hazard switch for 1980 spider

[haveabug]

hello,
First time posting so excuse any faux pas. I am looking to replace my round pushbutton hazard sw. (this one sometimes stays lit when you shut it off) it will drain the batt. if you don't notice it. I looked on ebay and the replacement one is 150 bucks it also showed one for an alfa
same yr. give or take for 65 bucks. Are they swappable ? The only difference i noticed was fiat says hazard and alpha has the triangle.
I'm not a purist but i am a cheap italian lol . My question is will it work? thank you for any imput.

[Yadkin]

There are a lot of different ways that manufacturers did hazard circuits, so I doubt that they are compatible. How many contacts are on the switch that you are replacing?

[spider2081]

(this one sometimes stays lit when you shut it off) it will drain the batt.

The red lens unscrews to access the internal light bulb. I have seen times where simply slightly loosening the red lens stops the light from lighting when it shouldn't.

[Anbele]

Haveabug, not so long ago there was a posting about taking apart one of these hazard switches…it’s definitely worth the try to fix them before you go buying one. Sounds like your troubles are the spring
/latch mechanism which is exactly what the article addressed. Be patient though when trying to take the switch apart since the plastic after all these years is brittle—heating it up with a hair dryer will help avoid breaking it. You’ll need small screwdrivers—preferably the watch repair kind—to insert and keep the plastic tabs open while you work your way around it with another one. The switch will come apart in two halves. You’ll see a metal tab that it’s meant to ride on a plastic groove. This tab needs to be bent a bit to “force it” to ride on the groove once again. This is the mechanism that impedes for the switch to jump and be On all the time. And thus ran your battery out. Again, look for the posting cuz it has pictures which—to me at least—are always of great help. Best of luck!

[haveabug]

Yadkin
My switch has 7 pins on the outside, one center pin and a resistor soldered from the 12 o clock position ( no blade pin) to the 5 o clock pin
i think it's p85 stamp, not sure. Looked at alpha sw. on ebay again and there is no resistor on the sw. so i think it's a no go.

[spider2081]

your description of the switch sound like the correct part.

There is a set of contacts in the switch that switches the flasher power from "Hot all the time" used for Hazard operation to 'Hot in Start or run" power used the turn signal operation

[Yadkin]

Yadkin
My switch has 7 pins on the outside, one center pin and a resistor soldered from the 12 o clock position ( no blade pin) to the 5 o clock pin
i think it's p85 stamp, not sure. Looked at alpha sw. on ebay again and there is no resistor on the sw. so i think it's a no go.

I have not taken apart the hazard switch on my car but I have taken apart other switches, and find them relatively easy to take apart, clean, lubricate and reassemble. The wiring is also fairly simple, being a multi-pole type, where the mechanical action closes sets of independent contacts on at least two circuits. Intermittent power is from the "blinker" module:
1. Intermittent power to the left turn signal lamps
2. Intermittent power to the right turn signal lamps
3. Constant power to the light in the switch.

An alternate scenario is:
1. Intermittent power to the left turn front signal lamp
2. Intermittent power to the right front turn signal lamp
3. Intermittent power to the brake lamps
4. Constant power to the light in the switch.

[spider2081]

(this one sometimes stays lit when you shut it off)

Thinking about this issue:
The light in the hazard switch operated off the flasher when the switch is in the "Hazard" position. When the switch is in the "turn" position it operates with the dash light circuit. This circuit is powered with the ignition switch in the "off" position and the dash mounted outer light switch in the middle position. The cars dash lights, parking lights side lights and the hazard switch light and lights on indicator are all on that circuit. So it would drain the battery pretty quickly. Its hard to see if the instrument lights are lit in the daylight however the parking lights should be easily seen.