Well, yesterday the electrics started to dim, and other functions diminishing. The battery was nearly drained by the time I got work.

Lesson 1: anybody having this dash bulb indicator test issue, be warned your alternator is fading.

I bought a charger at WalMart and juiced it for the work day and that was enough to start and get home. Headlights so dim I could hardly see... but that diesel keeps on chugging with no electricity. Love it.

Observations, as your battery voltage is dropping as you drive:
1. the yellow ABS light comes on
2. after a while longer, the yellow bulb out indicator comes on
3. L/R signalling starts sounding funny and has irregular blinking pattern, until they no longer do anything

Strange enough, the red BATTERY indicator did nothing, did not come on. Yet I know that bulb works.

Fuse 5 is fine.

Charging the battery for a while takes all these symptoms away... and next time you drive, they all repeat. This is day 2 of this condition.

I know it's the alternator/regulator, I will be replacing the regulator first this weekend to see if that solves it, I suspect it will based on all said here.

__________________
Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D