Check charging system light

[SickJaySoto]

Check charging system came on as I was driving home from my sister in laws house about 50 miles from my house. Battery died on me with my family in the car. I was able to pull off to a safe place. The lights, both interior and outside lights started flashing on and off.
Is those hopefully a quick change of the alternator and battery and good to go? Or might there be a bigger issue?

 

[SickJaySoto]

Swapped the Alternator and charged the battery today. The connector on that one line wire is loose and on order now. Just wondering what it goes to if anyone can tell me. My battery and check charging system light is still on, and I’m having issues with my dimmer switch for the dash lights and interior lights. With the headlights on the dash lights are dim, and when I turn the dimmer so they should get brighter, the interior lights now turn on. Hopefully when the connector comes in and I swap it out, that helps

 

[SickJaySoto]

Update, I saw on a video that the line wire going to the regulator should be at 0 volts with the key on, engine not running, I was reading 4-5 volts. Also with the engine running I was only reading 7.5 volts, which I saw in the same video should be at battery level… what should I track down to check next?

 

[Cowpoke07]

I’m currently in the same boat. I have my dimmer turned all the way down and off , I disconnected my aftermarket radio (installed by previous owner) because I thought that was the source of why my battery was dying. I have replaced both alternator (with new not reman) and battery. I went to the scrapyard and got a back up battery harness to replace the wire connectors going to the alternator. And still I cannot find the source. I do however get a slight charge with RPMs above 1500. But I get nothing at idle. I even took off the battery harness and checked for continuity from the plug along side the battery mount, to the connectors going into the alternator voltage regulator.

 

[SickJaySoto]

The remanufactured one I got basically self destructed, and started overcharging. I was lucky to make that day as I’m an hour from work, and take desert backroads home. I ordered a motorcraft from rockauto.com and haven’t had an issue since.
One thing I used to do on other cars was add the lawnmower grounds. One from the negative terminal to the chassis, and one from the motor to the chassis and it would almost always help my voltage to the battery while idling.