Woeful Electrics and other questions

[jakobandhismakarov]

And the endless questioning of the n00b continues. (1966 Amazon 121)

I'm having similar problems to austingipsy with my electrics. I have no wipers, indicators, brake lights or oil pressure light, but the full beam tell tale comes on. The radio doesn't work, The horn does. I've checked the fuse box, my ye olde workshop manual mentions something about accessories but not a radio, only a reversing light or a heated rear window (car doesn't have the latter) My charge light glows like Paris of a heated evening.

When I go to full beam the passenger side lamp doesn't switch despite me replacing the bulb - i replaced the blown N\S with a Bosch 410, is this the wrong bulb? There's a click from the foot switch as you go to high beam, but only one light goes up to full beam - is this a shagged relay or something?

I also would like to know what tyre pressures I should be running on stock wheels \ tyres. I'm thinking of getting some late P1800 alloys to go on my car, the seller assures me they fit but I'm not so sure (they're the same as the P1800 featured in Car Magazine with the Alfa 8C on the cover). They're gorgeous and I really want them, but there's no point if they don't fit!!!

I'd like my electrics to work again so I can carry on driving my Amazon!!! Any help much appreciated, I'll replace the fuses tommorrow and see what happens. I read mentions of bad earth, but how do you trace this back? Is a bad earth essentially a short circuit? (Was very, very crap at physics)

[Andrew (UK)]

Originally Posted by jakobandhismakarov

I'm thinking of getting some late P1800 alloys to go on my car, the seller assures me they fit but I'm not so sure (they're the same as the P1800 featured in Car Magazine with the Alfa 8C on the cover). They're gorgeous and I really want them, but there's no point if they don't fit!!!

Hi,

If you are talking about the clover leaf alloys on eBay then certainly beware. These were fitted to the later 1800 cars with 5x108 bolt pattern so unless they are specials in some way they will not fit a stock Amazon.

Sorry but I don't know about Amazon electrics as I have not even got into the electrics of my 1800S much yet. But I can tell you that a bad earth is an open circuit not a short circuit. The way that an electrical item connects to the chassis either by a wire and connector or just by direct contact, in order to make the ground (also called negative or earth) connection back to the battery, can get corroded or dirty and stop conducting electricity well. You need to check all the connections in a circuit though as they are all very suspect in cars this old, they can look good but actually be bad.

[TomTom]

Tyre Pressures: around 30-32 all round is a benchmark, depending on load. Some folk have slightly higher pressure on the front tyres, which helps with steering at slow speeds and doesn't seem to adversely affect the handling.

The lower pressures listed in the manuals are generally ignored by most owners.

I struggled with my electrics and checked a few basic things, but after that I was happy to pay a vehicle electrical engeneer to sort out my problem, much quicker than I ever could. A cop-out, I know...

Tom

[jakobandhismakarov]

about those P1800 alloys - I wondered why I hadn't seen Amazons with them on!

How much would it be to get the hubs remachined? Or will that cause other problems later on?

[Mike Arnold]

Hi Jacob-etc

I have a '66 122 and have quite a lot of experience with their electrics. Given that I live in Sale I would be happy to have a quick look. Give me a ring: 0161 973 3313.

[jakobandhismakarov]

Mike, are you the guy with the 122 who goes into Hale a lot? The blue three door?

There used to be a bloke on Arran Avenue who had a 222S as well.

I will give you a bell next week - thanks!

Jon.