Brown wire fix on 1984 Spider

[wikkid]

Thanks, I will get the battery tested and clean up those ground points.

A sort of unrelalted question since a few of you own later models... This is the first Spider I have owned with the battery located on the side of the trunk. When I bought the battery is basically just pushed over into that recess and "held" in place with a bar. It sits directly on top of the frame metal. Is that the expected set up?

You have a bar that holds the battery in place over there on the side? Wow. Got a picture? Mine just sits in there.

[txSteve]

Haha, I think you are envisioning something much nicer than the reality. The PO just rigged something together from a piece of L-angled metal which he kina-sorta bolted in place in front of the battery.

My concern is the acid build up that happened underneath there (even into that rear quarter side marker light). Seems like a tray with drain tube would be a good idea. Just curious if that's how it was done stock.

[wikkid]

I'd think you could find a plastic (non-corroding) battery tray, generic type maybe, in an auto parts store.

Or, you could go with this DIY approach.

[txSteve]

Your '84 should have headlight relays already from the factory.

I just heard back from Gregory Smith who offers a respected headlight relay kit. I asked him about the '84 and he replied that is was his "understanding that the '84 Spiders had a relay only for the high beams, and the power for it still goes through the ignition switch".

[wikkid]

Oh wow - I'll have to check that out. Perhaps a reason why the '84 lights are still dim!

[txSteve]

I went ahead and orded his kit. Car is almost stripped down ready for paint, so I wont be able to test it anytime soon, but I will report back after I get it installed. Unfortunately I will be installing a bigger (95amp) alternator at the same time. So might be hard to gauge whether the relay kit or alternator kit individually lead to any improvements.

[Tobi]

I had starting issues with my 81 FI as long as I owned the car. There is almost always a tac tac tac before it starts. Last week there was smoke coming out of the bell housing and I got to drive it a couple of times after this but now it needs a new starter, again
My fuel pump runs when I turn on the ignition and I don't think it should be that way. I am starting to believe that the dual relay quit working at some point and somebody messed with the electric to make it run again. I am now wondering if I still have a factory side brown wire fix or if they eliminated that when the "fixed" it.
Where exactly is the dual relay?
Also, what does the dual relay do?

[giuliot60]

The dual relay is under the passenger side dash. Don't know exactly what it does, but what ever it does is important.

I'm also having the same fuel pump issue with my 81, but have not looked into it yet.

[rlux4]

First off, a lot of POs have bypassed the fuel pump side of the dual relay to get the fuel pump to run thinking it was a bad relay, when it usually is the fault of the inline fuse or fuse holder that supplies keyed power to it. Probably because they didn't know it was there or where to find it.
The dual relay is just what it's named, two relays in the same molded case, one side for the fuel pump the other side for the injectors. It's easy to see which side is which, the injector side has all the white wires on it.
To focus on the fuel pump side; it is a safety feature. It needs two signal before it will pass the 12V down to the fuel pump, key on and flap opened in the AFM. You turn the key to start the car, one signal goes to the dual relay through the brown with white wire that has an inline fuse on it. The engine turns over and draws air in, this pushes open the flap in the AFM which closes a contact attached to it and sends the 2nd signal to the dual relay. Once it's got both of these signals the contact inside of it closes and makes a circuit supplying power to the dual relay through the green wlth black wire. This saftey feature is mostly in case of an accident. When the engine stops, even if the key is on the fuel pump stops pumping gas up to the engine, which would be a fire hazard.
Ron

[Tobi]

Thank you Ron, this will get me started.

[giuliot60]

Thanks Ron for a good explanation of the Dual relay. Where is the inline fuse for the fuel pump normally located? Under the driver's side dash?

[rlux4]

Yes, it's behind the main fuse panel amongst that rat's nest of wires. A lot of people have had trouble finding it for the first time, me included. Mine was hiding on top of a brace. The fuse holder itself is quite often the culprit. It has a body with spade terminals for the wire to slide on each end. So there are several parts that can cause an intermittent loss of contact. I cut mine out and replaced it with a standard AGC type fuse holder. I got caught in the middle of an intersection once when the car died from this and the fuel pump stopped. That was the final straw for me.
Anyway, just look for the brown wire with a white stripe and follow it to the holder.
Ron

[giuliot60]

Thanks.

[rlux4]

You're welcome. Thanks for the thanks.
Ron