Electrical problem

Replace the voltage regulator before your battery melts down. rick

i've just bought a Golf Mk1 and the ignition switches the car on but it wont switch off. Any ideas whats wrong with the car.

thanks rick ... i will switch it out immediatly...this newsgroup thing is
great...george

May be your headlight or ignition switch .
-Bruce

It's probably your voltage regulator. I've seen the oscillation you've
described get so bad that the oil pressure warning light started to
flicker (it's voltage sensitive).
If you feel like pulling the alternator, you can take out the regulator
and try cleaning all the various accessible contacts, paying close
attention to the sense and ground connections. This has worked for me.
If that doesn't work, check for bad grounds or poor connections in the
charging system in general. Failing that, try replacing the regulator. I
always try the cheapest solution first. :-)

Good Luck!

Scott ('88 Golf; 322,000 km & counting)