'71 Coupe column switches = '71 Spider?

[Redline]

My headlight hi/lo switch seems to be on its way out. Coupe specific switches are difficult to find. Are there any differences between the Coupe and Spider in 1971? My stalks are like this:

Headlight hi/lo:
Up: low (works)
Down: high (doesn't work)
Pull back: flash highs (works)

(so the lights and wiring are ok to the lights*)

Wiper:
Up: off
Down 1: interval
Down 2: continuous

* by the way, sitting with the motor off, I noticed the distinct sound of a relay when I flipped the highs on, but I thought these cars didn't have relays. Maybe the Euro ones did, as they had halogen lights?

[divace73]

I think Someone may have installed the relay, try find it and replace it, may the problem??

I think my light stalk is up off, down 1 low beam, down 2 high beam - who ever did my relay install disengaged the pull back high beem function.

I also have the light switch that is off, then parkers, then lights. My spider is a bit of a bastard car with electrics so don't' know what was standard??

[Redline]

Light switch is off, parkers, lights.

Column stalk is definitely only two positions, plus pull back. You have to wonder what the point of the top position on your stalk would be (it is also described that way in my owner's manual, oddly enough). Typical Italian logic, you're bombing along a twisting mountain road with everything lit up, a car comes around the corner in the opposite direction, so you give the stalk a little flip up to dim them, except you get two clicks... oops. Madness!

[spider2081]

I believe the factory dash toggle headlight switch is 3 position: Up is "off". Middle is "parking lights on only" and this is powered from the "Hot all the time" circuit of the car. Down is "headlights and parking lights on" and this is powered from the "hot in start and run" circuit of the car.

I also believe the factory Spider steering column Hi/LO switch operation is "Up is lo beam" and "down is hi beam". Pull is "hi beam flash". I have repaired a number of these switch assembles and have found a few that were manufactured with a 3rd "up is off" position. Some of these had a screw installed so the switch could not be put in that "off" position. I believe there is an after market switch assembly available that has 3 positions with "up is off" being sold for Spiders. I don't think any Spiders left the factory with the "up is off" column switch.

Sometimes a column switch that will not light a headlight because it is making a poor contact will engage a relay. I think its worth trying the relay mod before replacing a column switch. If it doesn't work the relays are there to protect the new switch when its installed.

[kmead]

My 70 US market Coupe has a on off switch (on or off) and the stalk has three positions.

The lowest position is parking lights, middle parking and low beams and the top position is parking and high beams.

The original owner didn't think much of this and applied a plastic add on which limited the motion to low beams and high beams. I guess he flipped the lever into the parking lights position a few too many times...

[Redline]

Interestingly, I see now my Euro Coupe came from the factory with a relay for the high beams only. I've been squinting at the wiring diagram in the owner's manual for the better part of the last few days and been going slowly crazy. I think I'll need to scan it and make it a bit larger. I sometimes have to wonder about the choices made for the routing of some circuits, but I think it's not restricted to only Fiat. You start tracing back, thinking everything makes sense, then metaphorically screech to a halt asking "why is that also in the circuit?!"

[spider2081]

You start tracing back, thinking everything makes sense, then metaphorically screech to a halt asking "why is that also in the circuit?!"

I'd like to think that there is a process in the assembly of the car's sections. As the chassis is assembled they wiring is included so everything is a cars "assembly section" could have something to do with what circuit they are in. I believe there are connectors in every car that once the car is assembled those connectors will never be used again. An example of that is the 3 pin connector in early cars that became single bullet connectors in the later Spiders for the power wires connecting the battery + from the alternator and starter to the ignition switch.

[Redline]

So I managed to solve all the intermittent headlight and wiper problems simply with a generous bit of contact polishing and cleaning today, followed by some light greasing of all the little pivots in the column switches. I was so satisfied with the result that I decided to clean up a bit of the wiring in the console and install a front speaker for the radio. The radio used to have a single “picnic” speaker installed on the rear parcel shelf, but I ditched it when I covered the shelf with new vinyl a year ago. It anyway sounded odd way back there. The little speaker enclosure in the front console is a very odd size, but I found a small rectangular 4 ohm speaker on eBay, intended for installation in a TV. It fits fine and delivers more than enough volume. After more than a year of silence, we once again have popular music, news of the world and traffic reports through this magical transistorised box (it even has pushbutton tone enhancement!!), and it sounds just right coming out of a weedy little mono speaker in the centre of the dashboard.

Reconnecting the cigar lighter would be tempting fate, so I’ve decided to leave it alone. We don't smoke, and running satnav in an old car is just wrong. Paper maps fit the mood much better and anyway make excellent sunshades when you arrive at your destination, which is not a bad idea when parking a fishbowl in the summer sun.