Technical Project Paolo

[fiat500]

By the way, apart from the usual "adjust the position of the gear-lever" as a suggestion for reverse; maybe first check you have the rubber linkage bolt(s)in the correct way round/ washer correct.If you tighten it so that the linkages won't swivel, you can get syptoms like that; I wonder how I know?:bang:

 

[Vitesse]

Damian if you watch this video from about 4.30 or about 5 mins you will hear the first gear whine. I apologise for the quality but I was trying to drive with a phone in my hand and my gear changes were rough because I hadn't driven the car for 15 years also you'll hear the trusted toolbox jiggling around.

[ame]https://youtu.be/7WKmLoyO3ww[/ame]

 

[Paolo66]

By co-incidence, I was reading the manual for my Fiat 900e Amigo and find the threads for the belt mountings on that are listed as 7/16 x 20 UNF 2B; worth a try if you happen to have that tap available as it sounds possible given your quick observations.

Just reading the instruction manual and it confirms that the seat belt bolts are 7/16" - 20 unf which is the tap I bought.

 

[Paolo66]

Just got to sort out a few electrical issues before putting him in for an MOT but electrics arent my thing and I'm stumped. I swapped the front side lights for orange indicators as a few people had problems getting it through the MOT. These used to have two wires going to them, one for indicators and one for side lights. As I am only interested in indicators I kept that wire in and put the side light wire into the small bulb holder in the headlights. When I switch the indicators on I cant get those lights to work. Side and rear indicators work but not the fronts. Also the indicator bulb on the dash is permently on and flashes as it should do when you indicate. Is it because I havent got a bulb in the headlight sidelight to complete the circuit? What type of bulb do I need for this?

 

[1500500]

Just got to sort out a few electrical issues before putting him in for an MOT but electrics arent my thing and I'm stumped. I swapped the front side lights for orange indicators as a few people had problems getting it through the MOT. These used to have two wires going to them, one for indicators and one for side lights. As I am only interested in indicators I kept that wire in and put the side light wire into the small bulb holder in the headlights. When I switch the indicators on I cant get those lights to work. Side and rear indicators work but not the fronts. Also the indicator bulb on the dash is permently on and flashes as it should do when you indicate. Is it because I havent got a bulb in the headlight sidelight to complete the circuit? What type of bulb do I need for this?

Check that the indicators have a good earth connection I had similar wird behavour with lights that came down to poor earth connection

 

[Paolo66]

Check that the indicators have a good earth connection I had similar wird behavour with lights that came down to poor earth connection

I thought a bad earth at first but when I connect the two wires to the side lights the indicators work. It might be a bad earth making the dash light come on permanently though

 

[Bleeding Knuckles]

Damian, you may need to use a separate earth cable just for the purpose of the light, mine had to have to work correctly.

Ian.

 

[Vitesse]

Damian, you may need to use a separate earth cable just for the purpose of the light, mine had to have to work correctly.

Ian.

Agree with Ian. On the rear side of the indicator bulb holder, there is a little spade connector on the side. That is the earth for the bulb holder. As Ian says make a little earth lead up and connect one end to the spade and you can either break into the the black earth wire for the headlight and spur it off with a multi bullet connector there. Or simply put an eye connector on the other end of your new earth wire and secure it to the nut and bolt holding the indicator bulb holder to the body.

Mine originally had orange indicators as it's RHD and I just looked and it has both types I described above. I guess they were hedging their bets to ensure it didn't suffer any dodgy earths.

I can take a picture if you need one?

 

[Paolo66]

I wondered what that spade was for. Thanks

 

[Paolo66]

What about the light on the dash staying on? Any ideas?
What bulb type goes in the small holder in the headlight?

 

[Vitesse]

What about the light on the dash staying on? Any ideas?
What bulb type goes in the small holder in the headlight?

You will probably find that once you resolve the earthing issue on the indicator it may fix the dash light? If not it maybe a new flasher unit required. These flasher units are quite complicating inside and have a separate contact for the indicator lights themselves and a different contact specifically for the dash light.

If you return it to the original setup with the two bulbs in the indicator/side light does the dash light behave normally?

The bulb that goes in the headlight. I took mine out and it looks like a 4W bulb.

I think it's this one here? It just pushes into the headlight, no turning or anything fancy.

https://webshop.fiat500126.com/katalog/artikelinfo/1039/bulb-for-parking-light-12-v_4w

 

[Paolo66]

Hopefully the earthing will resolve the issues. I think the sidelight bulb is a type 233. Will work on it some more tomorrow

 

[Paolo66]

Connected two earth leads to the light units and now I have all indicators working as they should. Thanks all. Still have the light on the dash permanently on though. Am I right to assume this should be off and only come on when you select indicators? Waiting on some parking light bulbs to turn up to fix that problem. The small bulb holder for these also have a spade connector on them so I'm assuming that needs an earth lead as well?

 

[Vitesse]

Connected two earth leads to the light units and now I have all indicators working as they should. Thanks all. Still have the light on the dash permanently on though. Am I right to assume this should be off and only come on when you select indicators? Waiting on some parking light bulbs to turn up to fix that problem. The small bulb holder for these also have a spade connector on them so I'm assuming that needs an earth lead as well?

Does the indicator light flash Damian when you select the indicators left or right?

My headlights don't have an extra tab like you describe, so it must be using the earth from the main/dipped beam. There must be a wire or metal strip from metal bulb holder for the driving light on mine up to the earth for the headlight bulb?

 

[Paolo66]

Does the indicator light flash Damian when you select the indicators left or right?

Yes it does Tony but when you deselect the indicator the light stays on. Is this right?

 

[Vitesse]

Yes it does Tony but when you deselect the indicator the light stays on. Is this right?

No it should go off Damian. It sounds a bit odd that it stays on? It could be the flasher unit has gone faulty, as I can't think of any other logical electrical reason. It only has three wires one is the 12v in, the other from the indicator switch and lastly the dash light. There is a return spring in the flasher unit that should hold the contact open (off) for the dash light once the lever returns to the off position, so maybe that's broken?

 

[Paolo66]

Thanks Tony. I did think that it could only be the flasher unit. Its a long time since I drove the car but I think its always been like that

 

[Paolo66]

So the indicator problem continues. I ordered a new flasher unit and took the old one off and tested it. P goes to dashlight, L goes to indicator stalk and X goes to power. Put multimeter on continuity and got a beep between X and P and L and P. This led me to believe that the spring contact was stuck on so I was getting power continously to the dashlight. New one arrived today and I tested with the multimeter and didnt get any beeps. Fitted to the car and the indicators work but the dashlight doesnt come on at all and I dont get the click noise that tells you the indicators are flashing. My new one is a dud also isnt it?

 

[Vitesse]

So the indicator problem continues. I ordered a new flasher unit and took the old one off and tested it. P goes to dashlight, L goes to indicator stalk and X goes to power. Put multimeter on continuity and got a beep between X and P and L and P. This led me to believe that the spring contact was stuck on so I was getting power continously to the dashlight. New one arrived today and I tested with the multimeter and didnt get any beeps. Fitted to the car and the indicators work but the dashlight doesnt come on at all and I dont get the click noise that tells you the indicators are flashing. My new one is a dud also isnt it?

Sounds like it You are correct about which terminal goes to where. I think X is actually a + to be picky.

When you say the indicators work, do they flash?

You could bench test it away from the loom by connecting + terminal on the flasher unit to 12v positive and L terminal to - or earth. That's all the indicator stalk does it completes the circuit to earth via the bulbs. It should make the clicking noise?

Also you could test the old one in the same way for clicking and stick your multimeter red probe on the P terminal of the flasher and the black probe to earth. I would imagine that you will get a constant 12v DC on the P terminal, if so that will confirm the contact is stuck for the dash light.

 

[Paolo66]

Yes the indicators flash Tony. Just no dash light and no clicking noise like the old one. They are sending me another one so we'll see. Who knew indicators could be so complex?