[alfa] RE: more info on Spider continuing to run

["Les Singh" <Les.Singh@xxxxxxxxx>]

Let me tell you a little story ... :-)

My wife was driving home one cold,windy,wet night when on pulling off the
motorway into an underpass, everything died - no lights, no engine, no nothing
no how. Seeing it was a "Dark Age" Alfa she was driving - an Alfa 90 - she
wasn't at all surprised that this would happen at the worst possible time
(10.30 pm) and in the worst possible conditions. So she sat there trying to
restart the car and eventually, after many minutes, it restarted. She drove
home, stopped, turned off the ignition and nothing happened, everything stayed
on - engine running etc even with the key out.

I phoned a an electronics wizard friend who came over, left us his car and
took the 90 away. To cut a long story short - YES! a relay!

Now what could be weirder than this... Give me an electronics-free 105 GTV
anyday.

Les - currently driving an Alfa 75 Twinspark.... with fingers crossed...

 Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 21:19:51 -0500
> From: Gilbert Gagne <gil5941@domain.elided>
> Subject: Re: [alfa]
>
> I suspect one of the only two relays located next to the fuel
> computer
> (ECU) located behind the passenger seat. They are alluded to
> in the shop
> manual but not shown in any schematic I have. They provide
> power to the
> fuel system and are possibly interconnected with the ignition
> computer
> circuit.  They are energized when the ignition switch is
> "on". If their
> contacts are pitted such that arcing makes them "stick", they may not
> release immediately when the ignition is switched off thereby
> continuing
> to provide ignition power. Try tapping them gently while the
> engine is
> running on to see if they will release.
>
> I don't believe you are causing any harm to the ECU when the
> engine runs
> on, just to your nerves.
>
> Gil Gagne
> Port Orange, FL
> 1985 Spider
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