Fiat Spider Wiring

[Matthewoakley]

I have a 1980 Fiat Spider with a very unusual electrical issue. Occasionally, some times from cold and some times while running, the car will apparently just short out. The ignition warning light is on and motor will turn but the ignition is dead, the fuel pump isn't running and the handbrake and seat belt warning lights are dead. If you sit and wait 3-5 minutes with the key in the "on" position the car will suddenly just come back to life.

Any ideas?

[rlux4]

It's not clear what you mean by the ignition is dead. You say the engine will turn, how is it turning?
One possibility to eliminate is what's stopping the fuel pump from running. It gets power in a path from the ignition switch, to the dual relay, down to the fuel pump. You'd need to drop the shelf under the glove box that holds the relays. Find the dual relay and put a test light on the red wire. Turn the key on. If it doesn't light you're not getting power from the switch. If that's OK, put the test light on the brown with white strip wire, turn the key on, the lilght should come on. If not, check that you're getting a good, consistent contact at the inline fuse for the fuel pump. It's on the brown with white wire up behind the main fuse panel amongst the rat's nest of wires. If you can wiggle the wires on both ends of the fuse holder and the engine dies, it's a bad holder. I replaced mine with a normal AGC type inline fuse holder after I got tired of the engine dying from bad contact at the factory holder.
Next, put the tester on the green with black wire, crank the engine, it should light. If not, it's either the inline fuse, or the signal from the AFM. If it's the fuse (or holder) no problem, repalce the fuse or holder. If it's the AFM you'll have to take the black lid off and see if, when the flap is opened, the curved chrome arm in the upper right quadrant is moving correctly to close the contact points, which makes the circuit for power to the fuel pump.
Here's a diagnostics manual to go through the whole thing:
http://www.wcmotors.com/personal/Fiat%2 ... agnostics/
Of course, this is all assuming that your 80 is FI. If you have one of the carb'd 80s.... never mind.
Ron

[geert]

hallo,

my guess is the ignition switch.

good place to start looking at. It's a practical joke build in in the car and good for many weird things.
do you often have to 'fiddle' with the key to get the car started ?

hope you'll find the Gremlins !

groeten, Geert.

[124JOE]

yes look into the ING
and check your battery connection pos and neg

[Matthewoakley]

All sorted - lose connection on the fuse to the right hand end as you look