I have a 1998 dodge neon and I'm having a problem with the charging system.the battery indicator on the dash board came on stating a charging problem. we know it is not the battery due to it is only 3mo. old. when we pull the pos. cable off the battery while the car is running it shuts off. We replaced the alternator and this problem still occurs. does any one have any idea what it could be.

 

There is a quick way to see if the charging system is working. Crank the car. Turn on all the options, AC, max fan speed, radio, etc. The remove the positive post from the battery while it is running. If it stays running and all the options keep doing their thing, then you are fine.

You may be having a problem with the Battery temp sensor as that will also light up the charging system warning light:

If you get a readout using an ODB-II reader - look for:
P1492 Ambient/ Battery Temp sensor input voltage too high

If you do the Dodge "key dance" - see https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...-gen-faqs.html and read the "Q: My Check Engine Light (CEL) is on, what do I do?" question on how to do that and look for:

44 Battery temp sensor volts out of range

ignoring error codes 12 and 55.

HTH

 

yeah, my battery light comes on sometimes too. when it does I turn the radio on and check the voltage via the radio. it usualy reads bettween 13.1 and 12.9. there may be other methods to check the voltage since my radio is a high end radio maybe a good volt meter may be in order if your still haveing the issue after the above stated has been completed. also, I dont know if it could be related check the nut connecting the positive to the starter.

 

Of course, if you have a multi-meter, then you can simply crank the car and see what the voltage is across the battery and check with a Haynes manual what the correct range should be.

I don't usually suggest a mult-meter, because most folks just don't own one unless they work on cars or do their own home wiring repairs.

The charging control is located inside the PCM and if you have double checked the battery and replaced the alternator, then you may need to take the car in to someone that has the necessary equipment so that they can check the PCM. It cannot be done outside the car separately.