Hi! This is the forum my Tipo needs, I'm sure of it

I'm having this awkward problem : sometimes (didn't saw this happen for 6 months but now reapeared worse than ever ) all electrical stuff just dies. The engine keeps running, the radiator fan it's ok too, but headlights, dashboard lights and electrical gauges, hazards, radio, horn, etc just goes off. If I turn off the engine (I can even take the key off), some lights of the dashboard turn on but with low intensity and temp gauge goes up. I can turn the engine on without any problem. If I activate any turn indicator or the hazards, the temp gauge starts "dancing" left and right as the indicator is on or off. If I brake, there goes the temp gauge up and dashboard lights turn on. I can turn the headlights on, minimum, but when I go mediums they shutdown. I've tried to debug this by pulling off all fuses and relays to isolate any circuit causing some kind of short, but found nothing :bang:

I thought it could be some bad ground wiring to chassis, since with all fuses and relays pulled out, I couldn't get the horn working, but then I got some jump start cables and connected them between battery negative and the chassis near the horn, all started working. After that, I just got my dremel and unscrewed all ground connections around the engine and cleaned them up. I thought I had solved my problem, but the blackout reapeared a couple of weeks later :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang::bang::bang:

I really need to fix this up before I go on vacations. Any ideas? Should I get some new 4awg cables and replace the old ones? My Tipo has 195k km so I guess some of these cables are pretty burned out. Last year some of the wirings between the horn and starter engine burned out and one of the horns even melted down in the process.

This electrical condition sometimes disapears when I turn the engine off and on again or if I disconnect the battery and reconnect it again, but since I've already experienced such blackout while I'm on the road, I really need to fix this ASAP.

I really appreciate any advices on what to try next. I have the Haynes manual for 1989 Tipo but so far didn't helped much in solving this particular issue

Thanks.
Best regards,
Luis

This is an alternator problem very common with fiats

sounds like a combination of poor earthing[have you checked at the back of the dash] and alternator regulator.with the engine running,check the voltage at the battery.should be about 13.5 volts.if its higher,regulator is over charging.with the miles,i would stick an exchange alternator on it,and recable the battery and main earths.

Hello!

I finally got some time to get back to my Tipo and .... 14.5V at the battery with engine running. I guess I have to service the alternator. What do you recommend? Does it needs a full alternator replacement or just the AC-to-DC circuitry?

Regarding the ground rewiring, could someone post here the exact specifications for such kind of cables, please(thickness, resistance, etc)? Do they have some special kind of insulation to withstand higher temperature near the engine? About the terminals needed for connecting the cable to the engine and chassis ground points, can they be found on an electricians supplier shop or have to be "hand made" ... or perhaps only available at Fiat?

Many thanks in advance for any reply.
Best regards,
Luis