Hey - Those Green Wires!

[RXTbone]

I'm starting to wire my Spider (tentatively named "Batmite")

I have a thick green wire that runs to the engine from the positive battery post in the trunk. It appears to split into two wires past the firewall - the second is a smaller gauge than one that goes to the starter. I have the starter hooked up and the car turns over.

The wiring schematics I've looked through talk about brown wires coming off the battery positive post, but I'm not sure about the color coding - so I'm having trouble tracing this second thick green wire.

Anyone know where this wire goes?

Thank you in advance!

[Anbele]

Interesting, wire schematics show a split into a brown wire going into the fuel injection…if your happens to be FI…

[RXTbone]

I dug into this further last night - and I think you're right. It's actually traced back to a brown wire - I just hadn't followed it deep enough. My FrankenFiat will need more research. When I bought the car - it had a '69 engine (blown head gasket), which I've replaced with a 1980 FI engine - but I'm going to run a carb. My current car doesn't have the FI emblems (which were present on the engine donor car), but I think it may have been a FI car... I find this car to be one of the most confusing cars I've ever owed from a research standpoint. Thank you for the help!

[18Fiatsandcounting]

You have the battery in the trunk, right? All my recent cars have the battery in the engine compartment, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the second green wire (the smaller one) goes to the output post of the alternator. That way, the alternator is connected to the battery, and the large green cable goes from the battery to the starter motor solenoid. Also connected to that solenoid post is the infamous brown wire, and in some cases, a black wire too. The red wire to the starter solenoid is to power the solenoid (engages the starter motor), and this red wire goes back to terminal 50 of the ignition switch.

-Bryan

[spider2081]

I find this car to be one of the most confusing cars I've ever owed from a research standpoint. Thank you for the help!

As far as the cars wiring goes, I suggest you join mirafiori.com. They have a library that has many wire diagrams. I think there is one titled
" Spider 2000 Electrical Diagnostic Manual 1980-1981" This is the most complete Manual for any cars electrical system I have seen. It is close to 60 pages of diagrams, component location, theory of operation and troubleshooting guide.
Joining the site is free but you need to be a member to access the library.

Hope this helps

[RXTbone]

Thanks for the help! I'll check out the site. To me, it looks like an alternator wire, but I have read a few things across the web that the FI system has a similar wire. Just need to work through some schematics. Unfortunately, the the previous owner sometimes opted to bypass OEM wiring by going directly from source to source with a new wire. Might be guilty of that myself occasionally