Trying to remember how they worked but I have a feeling that the Main Beam position is AWAY from the wheel, the Dipped Beam is towards the wheel and the Flash Main Beam is fully toward the wheel, non latching.

I could be talking completer bowlocks, if so ignore me, my excuse is that it's still early morning.

 

On the stalk there are plastic lobes which, when turning the stalk, push
several contacts together and so switches different lights on.
Bad connectings create a high current so the contacts in the light switch
get hot, the plastic lobe melts and isn't able anymore to push the
contacts together. Typically when you pull the stalk it may make contact.
You might be able to rescue the light switch by taking it apart and clean and bend the
contacts so they properly connect. Then install some relays so the light
switch doesn't take the full current anymore.

 

Thanks both, after some early morning faffing the problem is that nothing happens when I move the stalk down to the second position which should be main beam (all the twist functions work and I can flash full beam when pulling the stalk to the wheel) I did manage to get them lit a couple of times so yes it must be a dodgy connection.

I'm off to buy a wheel puller so I get the unit off to strip it down and give it all a good clean, fingers crossed!

Will definitely fit relays once I've got it sorted.

 

Good luck with that, they are fiddly things but a good clean may well do the trick.

After that's done, get the Relays fitted !

 

I'm still no further on despite spending most of the afternoon on it!

I can't get the (insert your own expletive) steering wheel off, after returning two steering wheel pullers to Machine Mart as they were too big I made my own. It all seemed to be going well then something gave but it wasn't the wheel it had pulled the thread from the M10 nut I'd used, so the wheel is well and truly stuck.

I then went back to fiddling and used a small screwdriver to clean the contacts I could get to, turned on the main beam and success. This was short lived though as the unit quickly started smoking and the main beam went off!

I'll put a separate post up to see if anyone has a suitable puller I could borrow.

 

It was always going to be one of those " simple " jobs that turn into a nightmare, sorry that you are having problems.

Can't help with a Puller, I was lucky and never had to do it.

Had a similar problem on a Giulietta I owned, in the end I had to frig it with a Dash mounted Switch. ( Remember those with a very long lever, all the rage back in the day ! ) Far from ideal but at least I had lights........

 

that's interesting Nige, hopefully I wont need it but I'll keep the switch plan as back up

cheers

 

It just might be worth trying Electrical Contact cleaner.
Use the nozzle and really give it the works - you might be lucky - it has worked on many other vehicles (on here)
(oh and use a rag to catch the overspill!)

 

thanks , I hadn't heard of that, I gave it all a good squirt of WD40 but that's looks better.

 

Proper Switch Cleaner is far, far better as it is designed for contact cleaning, WD40 not so much.

Of course if the contacts are badly burned away and corroded nothing will really fix them. With a bit of luck you may be able to re-tension the contacts to get you going.

Just remembered, I have a Switch Assy, ( along with lots of other spares that I must get rid off ) it came in the Boot of the car when I bought it. No idea if it works but it looks well worn and gungy so my feeling is that this is the original one which was on the car and replaced to solve the problem that you are having, I don't think it would help you much.

However if you want it it's yours foc if you can have a quick run down the A1 to collect.

EDIT. Sorry Simon, just looked through the spares I have left and it's not there. Thinking about it I must have let it go with the car. Sorry about that.

 

The wheel is off, amazing what a difference the right tool makes!

The unit isn't serviceable though or at least the light section isn't, the case is riveting together not screwed so I'm not even going to tackle it. I've found a replacement unit from Cheshire Alfa for £65 so I'll swap for that one and hopefully all good.

 

Glad you will be sorted for not that much money.

If you plan to drive at night everyone here will recommend you fit relays as described in the How To which you probably read already.

It takes a little time if you want to do it properly but it's worth it, if not for how much it saves the switches, for the extra power of even the standard headlights (promptly praised by my girlfriend who said they were better than her modern car )

 

thanks, yes that's my first job once its through the test

 

The replacement part arrived yesterday but both of the wiring connectors where different so it wasn't the straight swap I needed and I know if it tried messing with it id end up with nothing working

Its booked into an auto electrician tomorrow to have a look and probably fit a dash mounted switch instead so I can get it through the re-test on Saturday morning.

 

I didn't know there were two different versions. Could you post a photo when you have the chance ?

 

Mines back on the car so no pic of that but here's the new one.

The difference is that the left hand spur on the 'new' one has 2x4 connectors (1 red, 1 white) where mine has a single 6 connector. The right spur on the new one has a single 1x6 but mind has a single 8.

I'm sure someone who knows when they are doing could swap the connectors and wires around but the wires don't even seem to the same colours so it's beyond me.

 

These are probably what you are after, right?

Both the auctions finished a while ago but they show the correct connectors, not sure why you were sent those different ones...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/alfa-alfe...2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=JWH3HS5xXYOjg4%2BJI6Sga3I12gA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-ROME...2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=JWH3HS5xXYOjg4%2BJI6Sga3I12gA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc