1988 Chevy Celebrity Volts Light On After Jump Start

That light you're talking about is telling you that the alternator is not charging. If you can take the vehicle to advance auto and they will check your charging system for free. A good alternator will keep a charge on the battery, which it should be charging around 14 to 14.5 volts while running. I'm sure that you have a bad alternator. Good luck :)

The light is on because there is more than likely a problem with the charging system. This is probably the reason the car would not start in the first place. First check the alternator belt to make sure it is tight and not slipping. A simple and quick way to check this is to see if you can turn the alternator by hand. If you can then the belt is slipping and you need to adjust it if you can. To check if the alternator is charging the system proper you will need a voltmeter. Connect the meter to the batery ( + of the meter to + of the battery and - to -) And observe the reading. If the alternator is working properly then the reading should be around 13.2 to 15.2 volts with the car running. I also like to test the alternator under a load by turning all the accessories on like the lights fan defroster etc. Even with everything on the voltage should not drop below the minimum. :) Hope this helps