'78 80 (Fox): battery light stays on

[urq]

> Any (former) Fox/type 82 80 owners care to comment?
...
> A couple of strange things though- when you connect the battery, the
> battery light on the dash comes on and stays on until you turn the key in
> the ignition to start it. It charges fine, so does anyone know what could
> cause this?

... sounds to me that the ignition switch is bad ... or there was some
creative rewiring done.  The light should only come on when the car is
turned on.  IME, the ignition switch module is a routine service item ...
fortunately the switch module is an easy job to do on that car ...

> Also, the turn signals are dead (but hazard warning lights work fine) and
> the heater blower doesn't. I've examined and cleaned the old-style ceramic
> fuses and the fusebox, no dice. Anyone able to help?

... that is an odd one indeed, usually it is the other way around!  Even on
the V8 I have to actuate the turn signals to get the 4-ways to work!  My
suggestion is to look at the wiring that supplies power to the column switch
... it may be this or the switch itself that is faulty.  In very un-Audilike
fashion, my Fox still has the original column switch module ...

> It doesn't help that the car didn't come with an owner's manual and the
> oldest workshop manual I have access to deals with the next generation 80
> which came out in 1979. I'll be scouring the swapmeet later this month,
but
> I'm pretty sure it will be hard to find a manual.

... I've actually got several versions of the US version of the service
manual sitting in the garage here ... my owner's manual is pretty
deteriorated though.

> The final comment might make the car a parts car only (which is what it
was
> intended to be, but it seems a shame to tear into a rust-free rare car
with
> such a low mileage)- the autobox works great but it howls like mad. Sounds
> like it's low on oil, but there might be another explanation.
>
... sorry, can't be of any assistance there ... good luck!

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)