1983 FIAT UNO wiper

Roadside Repairs0•7
Connect one end of the red jump lead to
the positive (+) terminal of the flat
batteryConnect the other end of the red lead to
the positive (+) terminal of the booster
battery.Connect one end of the black jump lead
to the negative (-) terminal of the
booster battery
Connect the other end of the black
jump lead to a bolt or bracket on the
engine block, well away from the
battery, on the vehicle to be started.
–
+
+
–
123
4
Make sure that the jump leads will not
come into contact with the fan, drive-
belts or other moving parts of the
engine.5
Start the engine using the booster
battery, then with the engine running at
idle speed, disconnect the jump leads in
the reverse order of connection.6
Jump starting will get you out
of trouble, but you must correct
whatever made the battery go
flat in the first place. There are
three possibilities:
1The battery has been drained by
repeated attempts to start, or by
leaving the lights on.
2The charging system is not working
properly (alternator drivebelt slack
or broken, alternator wiring fault or
alternator itself faulty).
3The battery itself is at fault
(electrolyte low, or battery worn out).
Booster battery (jump) starting
When jump-starting a car using a
booster battery, observe the following
precautions:
4Before connecting the booster
battery, make sure that the ignition is
switched off.
4Ensure that all electrical equipment
(lights, heater, wipers, etc) is
switched off.4Make sure that the booster battery is
the same voltage as the discharged
one in the vehicle.
4If the battery is being jump-started
from the battery in another vehicle,
the two vehcles MUST NOT TOUCH
each other.
4Make sure that the transmission is in
neutral (or PARK, in the case of
automatic transmission).
Jump starting

0•10Routine maintenance
Maintenance is essential for ensuring safety and desirable for the
purpose of getting the best in terms of performance and economy
from the car. Over the years the need for periodic lubrication has been
greatly reduced if not totally eliminated. This has unfortunately tended
to lead some owners to think that because no such action is required
the items either no longer exist or will last forever. This is certainly not
the case; it is essential to carry out regular visual examinations as
comprehensively as possible in order to spot any possible defects at
an early stage before they develop into major and expensive repairs.
For information applicable to later models, see Supplement.
Every 250 miles (400 km), weekly,
or before a long journey
m mCheck engine oil level
m mCheck brake reservoir fluid level
m mCheck tyre pressures
m mCheck operation of all lights and horn
m mTop up washer fluid reservoirs, adding a screen
wash, and check operation of washers and wipers
m mCheck coolant level
m mCheck battery electrolyte level
Every 6000 miles (10 000 km)
or six months, whichever comes first
m mRenew engine oil and filter (Chapter 1, Section 2)
m mCheck drivebelt tension (Chapter 2, Section 8)
m mCheck carburettor idle speed and mixture
adjustments (Chapter 3)
m mCheck contact points and dwell angle (mechanical
breaker distributors) (Chapter 4, Section 3)
m mCheck tyre tread wear (Chapter 7, Section 7)
m mCheck disc pads for wear (Chapter 8, Section 3)
Every 36 000 miles (60 000 km)
or three years, whichever comes first
m mRenew the timing belt - 1116 and 1299/1301 cc
(Chapter 1, Section 28)
m mCheck exhaust system for corrosion (Chapter 3,
Section 19)
m mRenew contact breaker points and adjust dwell
angle (mechanical breaker distributors) (Chapter 4,
Section 3)
m mCheck and adjust ignition timing (Chapter 4,
Section 4)
m mRenew spark plugs (Chapter 4, Section 11)
m mCheck clutch adjustment (Chapter 5, Section 2)
m mCheck transmission oil level (Chapter 6, Section 2)
m mCheck driveshaft and steering rack gaiters for splits
(Chapters 7 and 10)
m mCheck rear brake shoe linings for wear (Chapter 8,
Section 4)
m mCheck handbrake travel (Chapter 8, Section 16)
m mCheck headlamp beam alignment (Chapter 9,
Section 17)
m mCheck balljoints for wear (Chapter 10, Section 2)
m mCheck front wheel alignment (Chapter 10, Section 8)
m mCheck suspension bushes for wear (Chapter 11,
Section 2)
m mCheck seat belts for fraying (Chapter 12, Section 23)
m mLubricate controls, hinges and locks
Every 24 000 miles (40 000 km)
or two years, whichever comes first
m mRenew coolant anti-freeze mixture (Chapter 2,
Section 3)
m mRenew transmission oil (Chapter 6, Section 2)
m mRenew brake hydraulic fluid (Chapter 8, Section 12)
m mCheck for underbody corrosion and clean out door
and sill drain holes (Chapter 12, Section 2)
Every 12 000 miles (20 000 km) or
12 months, whichever comes first
m mCheck and adjust valve clearances (Chapter 1,
Sections 5 and 26)
m mRenew air cleaner element (Chapter 3, Section 2)

9System type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 negative earth, battery alternator and pre-engaged starter
Battery
Except 70S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Ah
70S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Ah
Alternator
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marelli, Valeo or Bosch 45A, 55A or 65A, with integral voltage
regulator
Nominal voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 V
Minimum brush (wear) length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0 mm (0.236 in)
Starter motor
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marelli, Bosch or Femsa pre-engaged
Nominal power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 kW or 1.0 kW
Armature shaft endfloat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.1 to 0.5 mm (0.0039 to 0.0197 in)
Minimum brush (wear) length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.0 mm (0.39 in)
Wiper blades
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Champion X-4801 (19 in) or X-4503 (18 in)
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Champion X-3303
Chapter 9 Electrical system
For modifications, and information applicable to later models, see Supplement at end of manual
Alternator - maintenance and precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Alternator - overhaul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Alternator - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Battery - inspection, charging, removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Central door locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Check control (warning module) system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Cigar lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Clocks - setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Courtesy lamp switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Economy gauge (Econometer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Electrically-operated front door windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Exterior lamps - bulb renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Fault finding - electrical system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See end of Chapter
Fuses and relays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
General description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Headlamp - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Headlamp beam - alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Headlamp bulb - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Heated tailgate window - precautions and repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Horns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Instrument panel - dismantling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Instrument panel - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Interior lamps - bulb renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Radio/cassette - fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Rocker and push-button switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Speedometer drive cable - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Starter motor - description and testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Starter motor - overhaul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Starter motor - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Steering column combination switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Tailgate contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Tailgate wiper blade and arm - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tailgate wiper motor - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Voltage regulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Windscreen wiper blade and arm - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . 24
Windscreen wiper motor - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
9•1
Specifications Contents
Easy,suitable for
novice with little
experienceFairly easy,suitable
for beginner with
some experienceFairly difficult,
suitable for competent
DIY mechanic
Difficult,suitable for
experienced DIY
mechanicVery difficult,
suitable for expert DIY
or professional
Degrees of difficulty
54321

1 General description
The electrical system is of 12 volt negative
earth type and employs a belt-driven
alternator and a pre-engaged type starter
motor.
The models in the range are all adequately
equipped with electrical accessories, while SX
versions also have power windows and
centralised door locking plus a check control
system (Section 34).
2 Battery- inspection, charging,
removal and refitting
2
1The battery is of maintenance-free type and
under normal circumstances, no topping up
will be required, but regularly check that the
electrolyte level is between the minimum and
maximum lines on the translucent battery
casing.
2If the electrolyte level does drop below theminimum line, suspect a leak in the battery
casing or that the alternator is overcharging. If
the latter is the case, rectify the alternator fault
and then prise out the two rectangular plugs
from the top of the battery and top up with
distilled or purified water.
3Always keep the battery terminals clean
and smear them with petroleum jelly to
prevent corrosion.
4The battery will normally be kept fully
charged by the alternator, but it is possible for
the battery to become discharged if the daily
mileage is very low with much use being
made of the starter and electrical accessories.
5When the battery begins to deteriorate with
age it may also require a boost from a mains
charger.
6Disconnect both battery leads before
connecting the mains charger. 7To remove the battery from the car, first
disconnect the leads from the battery
terminals (earth first) and then unscrew the
securing clamp from the casing projection at
the base of the casing (photo).
8Lift the battery from its mounting platform.
Refitting is a reversal of removal. Reconnect
the earth cable last.
Fuses
Circuit protected Fuse rating (A)
1 Stop lamps, direction indicator lamps, instrument panel warning
lamps, tachometer economy gauge, check control system . . . . . . 10
2 Windscreen wiper and washer, rear screen wiper/washer, check
system panel illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3 Left front parking, right rear tail lamp, cigar lighter illumination,
heater control and clock, digital clock illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.5
4 Right front parking lamp and left rear tail lamp, instrument panel
illumination and rear number plate lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.5
5 Left-hand dipped headlamp, rear foglamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6 Right-hand dipped headlamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
7 Left-hand headlamp (main beam) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8 Right-hand headlamp (main beam) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
9 Engine cooling fan and horn (Comfort) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
10 Heater booster fan, digital clock map reading lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
11 Heated tailgate glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12 Courtesy lamps, cigar lighter, radio power feed, disc pad
sensors, economy gauge (ES models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
13 Hazard warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
14 Spare (Comfort), Horn (Super) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
BulbsWattage
Headlamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40/45 or Halogen H4 60/55
Front parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Side repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Reversing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rear foglamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Direction indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rear number plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Courtesy lamp (roof) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Courtesy lamp (pillar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Warning and indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedge base
Torque wrench settingsNm lbf ft
Alternator mounting and adjustment nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 87
Starter motor bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 35
9•2 Electrical system
2.7 Battery clamp
If battery terminal corrosion
has occurred, it may be
neutralised by applying
sodium bicarbonate or
household ammonia.

them. Carefully release the fibre optic
filaments (photos).
6A push-button switch can be removed by
compressing its retaining tabs and pushing it
from the panel.
7A rocker switch can be removed if its knob
is pulled off and the switch sections
withdrawn from the panel.
8Reassembly and refitting of both types of
switches are reversals of removal and
dismantling.
14 Tailgate contacts
1
1Contact blocks are used to transmit power
to the heated tailgate window and to the wiper
motor.
2The block on the tailgate or the body may
be released by prising their ends with a
screwdriver (photos).
15 Horns
1
1These are mounted close to the
engine/transmission left-hand mounting
below the radiator.
2Apart from keeping the connecting leads
secure, no maintenance or adjustment is
required.
16 Headlamp bulb- renewal
1
1Open the bonnet and pull off the plug and
the rubber cover from the rear of the
headlamp (photo).
2Prise back the spring bulbholder clips and
withdraw the combined bulb and holder
(photos).
3Refit the new bulb. Avoid fingering it if it is
of halogen type. Should the fingers touch the
bulb, wipe it with a rag soaked in methylated
spirit to remove any residual grease.
4Turn the bulbholder until the pip on its
flange engages in the cut-out in the rim of the
reflector.
5Snap back the spring retaining clips, refit
the rubber cover and reconnect the plug.
17 Headlamp beam- alignment
2
1It is recommended that the headlamp
beams are aligned by your dealer or a service
station having optical setting equipment.
2Where an owner wishes to do the job
himself, proceed in the following way.
3Have the car standing on a level floor with
9•6 Electrical system
Fig. 9.3 Headlamp beam adjustment
screws (Sec 17)
A Vertical B Horizontal
16.2B Headlamp halogen type bulb16.2A Headlamp bulbholder spring
clips
14.2B Body contact block
16.1 Headlamp plug and rubber
cover
14.2A Tailgate contact block13.5B Switch panel fibre optic13.5A Withdrawing switch panel

3Working at the transmission, disconnect
the speedometer cable by unscrewing the
knurled retaining ring (photo).
4Withdraw the cable through the bulkhead
grommet.
5Refit the new cable assembly by reversing
the removal operations.
24 Windscreen wiper blade and
arm- removal and refitting
1
1The wiper blade can be removed once the
arm has been pulled away from the glass and
locked in position.
2Depress the small tab (A) and push the
U-shaped carrier out of the hook (B) of thewiper arm. The blade can then be withdrawn,
passing the wiper arm hook through the
slot (C) in the blade stretcher (Fig. 9.5).
3Before removing the wiper arm, it is
worthwhile sticking a strip of masking tape on
the screen to indicate the setting of the arm
and blade as a guide to refitting.
4Flip up the plastic cover and unscrew the
arm retaining nut. Pull off the arm from the
splined drive spindle (photo).
5Refitting is a reversal of removal.25 Windscreen wiper motor-
removal and refitting
2
1Open the bonnet and disconnect the
battery negative lead.
2Remove the wiper arm and blade as
previously described.
3Prise off the sealing cover from around the
drive spindle and then unscrew the drive
spindle bezel nut.
4Pull back the weathersealing strip from
above the wiper motor location and remove
the two screws which are exposed (photo).
5Withdraw the motor/gearbox with
protective cover from under the lip of the
upper bulkhead. Disconnect the wiring plug
(photos).
6Refitting is a reversal of removal.
26 Tailgate wiper blade and arm
- removal and refitting
1
1Pull the wiper arm from the glass until it
locks.
2With the thumb nail pull down the tab to
release the peg (B) from the hole (A) (Fig. 9.7).
Pull the blade from the arm.
3To remove the arm, flip up the plastic cover
and remove the nut exposed. Pull the arm
from the drive spindle.
4Refitting is a reversal of removal.
Electrical system 9•9
Fig. 9.5 Windscreen wiper blade fixing
(Sec 24)
A Tab B Wiper arm C Blade slot
24.4 Windscreen wiper arm nut23.3 Speedometer cable connector at
transmission
Fig. 9.7 Tailgate wiper blade fixing (Sec 26)
A Hole B Peg25.5B Removing windscreen wiper motor25.5A Windscreen wiper motor cover
25.4 Removing windscreen wiper motor
mounting screws
Fig. 9.6 Windscreen wiper motor
components (Sec 25)
1 Gears 4 Intermittent
2 Crank arm control unit
3 Shaft gear 5 Motor yoke
9

27 Tailgate wiper motor-
removal and refitting
1
1Remove the blade and arm as previously
described. Unscrew the drive spindle bezel
nut.
2Open the tailgate fully.
3Unclip and remove the wiper motor cover.
4Unscrew the mounting screws, withdraw
the motor and disconnect the wiring plug
(photo).
5Refitting is a reversal of removal.
28 Washer system
1
1The washer system for the windscreen and
the tailgate operates from a bag type fluid
reservoir within the engine compartment
(photo).
2The reservoir bag is fitted with two pumps,
one for each system (photo).
3Use screen cleaning fluid mixed in the
recommended proportion in the washer fluid
reservoir and in very cold weather add a small
quantity of methylated spirit.
4To clear a blocked washer jet nozzle or to
adjust the wash jet glass-striking pattern,
insert a pin part way into the jet nozzle.
29 Heated tailgate window-
precautions and repair
2
1The heater element inside the tailgate glass
should be treated with care.
2Clean only with a damp cloth and wipe in
the direction in which the filaments run. Avoid
scratching with rings on the fingers, or by
allowing luggage to rub on the glass. Never
stick adhesive labels over the heater element.
3Should one of the heater filaments be
broken it can be repaired using one of the
special silver paints available, but follow the
manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
30 Radio/cassette- fitting
2
1In-car entertainment equipment is not
provided as standard on the models covered
by this Manual.
2However, the centre console is designed to
receive a radio set after removing the blanking
plate behind which a power lead is already
provided.
3The ignition system and other electrical
components are suppressed during
production of the car and further suppression
should not be required other than earthing the
wiper motor.
Receiver
4Fit the radio/cassette using the installation
kit supplied with the equipment.
5On Comfort models, fit an in-line fuse in the
power feed. On Super models the radio
supply is protected by fuse number 12.
6Make sure that the radio is well earthed to a
metal body component.
Aerial
7The recommended locations for the aerial
are towards the rear of the right-hand front
wing or on the windscreen pillar.
8Fitting instructions for Fiat aerials are
supplied with them, but the following general
advice will help if using non-Fiat equipment.9Motorised automatic aerials rise when the
equipment is switched on and retract at
switch-off. They require more fitting space
and supply leads, and can be a source of
trouble.
10There is no merit in choosing a very long
aerial as, for example, the type about three
metres in length which hooks or clips on to
the rear of the car, since part of this aerial will
inevitably be located in an interference field.
For VHF/FM radios the best length of aerial is
about one metre. Active aerials have a
transistor amplifier mounted at the base and
this serves to boost the received signal. The
aerial rod is sometimes rather shorter than
normal passive types.
11A large loss of signal can occur in the
aerial feeder cable, especially over the Very
High Frequency (VHF) bands. The design of
feeder cable is invariably in the co-axial form,
ie a centre conductor surrounded by a flexible
copper braid forming the outer (earth)
conductor. Between the inner and outer
conductors is an insulator material which can
be in solid or stranded form. Apart from
insulation, its purpose is to maintain the
correct spacing and concentricity. Loss of
signal occurs in this insulator, the loss usually
being greater in a poor quality cable. The
quality of cable used is reflected in the price
of the aerial with the attached feeder cable.
12The capacitance of the feeder should be
within the range 65 to 75 picofarads (pF)
approximately (95 to 100 pF for Japanese and
American equipment), otherwise the
adjustment of the car radio aerial trimmer may
not be possible. An extension cable is
necessary for a long run between aerial and
receiver. If this adds capacitance in excess of
the above limits, a connector containing a
series capacitor will be required, or an
extension which is labelled as
“capacity-compensated”.
13Fitting the aerial will normally involve
making a 7/8 in (22 mm) diameter hole in the
bodywork, but read the instructions that come
with the aerial kit. Once the hole position has
been selected, use a centre punch to guide
the drill. Use sticky masking tape around the
area for this helps with marking out and drill
location, and gives protection to the
9•10 Electrical system
Fig. 9.8 Radio housing and power lead (A)
(Sec 30)
28.2 Washer pumps28.1 Washer fluid reservoir27.4 Tailgate wiper motor

9•14 Electrical system
Fault finding - electrical system
No voltage at starter motor
m mBattery discharged
m mBattery defective internally
m mBattery terminals loose or earth lead not securely attached to body
m mLoose or broken connections in starter motor circuit
m mStarter motor switch or solenoid faulty
Voltage at starter motor - faulty motor
m
mStarter brushes badly worn, sticking, or brush wires loose
m mCommutator dirty, worn or burnt
m mStarter motor armature faulty
m mField coils earthed
Starter motor noisy or rough in engagement
m
mPinion or flywheel gear teeth broken or worn
m mStarter drive main spring broken
m mStarter motor retaining bolts loose
Alternator not charging*
m
mDrivebelt loose and slipping, or broken
m mBrushes worn, sticking, broken or dirty
m mBrush springs weak or broken
* If all appears to be well but the alternator is still not charging, take the
car to an automobile electrician for checking of the alternator
Ignition light fails to go out, battery runs flat in a
few days
m mDrivebelt loose and slipping, or broken
m mAlternator faulty
Battery will not hold charge for more than a few
days
m mBattery defective internally
m mElectrolyte level too low or electrolyte too weak due to leakage
m mPlate separators no longer fully effective
m mBattery plates severely sulphated
m mDrivebelt slipping
m mBattery terminal connections loose or corroded
m mAlternator not charging properly
m mShort in lighting circuit causing continual battery drain
Fuel gauge gives no reading
m
mFuel tank empty!
m mElectric cable between tank sender unit and gauge earthed or loose
m mFuel gauge case not earthed
m mFuel gauge supply cable interrupted
m mFuel gauge unit broken
Fuel gauge registers full all the time
m
mElectric cable between tank unit and gauge broken or disconnected
Horn operates all the time
m
mHorn push either earthed or stuck down
m mHorn cable to horn push earthed
Horn fails to operate
m
mBlown fuse
m mCable or cable connection loose, broken or disconnected
m mHorn has an internal fault
Horn emits intermittent or unsatisfactory noise
m
mCable connections loose
m mHorn incorrectly adjusted
Lights do not come on
m
mIf engine not running, battery discharged
m mLight bulb filament burnt out or bulbs broken
m mWire connections loose, disconnected or broken
m mLight switch shorting or otherwise faulty
Lights come on but fade out
m
mIf engine not running, battery discharged
Lights give very poor illumination
m
mLamp glasses dirty
m mReflector tarnished or dirty
m mLamps badly out of adjustment
m mIncorrect bulb with too low wattage fitted
m mExisting bulbs old and badly discoloured
m mElectrical wiring too thin not allowing full current to pass
Lights work erratically, flashing on and off,
especially over bumps
m mBattery terminals or earth connections loose
m mLights not earthing properly
m mContacts in light switch faulty
Wiper motor fails to work
m
mBlown fuse
m mWire connections loose, disconnected or broken
m mBrushes badly worn
m mArmature worn or faulty
m mField coils faulty
Wiper motor works very slowly and takes
excessive current
m mCommutator dirty, greasy or burnt
m mDrive spindle binding or damaged
m mArmature bearings dry or unaligned
m mArmature badly worn or faulty
Wiper motor works slowly and takes little current
m
mBrushes badly worn
m mCommutator dirty, greasy or burnt
m mArmature badly worn or faulty
Wiper motor works but wiper blade remains static
m
mDrive spindle damaged or worn
m mWiper motor gearbox parts badly worn