82 380SEL panel lights, other electrical questions

Just bought abovementioned 380SEL for $1000.00 American.

Seems to be mechanically sound. Ouside in mint condition. Cloth seats beat to hell. Got some electrical questions for the group:

I. Need to diagnose alternator problem: 1) Idiot light stays on 2) Output voltage is 15V+ with no load. Will continue to operate car with battery disconnected. 3) on way home from purchase (very weird transaction - seller gave me enough of t he willies that I checked with Police to see if car was stolen ) tach began to register 3X actual revs, lights dimmed to zero, and car died of electrical starvation on road - approx 25 minutes driving time with headlights and heater blower on, approx 10 second death spiral. 4) $ diodes?, V regulator?

II. Only one functioning panel light and three functioning switch lights. 1) Need to get into instrument cluster and 2) Need to remove center console panel with all the heater controls.

Anyone know how to do this without breaking stuff?

III. In trying to find shorts affecting alternator problem, found that the #13 fuse circuit has no measureable resistance. Does this circuit power more than the clock? (no owner's manual - it's on its way from mecedes) Also found that the coil to relay E is permanently under power. The relay seems to control the power windows. This can't be right. I would think that the relay should make only on demand from the switch, but I have no wiring diagram to work from. Anyone know what this circuit should look like

IV. There is a 7 or 8 position switch down low just to the right of the underside of the steering column with letter markings on the order of F, E, D, B, SK, N (It's cold, and I'm feeling too lazy at the moment to run out with a flashlight and get all of them an the right order.) Anyone know what the heck this is?

V> Anyone out there want to relieve me of this car for $2000.00 before I put any real money in it? It's not my car for life - I don't like automatic transmissions - it was just the best thousand dollar car out there, so I grabbed it.

Thanks in advance,

Roger

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Roger Sherman
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