blinkers and horn wont work

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
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polevaulter999

blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

hi, i have a 1977 spider 124, and the blinkers and horn wont work. they did when i got it, but i had an alternator problem and it boiled my battery, so i replaced the battery and the alternator, and now they work fine, but the blinkers and horn have stopped working. i hear a clicking from the relays under the passenger side dash when i hit the horn, and i get nothing at all when i hit the blinkers. Could it be the relays? did i just fry them when i was overcharging my system with my faulty alternator? any help is appreciated...
mbouse

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by mbouse »

since you did not mention it, i would first replace all the fuses with brand new fuses.

then, i would download this file http://www.artigue.com/fiat/Pubs/Wiring_1978.pdf and start studying your wiring diagrams for the affected circuits. this diagram should be very similar to your 1977 car.

the clicking you here is the relay for the horn, which is located on a mounting bracked underneath the glove box. that you hear it clicking is potentially a good sign. that indicates that the horn push, wiring to the relay, and the relay are prolly still intact. now all you need to do is check out the horns themselves by giving them an alternative 12 volt power supply to see if they still work. if they do, i suspect that the wire between the relay and the horn has fried.

do the four way flashers work? do any of your lights work? is it just the turn signals that don't work? need more information to help here, but i would check the flasher units to see if they are still good. Simple test.... replace them with new flashers.
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

ok, when the overcharging of the system happened, i fried all the bulbs in the rear clusters and one of the headlights. i replaced all the rear bulbs, and now the running and the brake lights work. none of the blinkers are working, and i just replaced the flasher unit with a brand new one, and still nothing
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

ps, the diagram u gave me is proving very helpful, but the relay one is very diff from mine. i have 4 on the plate under the glovebox, and 2 on a seperate plate that was just hanging there when i got it. do u know which one the blinkers would be??
User avatar
Tappy
Posts: 721
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:22 pm
Your car is a: 124 spider 2000 1979
Location: Belgium ; Centre Of Europe

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by Tappy »

Had tat one also , the blinker relay is probably under your stearing collum @your right its a cynlindric form relay
FineItalianAutomobile TechnologyImage

pls don't see what i write , read what i mean
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

ok, any ideas where i can get new relays? will it solve the problem for me?
mbouse

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by mbouse »

i don't think you need new relays, based on what you have written. #1 - you can hear the horn relay....that prolly means it is working. #2 - lights are not on relays.... you are only complaining about horn and lights.

your blinker light flasher unit is mounted near the steering column under the dash...between the steer column and the radio.

what most likely happened is that the bulb sockets, or the connections to the sockets are also fried. look for some electrical damage at the sockets.

you gotta have all four corners working before any will operate correctly, especially the four ways.
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

so if one of my blinkers in out, none of them will work? my running lights and brake lights work, and i replaced the flasher unit by the steerin column. i'll check out the bulb sockets and see what i can find. thanks
So Cal Mark

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by So Cal Mark »

if a bulb is out, only that particular side will be affected. You're going to need a test light or voltmeter to do any real testing
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

i have a voltmeter, but exactly what am i supposed to be testing?
So Cal Mark

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by So Cal Mark »

you could check for voltage at the bulb socket, or test the fuses
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

ok, will check the fuses and sockets, but i just checked the front blinkers, and they were both blown. If i get new bulbs for those, what are my chances of all of them working?
mdrburchette
Posts: 5754
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:49 am
Your car is a: 1972 Fiat 124 Sport
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by mdrburchette »

It's a good possibility. Try it and see.
1972 124 Spider (Don)
1971 124 Spider (Juan)
1986 Bertone X19 (Blue)
1978 124 Spider Lemons racer
1974 X19 SCCA racer (Paul)
2012 500 Prima Edizione #19 (Mini Rossa)
Ever changing count of parts cars....It's a disease!
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

ok, this is getting ridiculous. one of my headlights is blown, and the front running lights/blinker on that side wont even turn on at all. the other headlight works, and the running light/blinker on that side will light up, but not flash when i hit the blinker for that side. i already replaced the flasher unit under the steering column, and still nothing. please, am getting desperate here, as hand signals can only work for so long....ps, i fixed the horn, it was a bad ground wire :)
polevaulter999

Re: blinkers and horn wont work

Post by polevaulter999 »

scratch that, got all the running lights working, cept the one on the right is very dull, and i noticed when i put the other one in that if u put it in backwards, only 1 filament lights up, and when u put it in right both light up. What lights all need to be working for even one side of the blinkers to work??
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