My 98 Vanden Plas has battery not charging on console display and head and tail lights will not come on. Car will crank and run.

 

Suggest you take it to Sears or other battery sales place and have them check the alternator and battery. Unless there is a bad connection somewhere, it is probably one of the two, or possibly both.

 

Sam:
You know, we never really hear the results of the last caper when the next one crops up! Is this all one car?

 

No, this is a different one. i have a 98 Vanden Plas and 2000 vanden plas. The 2000 is the one I have had the issues with. The 98 had been very liable until recently. I just had a leak in the trans line and now the alternator has gone bad.

 

Check with a volt meter if you are really getting 13 volts or greater charge when engine is at idle. Another way to test is to remove a battery lead while the engine is running to see if the engine dies immediately. If it dies or voltage is <13, then check and/or replace the voltage regulator. It should be on the backside of the alternator. Another possibility but this is unlikely, the alternator might have went bad and needs to be replaced.

 

Thanks for all the info. I replaced the alternator, this fixed the problem.