Okay I just got some more info.
With the key ON the light is ON.
When running the light is either completely off or slightly dim/pulsing. Reving the engine at this point makes the light grow very bright (full brightness) and then die down again and pulse.
When connected to my charger (turned off) and
running, the voltage slowly drops/hovers around 11.5-11.9v.
I turn
on my charger at 20 amps and watch the multimeter. It goes straight to 12.00.
after sitting at 12.00 for about 60 seconds it will then become 12.02... pause 12.03... less of a pause 12.04... once at 12.1 it is a tenth every second 12.2, 12.3 then really jumps in about 2-3 seconds to 15.00v and the battery light in the dash is now still dimly glowing or off entirely and the engine is idling faster (probably because of my lift pump seeing the high voltage).
I turn the charger off but leave it connected and the voltage drops immediately to 14.23-14.24v.
Disconnect the thing entirely still sits around 14.23 and the battery light is sometimes glowing (im refraining from saying on because it's never solid) sometimes not...
I can get the alternator to start working but only with the help of the battery charger.
Sounds to me like it's this light circuit. Could i have a cracked fuse? or ... a relay not working properly or do i need a whole new gauge cluster
($$$)
I also just read these threads after posting this above post ^
http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=29314.15http://forums.fourtitude.com/showthread.php?5290185-The-infamous-blue-exciter-wireI've checked the post that the blue wire is connected to numerous times. It always shows the exact voltage that i get across the battery when the car is running.
Is there some way of lowering the required voltage by the alternator to start charging? because as far as I can tell as soon as it see's a voltage over 12.3 (or something very close to that) it starts charging on it's own.
If there was a problem with the battery light circuit wouldn't it not work at all? especially after i disconnect the charger? This question is almost rhetorical as there is obviously a problem with it because the light is glowing dimly while running.