Similar to Greg Hamburg, my battery/alternator light = stays on when I start the engine of my '90 syncro. (Not the OXS light, = though.)  When I first step on the gas, the light goes off and = stays off until the next time I start the engine.  The light will = not go off unless I rev the engine slightly - I've waited for about a = minute. This started happening about a week after I replaced my = instrument cluster with one from an '88 (or perhaps '89) with a = tachometer, which my "non-GL" didn't have. The new panel also = added an OXS light, which I also didn't have before. I'm making the = following assumptions...

1) That the alt/bat light starting to come on until I = first step on the gas coinciding with the new instrument panel install = is just that - pure coincidence.

2) That the light coming on is an early warning sign = that my alternator is beginning to fail.

I'm planning to take a long drive this weekend, and = I'm wondering if I should pick up an alternator just in case - or even = replace mine altogether - before departing. Also, if I don't have to = replace the alternator in an emergency situation, I wonder if anyone = can point me to a good source of info about testing/rebuilding = alternators. I've seen the replacement brushes/bearings at Bus Depot, = and that seems like a far more economical way to go if it will fix the = problem.

Thanks!

Doug Fitz-Randolph
Yarmouth, ME
dfrandolph@talkam.net
'90 Syncro