Frustrated with 164 door

["Paul Albertson" <albertson@domain.elided>]

  In AD V8 221, Spiros Angelopoulos requested help with interior lights:

 "I am pulling my hair (what's left of it) with this one...  Every once
in a while, while I am driving or while the car is parked, the driver's
door ajar light will come on (on the dashboard) and so will the interior
lights.  The car "thinks" that the door is not fully closed, although it
actually is shut. Sometimes it will stay "on" for a while and then shut
itself off -- others I need to slam the door to turn it off. This is
frustrating because when the alarm is armed, if the computer thinks that
someone opens the door, it activates the siren.  It is also frustrating
when I have people in the car, we are driving somewhere, and the lights
come on -- you can guess the comments about Alfa and electronics... I
had the dealer replace the whole lock a month ago, so I am rulling it
out as the faulty part.  Where else should I look? "

  Thanks,

  Spiros
  94 164LS
  85 Spider

    --------- My reply -------

Spiros,

I am relatively new to owning an Alfa, but long time experienced with
auto wiring. Typically, the pin switch (push button in hinge area)
functions as a path to ground for the interior lights. In this circuit,
all of the doors have their own pin switch and all their wires merge
into one common wire under the dash, for the interior light circuit.
This type of pin switch turns the lights "on" when it is extended out.
For old American cars, we have to unscrew the kick panel from under the
dash to gain access to the body cavity in front of the door hinge. My 79
Alfetta has a nice screw under the pin switch that allows the pin switch
to be pulled out without removing the kick panel. I hope your 164 is
simular.

I pulled out the switch on my Alfetta to check it. Unfortunately, much
of the wire insulation is crumbling away. If a bare spot on this wire
touches a ground, it will turn on the interior lights. You could drain
the battery with this problem, as a weak ground may not turn on the
lights enough to notice, but it will pass current slowly.

If the problem stops when you disconnect the wire from the switch (and
tape it), you owe someone great thanks. Replace the switch or leave it
disconnected. If the problem persists (and the wire looks like my car's
wire), then you need to carefully replace the wire. My Alfetta has only
two doors, so I have a short direct path to the dash. The wire comes out
and the new one goes in with minor coaxing. For your 164, the
replacement may be harder. I have used the old wire as a pull cable in
pulling the new wire in behind the old wire. Sometimes this is not
possible, as the old wire may be clamped to the body where it is
difficult to reach. Routing the new wire under the carpets is a poor
solution, as it is a temporary fix. If you can not replace the wire,
then I recommend you cut the old one, from under the dash. This will
disable that one door from turning on the interior lights.

Best wishes on your 164,

Paul Albertson
Beaverton Oregon USA
79 Alfetta Sprint Veloce (with newly discovered wire rot)

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