The alternator is good.The battery is good.
The battery light does not light.
The alternator is not charging the battery.
If the battery light is burnt is that the reason why the alternator is not charging the battery?
I am going to try to get at the light now.
I have been advised to disconnect the positive terminal of the battery before doing so.
Thank you and regards,
Maclammy

what about the other 'dummy' lights? Do they come on when you turn the ignition on like they should? If not, that small red wire is your likely culprit.

More than once I've seen shops do an in-car check of the alternator, say it's fine, but fail to notice it's not hooked up as it needs to be.
--
-Matt I ♥ my ♂

Hello Matt,
Thank you for quick reply.
Yes the other lights work.
I will check the ground and red wire again.
Regards,
Maclammy

I think Matt is telling you to see if the bulbs work when you turn the key to position II before you start the car. All the red warning lights should light up before you start the car up. The little red wire on back of the alternator is what causes all the warning bulbs to light up. If none of the lights are on you have one of two problems. First is the wire itself has an issue. The other is the frame of the alternator is not grounded and it has to have a good one to work properly.

If none of the lights come on when to turn the key remove the little red wire and touch it to the ALT frame and see it all the lights come on. If they are dim or not on, touch the wire to the engine block and then check. If going to the engine block lights up the warning lights I would suspect the ground wire to the alternator frame has issues.

Good Luck,

Paul

If you are sure the alternator is good, which is hard to verify if it is not charging, you have to go back to basics.

The alterator needs a small amount of positive voltage to excite the field which is what the red wire going into the alternator does. The wire and the spade connector are notorious for failing and most cars of your vitage have had the alternator wiring rerouted to avoid damage from heat and oil during oil changes.

The second most common culprit is the ground wire from the alternator to either the block or cross member. Because the alternator is rubber isolated through the accesory bushings, you have to have a ground wire. Normally these fail in a non visible way. Reach down and give it a healthy tug in both directions...most of the time it will pop right out of the engine-side ring connector if it has failed. Even worse, a non-Volvo Mechanic may not have hooked it back up.

The little red light not coming on when the alternator is not charging indicates a failed bulb is likely but it is unliekly that is your primary problem.

Onkel Udo

Hello Onkel Undo,
Thank you for the info.
I will check those two connections before I take the bulb out.
I know the alternator is good because I took it for a bench test.
Like you and Matt said the connections to the chassie should be checked.
The red wire goes through the firewall.
Thank you again.
Regards,
Maclammy

Problem solved.Thank you to all who weighed in.With the help of my mechanic the many wires that go into a connecting block on top of the engine before the firewall were all shorted and had no covering left on them. So work must have been done there before.We eliminated the block and replaced the wires.All is well now.
I think I was lucky not to have had a fire.Thank you and regards,Maclammy

After replacing the melted wires I discovered a blue box under the dash above the gas peddle full of water.I dried it out and put it back in. Miraculously the car started.I will try to get a spare blue box.The inside looked like a transistor radio that has been living in the bottom of a swamp.
Regards,
Maclammy