vandor wrote:>The ignition switch itself should not be passing any power through to switched components when off with the key out.
Not correct! On the early 124s, ie the A and B series, both wipers and the heater fan will work with the key out of the ignition. I have no idea why, it does not make sense, but that is how they are. My 70 and 71 Spiders were/are both that way.
Csaba,
Pretty sure what I said is correct. As you say, there are items on the car that are powered when there is no key in the ignition and it is off, BUT I am also pretty sure that power is NOT passing THROUGH the ignition switch, ie. no contacts inside the switch are transferring power from one post to another. I could be wrong but that is how all the later cars work. The power to those unswitched circuits like the wipers and heater don't pass "through" the switch. It may come up to a post via one of two wires spliced together but then goes off to the load via the other wire, not through a contact in the switch. Easy to verify one way or another; just unplug all of the wires from the back of the switch and see if the unswitched items still operate (provided the wires aren't soldered which I think the early cars are). If you try this be very careful not to touch the hot leads to anything else!
The other easy way to figure this out is by testing if there is power at any of the fuses in the fuse box with the ignition off (key out). I know again on later cars there are at least two hot all the time. Any loads off of those fuses will operate with the key off / out (ie. they are on an unswitched circuit). There are also sometimes loads coming off the fuse box supply side that have separate fuses inline between the fuse box and the load.
Again, take a good look at Bradley Artigue's excellent wiring diagrams and you'll see all of this. Look particularly at the "black wiring" circuit.
http://www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/69_73_COMPLETE.pdf
Based on this you will have power to the following, ignition off / key out:
Front direction indicators, parking lights, and side markers
Engine cooling fan
Alternator
Starter
Engine compartment lamp jam switch
Passenger compartment light jam switches
Emergency flasher button
Windshield wipers
Outer lighting two position switch
Power TO the ignition (two posts)
Heater blower motor
and the luggage compartment lamp
Wow, that's a lot of stuff to try to remember to NOT leave running! Glad I have a later car.
