Reading the wiring diagram

[katsi]

How do you read the fuse box on the wiring diagram? What does the letters mean and what do the #'s mean?

I can't seem to get my right front running lights or my left rear running lights working. It seems that they both run off the red\yellow wire but I can't seem to find where the two intersect ON THE CAR. THe White\black wire from the switch is good and attached so, I think the wire is broken or chewed by mice or rats somewhere between the fuse box and where the two connect.

Yes, bunch of my wires have been chewed through.

On the bright side, I have managed to re-connect the following by using the wiring diagram.
Front left and right turn signals
Driver's side front running lights
Passinger side rear running lights
passinger side rear turn signal.
Dash Lights
Cigarrette lighting system and courtesy light (actually works when the door is opened).
Front headlights and Hi\low beams.

One final thing. I have a double ground wire that looks like it goes to the fuse box that is just hanging there with a white clip thing on the end. It's not the one that goes to 9 or I (Fuse Box) on the Parking\side marker lights wiring page but looks exactly like it. When I kinda jam it in where it looks like it should go, it just makes the headlights turn on or the running lights turn on depending on the area I shove it in - without using the light switch . No smoke or burnt wires yet. YET!!

[katsi]

A few views but no answers, So, I got a new question. I rewired the passinger's front running and driver's tail lights according to the wiring diagram. Both now work, But, the head lights now only one works on low bean and then the other on high beam. ALSO, THE GROUND TO THE BATTERY SEEMS TO GET A LITTLE HOT NOW. Any guesses? I think it's apparent that I don't know what I'm doing but I keep trying! Need some input.

I wonder if I'll ever drive this thing

[swede]

ALSO, THE GROUND TO THE BATTERY SEEMS TO GET A LITTLE HOT NOW. Any guesses?

It sounds to me like you have a short somewhere since the wire getting hot or really bad grounding, I would start checking all wires since they been chewed by mice.
If the wires get too hot it will eventuality start burning so please check it before something bad happens.

[TJC]

For more replies, I'd first suggest posting this issue in the Electrical forum. Then I'd include which year Spider you are talking about as Fiat wiring changes from year to year, especially when talking about the 70's Spiders. Finally, which wiring diagram are you looking at? The one in some of the aftermarket manuals (i.e., Haynes)?

I would suggest first downloading one of the excellent color coded .pdf wiring diagrams transposed by Brad Artigue on his site: http://www.artigue.com/cars_wiring.html

As for fuse box terminals, every fuse has a letter and number designation. The "number side" of the fuse panel denotes the source side of the fuse, whereas the "letter side" usually denotes the load or fused side of the panel. Please note that some fused circuits share the same source, i.e., on '68-73 Spiders, fuses I & L share the same source of power as terminals 9 & 10 are linked together inside the fuse panel (in other words, both circuits don't share the same fuse, but they share the same source of power).