Brown wire surgery.

[NebraskaSpider]

Its an '80 and I havent checked any grounds in the back yet.

[zachmac]

If you have an 80 FI, the brown wire is already installed at the factory, to help supplement the computer and electronics along with a higher amp alternator. This trick is for the carbbed versions of the Spider.
Brown wire does not need a fuse as it is a raw supply.

I think you are missing the point here completely. The brown wire fix is to FIX the fact that the one brown wire from the factory can be overtaxed amperage wise and overheat / burn up ignition switches. The FIX is to add an equal gauge wire in parrallel to the existing one from the factory to split the amperage between the two. Additn an inline fuse to BOTH isn't a bad idea, just make sure you size them large enough to carry the expected current.

This is a totally different FIX than the suggestion to add relays for the wipers or the headlights. The point of THOSE mods is to lessen the amps going through the ignition and reduce the voltage drop to the wipers and headlights. Most likley if your original brown wire connections are good AD you install relays for your headlights and wipers you won't need to do the "brown wire fix" as you will already have diverted a large portion of the current away from the ignition switch circuit (the current to operate the relays is a small fraction of the current to actually feed the lights and wipers).

I would highly recommend the putting the headlights and wipers on directly fused from the battery powered relays triggered via the switiches and not worry about a second brown wire (again just make sure the original brown wire connections are clean and secure).

[pope]

Jeff,
The brown wire surgery is really only for the carbbed versions of the Spider. The factory added a brown wire from the battery to the dual relay to power the electronics. That along with other wiring changes from Fiat makes the brown wire surgery unnecessary for Fuel Injected Spiders.

The brown wire surgery is a mimic of the Fiat addition to the later models. The best are the ones that run a wire from the battery, though some run them from the alternator or starter. Thats why our models are so highly valued , because the factory already did the work for us.

Headlight relays are highly recommended for all models.

[zachmac]

Jeff,
The brown wire surgery is really only for the carbbed versions of the Spider. The factory added a brown wire from the battery to the dual relay to power the electronics. That along with other wiring changes from Fiat makes the brown wire surgery unnecessary for Fuel Injected Spiders.
Headlight relays are highly recommended for all models.

My bad, I didn't realize the factory finally got it right for the FI modles. I did notice now what you are saying looking at the wiring diagrams. I will be doing the headlight and wiper relays ASAP.

[NebraskaSpider]

Finished up the surgery today and cleaned up as many connections as a I could find. I have bright dash lights, brighter head lights, and blinkers while braking. Blinkers are still a little slow but now actually work.

[mbouse]

brown wire surgery won't help any vehicle that i know of that already has a 10gauge wire from the battery to the ignition switch. i believe..this was done at the factory for F.I. cars

if you are performing the surgery to your carb'd vehicle, remember that adding a fuse to the additional wire is of little/no value, as the existing wire to the #30 terminal is not fused.

[spiderrey]

thats basically what the pope said.