Battery charge indicator light (VW Passat B2)

The battery charge indicator lamp, located between the instrument cluster indicators, lights up when the ignition is turned on and goes out after the engine is started. If the lamp lights up while driving, it indicates that there is no charging current to the battery. In this case, you must immediately stop driving and stop the engine.

After this, check the generator voltage, the condition of its drive belt, make sure the wires are in good condition and, if necessary, check the integrity of the charging circuit.

If the fault is not caused by a poor condition of the alternator drive belt, you can continue driving to the nearest service station, but this will gradually discharge the battery.

If the alternator drive belt breaks, it is forbidden to continue driving on vehicles with 4-cylinder carburetor engines, since in this case there is no water pump drive. It is necessary to replace the belt on site or at a service station. On vehicles with 5-cylinder engines, driving can be continued to the nearest service station, using only the current consumers necessary for driving, since the charging current does not flow to the battery.

The original article is posted on the website (VWManual)