stator bearings seat in the rear half of the casing ).
In these alternators, they need to be DISASSEMBLED to get at the regulator which is located inside the rear half of casing. At least this was the case with my standard 1993 EBII 75 amp Mitsubishi alternator.

If you see a black well "squarish" block on the rear with some screws ( about 8 x 3 cms ) attaching it to the casing then I would say you're able to take the regulator out WITHOUT disassembly and this may indicate a Bosch unit.

My understanding is that the regulator also contains the brushes which wear out thus leading to low charging.

It's VERY simple to replace this way, so much so that I retro fitted my EB with an Aussie made Bosch unit ( 85amp ) just so I could replace the regulator myself cheaply.