lighting woes

[Baz]

not only wiper, but got issues with lighting. My 3 position headlight switch seems to have broken internally. got a new one and the male terminals are in a different position than the old one. I have got main beams and tail to work ,but no park. The connector at back of switch has 4 wire. black/white , brown, purple and green.
Does anyone know which combo turns on just the park lights ???
the main lights are green, black/white and purple...

the wipers work on intermittent, but not regular wipe.

Anyway , help with the lights would be highly gold medal !!!
thanks
Baz

[18Fiatsandcounting]

The wire colors at the outer lighting switch that you have are a little different from what I see on a schematic for a 1977 spider. The schematic shows:

- A black wire that is powered when the ignition is on.

- A white/black wire that powers fuses 7 and 8 which are the outer lights (and gauge lights). When the outer lighting switch is in the middle or full on position (headlights and parking lights), this white black wire is connected to the black wire above.

- A light blue wire that is powered by the ignition switch, and this wire is connected directly to a brown wire which is the power for the headlight flashing circuit (headlights flash when you pull the stalk lever toward you).

- A green wire which powers the headlights, and this green wire is connected to the light blue wire above when the outer lighting switch is in the full on position.

So, to power your outer parking lights, the black and white black wires should be connected. Since you don't have a black wire, maybe it's the purple wire in your car? Since the green is likely the headlights and the brown could be the headlight flasher?

-Bryan

[Baz]

hello again Bryan,
um....firstly, the switch. I assume the up position is off, middle is side lights, and all the way down is main lights etc.
I was not able to tell with the old switch as no matter which way you hold the switch the male connectors are the same alignment.
I have used a meter to determine which blades on the switch are connected in the three position. up...all off, second position (mid)
seems to be green and purple , lower position brown black/white and purple are connected...lights front and rear ablaze(key on)
I notice that when the key is off, the brown and black/white carry 12 v.
I have tried a number of combinations with jump wires but no park lights.

I am wondering if a combination of brown, black/white and green would be park. As I get a spark when I connect brown and black/white together....I am concerned I will go up in flames....although when I connect those together with purple...lights ablaze..

I appreciate this is very difficult to figure from your end, but any help is hope. I really would love to know which colors need to be connected for park. I believe park lights can be activated with ignition key off.

[Baz]

Bryan, it just occurred to me....are the park globes meant to be on when the main lamps are on ???
I would have thought not. If you can confirm that would give me a clue !!

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Baz, do you have a European spider or a US spider? I'm not familiar with "non-US" spiders, but I think that there are lighting differences due to the different safety requirements in each country.

To answer your questions:

- Yes, the stock setup for the outer lighting switch on the dash is: Up is all off, middle is parking lights and gauge lights only, and down is headlights and parking lights and gauge lights. This is opposite the usual configuration for toggle switches where down is "off" and up is "on".

- The parking lights (also called running lights for some strange reason) are always on when the headlights are on. At least in the US.

- The parking lights are the two in the front bumper (on a 1977), the four side marker lights at each corner, and the two taillights.

- The parking lights can be activated when the ignition is off, but only in some very early model years. At least in the US. In my '69 spider, I can turn on the parking lights with the ignition off (but not the headlights), but in my '71 spider, I cannot.

The parking lights (and gauge lights) are powered through Fuses 7 and 8, so if you can figure out which of your wires for the outer lighting switch connect to Fuses 7 and/or 8, then that wire is for the parking lights.

-Bryan

[spider2081]

The wire diagram I have for a 1977 Spider shows a black wire (hot all the time) and a white/black wire connected to the outer lighting dash switch. I believe the white/black wire feeds power to fuses 7&8 when the dash light switch is in the center position. In the center position the dash switch connects the black wire to the white/black wire. This lights the parking lights and the dash lights through fuses 7&8 even when the ignition switch is in the "off" position. When the ignition switch is in the "run" position the light blue wire from the INT terminal of the ignition switch powers the dash mounted outer lighting switch and when its bat is in the up position this light blue wire powers the steering column hi/lo beam switch as well as fuses 7&8. So the operation of the dash mounted outer lighting switch can use either the "hot all the time" power or the "hot in start or run" power source depending on the switch's bat position. I don't think the wire diagram drawings of the switch correctly show this operation.
I think when the dash outer lighting switch bat is in the up position both the head lights and parking lights can be turned on or off with the ignition switch. With the bat in the center position the parking lights will remain on even if the ignition switch is in the off position. This can be confusing, I'm assuming the 77 dash outer lighting switch operates similar to my 81 Spider's operation.
If my memory is correct mating the switch with the connector will have a switch terminal with no wire in a corresponding connector cavity but a wire in a connector cavity that has no corresponding switch terminal. Moving the wire from the connector cavity that does not have a corresponding switch terminal to the other empty cavity that has a switch terminal completes the switch installation

[Baz]

thanks 2081...good of you to reply. gonna have another look with that in mind...I only have 4 wires to play with and as I have said, b/w, brown carry 12v, those two connected with purple turn all lights on, tail , side , main. leaving a green wire unattached via the switch.
not sure what it does. the switch in the middle position allows the b/w wire with the green, but no side lights.

my other issue is wiper, while i feel the motor is fading, I only have delay functioning. I will check the column switch I think.
Appreciate you taking the time...thank you
Baz

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Is this a US spider or non-US spider? This might be important when it comes to wiring, especially for outer lighting.

-Bryan

[Baz]

This car is a USA spider…

[Baz]

Ya know…I have 4 wires that connect to the female connector, brown, black/white, green and purple. One combination of theses will be side/park, the next will be headlines, park, tail….
They worked ok with the old switch which collapsed. One would think it would be easy to reconnect with a new switch. Looking at the old switch from the back it had two blades top right side and two blades bottom left .
The new switch has two blades top right and two blades side by side lower.

On the female connector, corresponding with the old switch I had……brown top right, black\white underneath,
Left lower Purple with green underneath.
This should be bloody simpe to change out the old switch.

Thank you to you guys….I will persist.