My battery light came on while driving home and now it won't start

QUESTION:

I have a 1997 Chevy Monte Carlo and my battery light came on while driving home and now it won't start. It drove home fine even with the battery light on. The next morning i went out to start it and nothing. What could it be?

ANSWER:

Generally when the alternator starts to fail a Battery light will illuminate on the dash board. This means the battery is no longer being charged , this does not mean the battery has a problem.

Testing : Using a multi-meter set to DC volts, connect the positive and negative leads to the same on the battery with the car's engine running. You should see from 13.2 - 14.7 volts. If you see less than this and confirm it is the same when the engine is running or not, then you know the alternator is not charging.