clicking relay when driving in 5th gear ( calif spider 1977)

[geert]

Hello,

although I have the spider already since 1997 ( 20 years ! ) something strange happened yesterday.

Ms and me were on a short holiday to France ( 600 miles in great weather and scenery ) , and after +- 50 miles,while driving at about 65 miles/h, engine sounding great, I suddenly heard the clicking sound of a switching relay, continuously at about 30/min.
Sound from under the dashboard, right side.

As we were on a busy autoroute near Lille, I stopped at a service area, and even with help of about 20 curiously looking tourists ( while I was sniffing under the dashboard ), nothing was found.
Back on the road no problem until changing to 5th gear.
In 1 -4 th gear no problem whatsoever.

Any thoughts/help ?

An old relay from the antipollution-stuff that used to be on the car ?
and gives a signal when car getting hotter , in 5th ?

thanks in advance, Geert.

[bobplyler]

The horn relay is in that area.

[So Cal Mark]

the old dual point system used a 5th gear switch as part of the circuit that switched between points to alter ignition timing

[geert]

Hello,

thanks for the answers.
Was a confirmation of my thoughts.

digging in the mysterious electrical schemes of the added anti pollution stuff
( makes me thinks that The President probably owned a Fiat Spider once in his life and then lost his believe in measures against pollution and global warming , ( with ( possible) quote :" anti-pollution ( in a Fiat) is crap ! that's a fact !... I know !"); but that aside )
reveals a "Back Up/5th gear switch" connecting to the "Diverter by-pass relay".
Just a bit weird to have the problem after such a long time, only with a hot engine and with the EGR Bypass Electrovalve removed since a long time.

I'll jump into the spider-web under the dash and glove-box.
Can I simply disconnect the white power wire from the fuse / and/or the green/white wire from the "gear engaged switch" to the relay ? Don't wanna loose the reverse light.

I'll keep in touch, thanks for the advice.
Geert.
( no political activity intended and no Russian connection ( except the Lada ignition switch))

[spider2081]

For me you political humor is well taken and in good taste. Unfortunately in our country what some see as humor has to me become sinister and character defamation.

I think Mark is on to something with the 5th gear relay. I believe the relay is located on the relay panel under the glove box. Looking at the diagram with the panel swung down and in the same direction it mounts the relay would be the in the cluster of 4 relays. It should be close to the transmission tunnel and closest to the back of the car. I would unplug it as you say the emissions have been removed from your car and see what happens.

[geert]

Hello,
I removed the Diverter by-pass relay ( connected to "Gear engaged switch " & " back up/5th gear switch ),
with no adverse reactions. ( was indeed the extreme left one on the cluster)

Still puzzles me why I didn't had that problem before. ( shortcut with earth before the switch ?)

Thanks for helping me.
Geert.

[spider2081]

The transmission switch switches power to engage the relay. Maybe the switch in the transmission has become intermittent. I think if the wire between the switch and the relay was intermittently grounding our it should blow the fuse.