Re: spica problems

[Mark Tamas <markt@domain.elided>]

> Crank the engine, starts beautifully!  Yee-haaa! :-)  Let it warm up for a
> while at fast idle.  When it went back to normal idle, I connect the fuel
> cut off solenoid wire.  Guess what?  The engine stops right away!
> 
> Sooo, to give the whole story again: I start from a stop light, 1,2,3,4 -
> 3500 rpm, changed 5th, the engine loses power, the alternator light comes
> on.  So, somehow, the cutoff solenoid decided it will do it's job when he's
> not supposed to do so.  The question is why and how can it be fixed?  Can I
> just use the car with it disconnected, at least for a couple of days until I
> fix it?  Anything worse than backfiring can happen?
> 
> 
> Can I service the cutoff solenoid or I need a new one?
> 
> Ciao,
> 
> Costel
> 77 Alfetta/Spica/Marelliplex
> Beaverton, Oregon
> 
Costel,
Your problem sounds suspiciously similar to something Ive encountered. 
When I bought my 79 Alfetta GT, the cutoff solenoid was disconnected. So
referring to a wiring diagram, I hooked the brown wire that was dangling
in the engine bay to the solenoid. Result: killed engine.  There is a
microswitch in the bottom of the Spica unit that controls the cutoff
solenoid. It has 2 wires going to it. One connects to the solenoid, the
other connects to a wire that is hot all the time. On my car, both are
white and neither had a connector, so I don't know if it matters which
is which, since all the switch seems to do is provide continuity. 
Connecting the switch between voltage and solenoid produced the desired
result.

   Back to your problem, though.  Since the engine dies when you connect
to the solenoid, it would seem that the solenoid is doing its job, so I
would suspect the microswitch. 

It's interesting that your alt. lamp came on.  My car has had a problem
that I haven't been able to figure out. The alt lamp glows slightly at
all times, and brighter when the cutoff solenoid energizes. The wires to
the microswitch look pretty ratty, but I didn't change them because it
looked like I had to remove the Spica unit in order to access the
microswitch.

Okay, Alfisti! Any relation to persistent charge light problems and the
FI microswitch?

> I tried to adjust the cutoff solenoid before the smog test, but it was sort
> of stuck and I gave up (it passed anyway with flying colors).  Can't release
> the lock nut.

AR Ricambi sells a special tool for about $30 (I think) to loosen the
lockring.  I use a pin wrench made for bicycle bottom brackets(Park
Tools-the green one-about $7) available at your local bike shop. A
little tough to use in the space allowed, but it beats a screwdriver and
a hammer that I've seen suggested.

Mark Tamas
79 Sprint Veloce
Eugene, Oregon

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