Dashboard vents

[charlielucky]

Hi, my 1981 2000 has come on leaps and bounds since I last posted. The engine is running sweetly for the first time in 20 years, nearly all the electrics work and now I'm getting ready to re-install the interior. I purchased a replacement Dashboard from Spider-point in Germany and thought it would be easy to install the air vents. For the life of me I can't remember how the springs underneath the plastic covers are attached. Does anybody have a photo or a tech tip please.

Thanks in advance

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I'm not sure about an '81, but on the earlier cars, the spring was attached through the middle coil to a post on the underside of the vent, and held in place with a "push nut". The two ends of the spring then fit under the metal ring around the underside of the opening. In this manner, the vent could be turned 360 degrees although my understanding is that some models had vents that were fixed in place. Or perhaps they were just rusted in place...

-Bryan

[charlielucky]

Good morning Bryan,

Thank you for your reply. My vent grills are complete with the springs attached. All I have done is give them a good clean up and a coat of paint. It just doesn't look right the way I am trying to put them in the car which is why I've been all over the internet trying to find a photo of how they are installed. There are relatively few 1981 spiders in Europe, so my best resource is the US and Canada.

Thanks again

Charles

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I happen to have a later model dashboard on my workbench, so if you send me a private message with an email address, we can share some pictures and perhaps get this figured out.

-Bryan

[charlielucky]

After much searching on the internet and trying to figure out how my vents are supposed to be able to rotate, I'm now pretty sure they were meant to be in a fixed position. Sorry to have bothered you.

Charles

[bobplyler]

79 and later don't rotate.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Good to know. I knew that I had come across some spiders where the vents didn't rotate, but it's been over 30 years since I've owned a 2000 spider and so my memory was faded on this point.

-Bryan

[charlielucky]

Thanks to all of you for your help. I have another issue that is bugging me. My car has a modification on the light switch where the thick green wire is attached to the black and white wire. I think the green wire was originally inserted into the connector but I have no idea in which hole or how to attach it. The problem is the the switch is very hot to touch. Any advice ?

Charles

[18Fiatsandcounting]

We're talking about the outer lighting switch, on the dashboard to the left of the instrument cluster, right?

From the 1980-1982 wiring diagram that I have, power for the headlights comes through a light blue wire from the ignition switch to one connector on the back of the outer lighting switch. It also has a brown wire connected to this light blue wire at the back of the switch, and a green wire on a separate connector on the switch. The brown and green wires go to the stalk switch on the steering column where they power the headlight flashing function and the high/low beams, with a fuse in between the stalk switch and the headlights. The other wires on the outer lighting switch are for the outside running lights.

If your switch is getting hot but you are not blowing a fuse, then it could just be that the contacts in the switch are corroded and so the extra resistance is acting like a small heating element. Might be time for a new switch, although some can be taken apart and cleaned (but that might not be worth the effort).

Hope this helps, and you might get more responses if you post your question in the "Electrical" section of this forum.

-Bryan

[charlielucky]

Hi Bryan,

At first I took the dashboard lighting switch apart because it was not working. Inside the pins were not in the correct position so I put them back in place and then the light switch worked. I think you are right about the resistance and I plan to order a new switch. The green wire being attached to the black and white wire doesn't look right so I will post a question on the electrical section to find a solution.

Thanks again
Charles