Tail Lights Issue

[joestram]

Hi Everyone,

I am having an issue with the rear lights - NONE work.

I have sprayed contact cleaner on the wiring harness in the boot and have replaced a broken fuse but this has not made any difference.

Has anyone experienced something similar or know of a quick fix?

Also, can someone please show me where the brake switch should be as I can't seem to see it on the pedal stalk.

Thanks in advance.

Joe

[Al Campbell]

Joe,

If all the lights (stop,tail indicators, reverses...) have gone then it might be the earth. There's a common one at the rear, I'm not sure where it is but follow any of the black wires from the light fittings, they should all come to a point on the chassis. Might have come off or be completely corroded.

If the Alfetta is like my GTV6, then all the rear light wiring comes in via a connector on the passenger side of that light, then passes through that fitting to the drivers side light. Check if it's plugged in. Although it would be odd if it wasn't.

You will have to take the lower part of the steering column shroud off to see the brake light switch. Then it's one third of the way down from the pedal pivot. You can just see part of it circled in red in the 1st picture. the yellow lines are to high light the brake pedal steel. The second photo shows the whole switch with only a red wire (GTV6) attached - in the GTV6 that goes to the lights. The other wire (not shown) is white and gets 12V via fuse 4.

AL.

[joestram]

Hi Al,

I have had a look at the grounding cable but it seems ok.

The power comes from the passenger side of the body into a single plug on the left side then from the left light to the right light. I don like when things have been daisy chained :S

Do you know if there is another connector that runs down into the cabin area?

I wouldn't mind buying another harness.

I did notice that there was a blue and white cable that was connected to nothing (this is on the initial light connector on the left light)

Does anyone know the function of this cable?

Thanks

[Al Campbell]

Joe,

The wiring diagram shows all the wires going via a "junction box". Which might be a mid wire connector. Dunno where it is,  maybe where the loom disappears up into the chassis to go forward.

The tail/parking lights are fed from another fuse (9?), so have you lost them too?

Blue-white is the "Rear Fog Light" on the GTV6. One extra red light that's turned on by a switch with a fog light icon on the dash.

AL.

[joestram]

Thanks for the updated post and that last post Al.

I have lost everything - indicators, reverse, brake, license plate and night driving lights.

[Two Dogs]

Not sure off your light config, but with mine it has a connector to the RH circuit diagram board located within the tail light assembly which can be temperamental.

I had to dissassembe the board away from the light and clean everything retension the conectors (Bend) and re-assemble.

Hope this helps, if totally incorrect just pretend this post does not exist.

Two Dogs

[alfa duk]

 Joe, owning  older alfas is like doing an autoelectrical apprenticship, you will learn the basics. First get a test light and you are half way there. From the problem trace the wire back till you get power or better, find the correct circuit on your fuse box, verify with your test lamp  that power is there and follow the wire testing at fittings and plugs along the way till the power stops. Your problem is between there and the last test point. That should help you every where. Your current problem could be on the circuit board of the rear passenger light. Where the plug goes onto the circuit board it has little paper thin copper contacts which over time of putting the plug on and off, it comes away from the board and gathers up or breaks off creating loss of contact.  or there is a multi pin plug up ontop of the glove box which is the main plug for all the power in the back of the car being lights, fuel pump and speedo/rpm. If the car starts, im tipping the circuit board.

[joestram]

Awesome - thanks for the advice guys

I will give that a shot on the weekend. I really hope its as simple as fixing up that board.

Can you get these test lamps from jaycar?

Joe

[aggie57]

Joe - rather than using a test light suggest you get a cheap multimeter. Much more information and also able to check your earths etc.

But back to your question, by memory the rear loom connects to the main loom via a junction box under the left hand side of the dash. I have a complete loom out of the car in the garage at my office if you want to see it. Although I'm away at the moment and not back until late next week.

[joestram]

Hi Choderboy - I have checked all the fuses and have replaced the ones that were broken.

Hi aggie57 - If I need it, can I purchase it from you?

[joestram]

Apart from the fuses under the right hand side of the dash are there any more areas for the fuses?

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Apart from the fuses under the right hand side of the dash are there any more areas for the fuses?

No.  Well, not in my experience of Alfetta sedans, and Giuliettas, anyway.

Getting a new loom is a bit of overkill for an isolated problem, and is a far more time consuming fix; a little like putting in a new engine because your carbs need adjusting.

Every Alfa I've ever bought has had electrical issues, which I've had to spend a bit of time on.  You must get yourself a manual, a multimeter, and a test light.  I got a professional test light as a gift last year, one which can tap into intact wires easily, and it's the most useful tool in my Alfa toolbox I reckon (well, that and lots of really good ratcheting 13mm spanners - but you'll discover that later on also), and it's saved me hours in chasing down electrical problems.

There are manuals available, they're always on ebay, or can be downloaded from online sources with 5 minutes searching.  You'll get good at reading a wiring diagram....

[joestram]

Hi Sheldon,

Thanks for that. I have a haynes manual which I picked up earlier this week and I must say - it's terrible!!!

They don't cover everything and the pictures/diagrams are all black and white and hard to read.

Do you know which is the best one floating around?

I had a PM from AlfaACT telling me to look at the one Turin Imports have but really dont want to keep buying bad manuals.

Thanks

Hi Choderboy - I can't see signs of a tow bar but nice one for thinking outside the box

[aggie57]

Joe - I agree with Sheldon.  I reckon this will be a simple thing to fix once you find the root cause.  Having so many systems not working to me means you have a basic connection issue somewhere.  Otherwise something would work;  if its a weak earth issue what you generally see on these old cars is the wrong things happening rather than nothing at all. 

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Yes, as Aggie says, since ALL your lights are out, that certainly cuts out your options somewhat, ie, it's an issue relating to that part of the looms connection, rather than individual connections.  Until, and I can almost guarantee this, you fix this problem, and then the brakes and reverse will work but your indicators won't work, or some variation of......

Are there any other electrical connections at the rear of an Alfetta that would be wired into the same bit of loom (so that you can see if they're working, which would determine whether it's the loom connections, or the circuit boards)?  (Just thinking out loud here...)  It won't have a fuel pump back there will it?  Probably not an electric aerial.  What about the fuel sender, is that wired into the same loom?  Is your fuel gauge working?