maybe someone can help...

I have a 1978 Fiat Spider 124... the lighting system that has "gone mad".

Symptoms:

the blinkers flash when the headlights are off, but both sides of the lights flash, even if i have the blinker like i'm turning left....

the blinkers do not flash AT ALL when the headlights are on...

the drivers side rear blinker light stays on when the lights are on...

passenger side rear parking light is not working (i'm american, driver is on the left).


what i've done to fix:
i changed the flasher for the blinkers. (maybe i bought the wrong one?)

i checked all the fuses; they're good.

i put brand new light bulbs in EVERY socket in the external system.



ALSO:
i found some blue oil filled thing underneath the dash; it had wires going into each end... it was loose (unscrewed), and oil was leaking.

i opened it up and there is a fuse looking thing with copper wire coiled around...the wire is broken. i think it's some sort of oil-filled fuse, but not sure. does anyone know what this is???


and any ideas why my light system is acting so weird?

wait a tick, BLUE? was it shiney at all? and im not familiar with old fiats, but id suggest checking the harness and relay system.

this mysterious device is blue plastic. green wires were plugged into each end. i unplugged them and brought it in the house.

it's about 3 inches long... it unscrews at the middle and inside is a thing that looks JUST like a fuse with copper wire wrapped around as the conduit. it's broken though (the wire), indicating to me that it's blown.

it's oily, and was partially unscrewed when i found it, so i'm guessing it was filled with oil.

i have restored many a car and havent come across anything of your discrition, then again, i havent restored an italian, just old muscle cars and british roadsters. i'm sure the force will atract our fiat knights to your side, and they will set you straight.

thank you sir, i'll hold for the fiat knights.

do you know whats up with my electrical system though? sounds like a bad ground or bad flasher..... confirm?

You need to clean all of the ground connectors well. After cleaning them, coat them with a dielectric grease to prevent corroison. Also, it would be a good idead to clean all electrical connetors and use dielectric grease on them as well. Fiat used copper wire but had aluminum connectors on the ends which becomes a great insulator when it corrodes.

90% of electrical problems in old Fiats are related to bad grounds.

I agree with George T. Grounds cause most of the electrical problems. Clean and coat with dielectric grease.