1961 Generator light has faint glow

[sanfranvolley]

Mabel left us stranded in the Safeway parking lot last night with a dead battery. Took the battery to O'Reilly's and it was bad after just over a year in the car (thankfully under warranty). I noticed the Generator light has a soft glow when stopped that goes away as you accelerate. It is very faint but definitely lit. Is that a sign the generator is bad (and hence what killed the battery?) Any easy way for someone with little repair knowledge to test this?

 

[Ward 57]

Cars with generators tend to do that. The question is how long are your trips? If it's a 5min drive, turn off and then restart for another 5min, the battery is never getting a full charge and heat and cold will kill an under charged battery.
I would suggest getting a good battery charger and not just a battery maintainer. Maintainers are great to keep the battery charged when siting for a while but a quality charger will do the same but have more options. The new ones are very good as a maintainer but also have the ability to 'equalize' the battery which basically helps the battery sluff off the sulfates that collect on the plates.
It will be an investment you will not regret. Industrial manufacturers of lead acid batteries for uses in electric fork lifts etc. recommend equalizing the batteries at least once a month to extend their life. The new technology batteries for electric cars a whole different breed of cat.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

That is an indication of a low charge at idle, at a fast idle with a meter across the battery terminas you should see between 13.8 V and 14.2 V. Check your fan belt tension and idle speed but it may be time for a generator tune up, brushes, etc..

 

[55blacktie]

Mabel left us stranded in the Safeway parking lot last night with a dead battery. Took the battery to O'Reilly's and it was bad after just over a year in the car (thankfully under warranty). I noticed the Generator light has a soft glow when stopped that goes away as you accelerate. It is very faint but definitely lit. Is that a sign the generator is bad (and hence what killed the battery?) Any easy way for someone with little repair knowledge to test this?

How long have you owned your car? Had you not noticed the "soft glow" before? Has your driving distance/frequency changed? If a battery is defective, putting it on a charger might get you going, but the battery will not hold a charge if it sits.