Just when I thougth I was done …

[FinnSpider]

I have had the interior of my –79 spider apart for quite some time. Today I finally got the last pieces together and everything looked beautiful. New seats, new radio console, new carpets, restored original steering wheel etc.

I put the battery (again new) into it’s place and turned the key. Hmmmm .. the clock does not walk. But all the ligths in the dash seem to be there. And horn works loud and clear. Then I went trought the ligths.

Here are the results: whole left side (driver’s side) is dead. Marker lights front and rear. Turn signals front and rear. Brake light. All dead.

On the passenger side everything works. Also the head ligths work in every position (low/high etc.).

I checked all ground contacts I could find and all fuses. Everything seems to be OK. Anyway to me it seems, that fuses should kill lights either front or rear, but not on sides. Light bulbs are also OK.

I also went through the electrical drawings, but I could not find anything in common with all the symptoms.

Any ideas where to look? All help appreciated.

[rlux4]

Hey Matti,
I'm not sure I know what's causing your symptoms, but I recently had about the same issue. Your '79 and my '82 have the same wiring where this issue is concerned. Try unhooking your emer. flasher switch and jumper between the blue and the blue with white terminals. When my old switch was broken this is how the PO had gotten all the lights to work. If this works for you, then the problem could be a bad switch or a faulty emer. flasher unit.
Good luck
Ron

[pope]

Your front and rear side markers are contolled by the same fuse (#7 and #8) and wiring. Since the right side works, I do not think that it is a power problem because the power to the right side comes from the left side. I think it is a ground problem. The front marker is grounded in the engine compartment on one of those star ground points. Check the tail light ground points also

[ga.spyder]

I had a very similar problem on my 82.The (useless) trunk light was grounding against metal ,and blowing the whole system on fuse #8.I saw a spark fly or I may have never found it.
Craig

[rlux4]

Craig may have nailed it Matti. After reading his post I was reminded that I had had the same issue.
Ron

[FinnSpider]

Hey guys,
I should be working here !!!!

How can I work when you give me thoughts like this?? Now I'm walking around in my office thinking, where is this light and how come I haven't seen it and most of all, how could I get out of here and to the garage. And it's only 10:00 AM !!!!

Maybe I should do the right thing, go to my boss and confess everything. That I have bought an italian car and there is a faulty light bulb somewhere and now I can't concentrate into anything else. Yeah, go ahead and fire me, I think I would be happier anyways without this lousy job.

....

[adrians]

Hey Matti,

I've deal with lots of Finnish Exec's/Managers and sometimes they don't get the joke ?, - must be the Russian influence.

So don't do it .... just do the Australian thing and say you're ill and go home and play with the car ...... and have a 'sickie' ( a paid sick day ) the next day as well, so you can spend some more qualilty time with your Spider.

Regards

[ga.spyder]

The trunk light is located in the trunk ,drivers side mounted to the metal.I was told they only work w/ the lights on and the trunk open! Probably only with full moon on months that end in ''y''. I took mine out and put it in the parts box.I chased that short for a long time and discovered it by accident.Be careful what you wish for! Being a builder in a slumping housing market,I have had way too much time off lately. My car has been getting plenty of attention though.
Good Luck ,Craig

[FinnSpider]

All bulbs are OK, also in the trunk.

But it might be, that the problem is in the steering wheel column. You see, I replaced the MOMO wheel with the original.
When the wheel came loose I wondered, what is the meaning of a black plastic plate behind the steering wheel. It seemed to rotate loosely and do nothing. I just couldn't understand what it should do. Maybe right there is something missing now.

Where could I find a detailed picture of the column?

[rlux4]

Matti, I'm not sure this will give you what you need, but I took these pictures of my steering column. Hope they help.
Note for whoever was wondering about the self-cancelling mechanism: the hole in the 6 o'clock position (with the wheels straight ahead) of the switch housing receives the spring loaded pin on the back of the steering wheel. As it turns it pulls the switch and returns it to nuetral position.







Hope this helps.
Ron

[FinnSpider]

Got the electricity solved today. It's GREAT to have friends who are so much smarter than I am !!

Not one big problem, but many small problems. Bad bulbs allthough they looked fine to me, bad connections (again looked fine as long as they were not shaken). Everything works now except the passenger side front turn signal, it has to be changed completely. Steering column didn't have anything to do with the problem, but I managed to break 3 out of 5 screw threads from the upper column cover when I put it together one more time. It simply broke into small pieces just like that

If you want to see the car as it is now take a look here:

http://kuvablogi.com/nayta/prev/img1025597.jpg
http://kuvablogi.com/nayta/prev/img1025598.jpg