thank you for the good explination. i think i will print this off so i can keep it. i have a little trouble understanding the manual on wiring, i just don't have the general knowledge there.
I DID FIND THE AT LEAST ONE OF THE PROBLEMS! the spade rerminal going from the cab to the engine bay for the brown wire had broke and some previous owner and crimped the brown wire in another terminal. so after i did away with the broke terminal and got the wire in propper location- the charging idiot light is working now. and it shows the charging system is working! this wire from the voltage reg was charging something in the wiring harness! that may have been causing part of the problem. so i will give it a little time and see how it does. i am just so happy i got this part figured out. thank you for all the help. i never thought about checking that. i don't know how he crimped that wire in that 5 spade terminal anyway. i actually had to cut part of it away to replace it.