Yes, that's the way I have it wired. At the VR connector, the brown wire is jumpered to the black/white tracer wire and that's going to the L terminal on the alternator. I've check and checked and double-checked that. It was all working fine prior to replacing the previous alternator with one just like it.
I've studied and looked and studied on every wiring diagram I have, used them to map out just the indicator light circuit on paper so I can isolate it. Every time I think I've devised some sort of test to isolate what's going on, I turn out to be wrong.
Here's my latest attempt - but I'm so cross-eyed right now from trying to follow lines on paper, who knows if it's right?
One side of the indicator bulb connects to pin 8 on the cluster connector, to a fuse in the fuse block, and back to the "run" terminal on the ignition switch. Also at pin 8 on the cluster connector is a wire that goes eventually to both one side of the downshift switch and the idle solenoid. The other side of the bulb connects to pin 12 of the cluster connector, to a terminal on the firewall connector (BZ on the wiring diagram), and on to the ACC terminal on the ignition switch. Coming off that same BZ terminal on the firewall connector is the path that winds up at the "L" terminal on the alternator.
I've been staring at the circuit diagram and still can't seem to understand how it's supposed to ever work. Looks to me like there's power going to both sides of the bulb all the time, with one of those legs also running off to the alternator. Either I'm still missing something or I just don't understand...
I did just notice however that with the ignition on, engine off, the alternator is making a high-pitched hum. Wonder if the doggone thing is bad?
Sir, I wish I had some insight but I pretty much don't. I have to SEE the circuit and get my hands on it to even come close to troubleshooting it. That said, what changed? It was working for a few months, the alternator went poof, and now, the light is staying on. Something changed in the light circuit, and it may or may notbe related to the old alternator going South (no offense!).
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You had it working before, and it's not working now. The only thing you changed out was the alternator. If the circuit is fine, possibly a defective new alternator??
I'm not the sharpest tool in the drawer, so I like to keep it as simple as possible. My next step would be to remove the alternator and have it bench checked, all else being equal. It's easy to overthink this stuff.....
Thanks very much for assuming that I think... I 'preciate that compliment muchly
Yeah, I would fire the guy but unfortunately he's the only means I've got of getting all my bills paid...
It's a cuirse I have, I 'spose... this drive to not only know, but to *understand* how something works and why it do what it do. No telling how much time and sleep that personality quirk has cost me over the years.
Success... turns out that there was a blown fuse - the one that feeds the gauges. All my gauges were still working though, even with the blown fuse, because of how power is routed to both sides of the GEN indicator bulb.
I just "knew" it couldn't be a fuse because everything was working. Shows what I know
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GTO
I 'preciate that compliment muchly 
No telling how much time and sleep that personality quirk has cost me over the years. 
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