There is a low voltage light your not going mad its yellow. And there is also a starter light as well which is linked to the a relay which is engaged when the starter is engaged it should be red.
Low voltage light isn't a reason to get excited.
But there is no great worry if it is showing after start especially if you are at idle rpm instead of 1200rpm. It should go off when sitting at 1200rpm.
It means that there isn't 14V in the electrics which means the battery isn't charging from memory it triggers under 13Volts. Which in the grand scale of things for PPL is a very good reason to shut down and get another plane. Basically once the battery runs out of juice you won't have any electrical instruments or radios. Nothing stopping someone in the know from getting airborne turning the master switch off and turning it on again at the other end to get the aircraft to a maint shop in class G.
Again if it comes on in the air just tell which ever ATS your talking to what your plans are and what the issue is then turn the master switch off and continue and turn it on again 10mins out from where you are going to land.
The red starter light means the starter motor is still engaged and all matter of nasty things can happen including the aircraft going on fire. If this is the case and you should shut down ASAP.
I suggest you have some time to yourself in the cockpit and just go through all the lights and gauges and then have a list of all the warning lights and then find out how each of them works and what they are telling you and what happens when they go on.
As for what the pilot had been told about shutting the engine down its another one of those urban flying school myths which has been twisted from its initial purpose into utter ****e.
Starting the plane multiple times in a short period can flatten the battery because you don't give it a chance to recharge (crap flying school batteries are more prone to this)
If the engine has been sat over night there won't be any oil on the moving parts and thats when most wear occurs. Once the oil is warmed up it isn't such an issue.
Last edited by mad_jock; 31st Oct 2011 at 15:54.