'95 Buick Century Custom Battery light and overheating.

[RaeBanks]

Ok so this car is breaking me. It has recently started overheating. It doesn't get all the way in the red, just hovers right below it. Turning on the fan, hot or cold, keeps it down just above the middle. I'm assuming clogged radiator ( my overflow tank is disgusting, and the radiator was has black sticky stuff coating the inside..) or my water pump or a combination of both... But my real problem is my battery light coming on. When I hit the gas my car hesistates to go for a few seconds then will run fine until I have to come to a stop and go again. My battery light comes on whenever I hit the gas. I replaced my ignition coils, got a full tune up, oil change and changed my themostat. After that the problem got a little better but my battery light was still coming on intermittenly. I went to unplug my battery in hopes it was just my computer needing reset and my battery was sitting on my positive cable. Now that I've pulled them out from under, the problem is back just the same. Could this be needing new cables or something else? I drove thru a lot of water (torential downpour and a alley flooded wit 4-5 inches) and a couple hours later I started having these problems. Any suggestions? This car is about to drive me insane!

[GTP Dad]

Welcome to AF!!

Check the battery cables especially at the starter. It is possible that the connections at the starter solenoid are corroded. Also check the ground wire connection to the block and remove and clean the battery terminals. Once you remove the battery terminals clean the connections at the alternator. They can corrode and cause issues. Contact cleaner will work well and you can get it at any electronics or autoparts store. Finally, change the belt. Water can do strange things and may cause the belt to slip when loaded and you may not hear it. Good luck!