Technical Brake lights and indicators dead

[Richyd]

Hi! My first post here. I'm a massive petrolhead, love to play around in Porsche's mainly but have for years had a hankering for a classic 500. So, after months of searching I found the perfect one on an auction site and managed to bag it!

After sorting out transport up from Sicily, my beautiful 500 arrived. MOT pass first attempt, and DVLA registration finally approved, so it's on the road this weekend. It was fully restored in Sicily about 2 years ago - a zero mile resto, so it looks great and seems in perfect condition.

However, today the indicators stopped working and I think the brake lights are out too. Headlights and front side lights still work ok. Any ideas..? Is there a common fuse that can go, and if so, where the hell is it..!

Help! Looking under the front bonnet doesn't really help me at this stage.

Thanks in advance!

Rich

 

[phoenix1]

Hi. Fuses are easy to get at the are on the righthand side towards the back under a black plastic cover under the front hood .If not that it could be a loose plug in yhe steering column shroud. ( don't worry you can't get them the wrong way round )
But go for the fuse first.They are all 8amp

 

[Richyd]

Cool. Cheers. All the fuses were fine, 2 are very corroded, but I checked them all and ensured the connections were ok. Hey presto! Indicators are working again!

Brake lights still don't work though. Any obvious areas to check..? Any known problem areas I should look into..?

 

[g8rpi]

Hi,
I'd start at the brakelight switch. Normally hydraulc on the master cylinder. Pull the connectors off, short together and see if the lights come on.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[fiat500]

The stop light takes a live feed from the fusebox direct to the pressure-switch on the end of the brake-cylinder, where the connections are very exposed and easily corrode; this can include broken spade terminals and even lead to corroded wires.
One of those connections at the switch traces back to the fusebox and the other goes back to the lights. In between there is also a connector-plug near the fusebox which can be loose or have a bad connection.
My bet is the connections at the master-cylinder. Whilst you're there, have look at the ones for the horn which suffer the same indignities.

 

[Richyd]

Thanks for the advice! All sorted now. Replaced 3 corroded fuses and gave the spades on the brake-cylinder a wiggle. Seems to have done the trick! Not sure if it was the fuse or the spade on the brake cylinder causing the problem with the brakes, but it seems sorted now.

When I get a chance I will order a new fuse box and fit it. The spades on this all seem very dirty

 

[jjacob]

Rich,

You should download or buy an owners manual for your car and get yourself a Haynes repair manual.

John

 

[Vitesse]

There is a good link on one of the sticky posts for a decent workshop manual in English.

http://docfiat500.free.fr/Pour%20TIBOde%20Fran%E7ois%20qui%20te%20dit%20MERCI/F500_Manual.pdf