308 handbreak light | FerrariChat

308 handbreak light

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by Quasimotor, Jan 10, 2004.

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  1. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    I'm tyring to get the light that sits within and under the handbreak to work. I replaced the bulb, but no luck. The wire to the light runs down into the console. Does anyone know the right way to get to this wire with as little effort as possible? Does this light have a separate fuse?
    Thanks for the help!
    Quasi
     
  2. joeyy

    joeyy Karting

    Nov 11, 2003
    190
    long island
    Full Name:
    joe
    mine is powered on with the dash lights so it is probably on the same circuit.
    i took my console out for a cleaning and when i put it all back together it worked!! what a surprise! check for power with a test light and follow back from there.

    BTW where did you find a bulb?
     
  3. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    Ahh, I knew someone would ask that question soon. Here's what I did.
    Went to Straus and bought the shorter version ( I think it is 3112 from Phillips) for 3.28 a pair. I took one of the bulbs,busted the glass, cleaned out the two metal end caps and soldere them onto the other good bulb. Works fine. As long as there is juice in the circuit. So THERE Chinetti!
     
  4. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    The original bulbs are still available from the dealer. They are tinted green to match the illumination from the dash gauges.
     
  5. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    I think they cost $8-12 each, which isn't much, but I didn't want to drive out to the dealer or open a FedEx bill for such a small item. Incidentally, I searched the entire planet for these from a manufacturer (Ferrari used Osram) and so far no luck. It's my challenge to always find a (the) prime source for F-parts whenever I can. (see thread on 308 heater fan blower).

    Thanks for the help.

    Quasi
     
  6. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    Well, I made a working light, but it still won't light. There's not juice coming through the wire. Does anyone know how to get to thewire where itgoes under the hand brake? Do I have to remove the whole center console?
     
  7. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,687
    North shore, MA
    Full Name:
    THE Birdman
    Quasimotor,
    I don't know which 308 you have (fill out your profile!) or if this applies for all 308's, but the following works for my '77 308.

    If you pull the two screws under the ashtray, you can slide the top cover of the console forward and pull it up, getting at the wiring below. I'm not sure where the wire from the brake handle light goes, but it certainly plugs into a connector under there.

    Birdman
     
  8. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    Thanks Birdman. I'll fill in my profile. Hey, when I'm there, can I find out why a guy with a SCUBA avatar calls himself Birdman?
     
  9. BigAl

    BigAl F1 Veteran

    Mar 17, 2002
    6,146
    TX
    Full Name:
    GSgt Hartman
    can anyone tell what purpose the handbrake light serves? It just seems to be a light just to have a light.
     
  10. joeyy

    joeyy Karting

    Nov 11, 2003
    190
    long island
    Full Name:
    joe

    i think it's there to light up the levers and stuff under it. (we take these things for granted because we know where they are without looking.)
     
  11. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    Well, I don't know about you, but I'm still getting to know my console and it's a little dangerous to go looking for the defroster nob in the dark when cruising at 120.
     
  12. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    Okay, new wrinkle here. I had my car out at night for the first time and sho'nuff that green light was working fine - for about 30 minutes. And then it burned out. Maybe I used too low a wattage to make the substitute, but in the mean time, I ordered one from Ferrari UK. Now, I'm reluctant to install it, thinking it too might blow out. When I opened the console there was nothing connected to the light wire. More odd, there was no appropriate power wire with a matching connector to connect it to! All I could find was two yellow wires with different connectors, each of which gave 12V power with the lights on. (Actually, I think one gave 12v all the time and the other only when the lights were one). So I took the one that went on with the lights, and cut off the connector and soldered it to the line to the hand brake light. This worked, but only until the light blew out. My question is this; could these wires be carrying too much wattage? Do I have to install a resistor (variable) perhaps? I don't want to keep buying bulbs to find out.

    Thanks for any help you send.
     
  13. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 7, 2002
    11,166
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Barry Wolinsky
    George,

    I've been following this thread with interest to see if your bulb modification would work. Now, my understanding of electronics does not go beyond my college physics and Ohm's Law, but I'll check the wiring diagram for my 1976 GTB and see what color the power wire to the handbrake light receptacle is. I'll also check the wattage for the green bulb. My manual is at home, but here on the computer, I have the Euro version .pdf manual which indicates a black-striped yellow switched wire.

    It wasn't clear in your post, but it appeared that the console tunnel light in your handbrake went on when you switched on your lights. I understand what you did to elongate the Philips bulb so it would fit the assembly, but I wasn't sure about the soldering of the yellow wire to the wire that went to the receptacle. Was there already a wire connected to the receptacle? The problem could be with the bulb modification, the wiring alteration or both.

    Anyway, I'll post what I find in my manual tomorrow.

    Barry
     
  14. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 7, 2002
    11,166
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Barry Wolinsky
    George,

    Interestingly, the bulb is not listed in my manual, but it is a 3 watt green cylindrical (festoon) bulb.

    I misread the wiring diagram. The wire to the bulb assembly is orange. The other wire in the handbrake area is to the switch which illuminates the brake warning light on the dash when the handbrake is set. That wire is orange striped black (possibly pink for a Euro QV).

    Let us know your progress.

    Barry
     
  15. Quasimotor

    Quasimotor Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2004
    325
    Yonkers, NY
    Full Name:
    George Avgerakis
    Hey thanks for the help! The Phillips bulb I used was also a 3 watt 12 volt, so it should not have blown unless the power going to it from the wire that I picked was a higher wattage. The Ferrari bulb is also 3 watts, so that's why I'm afraid to connect it. I did not find any other wire running to the handle, such as the one that turns on the dashboard red warning light, although it certainly must be there. Perhaps there's a Y connection off that? I'm going to take the seats out of my car today to return to the restoration job I am writing about for Forza (see other thread on this topic), so I'll have another look at the wiring under the console when I do. If I learn anything new I'll post again. Is there a way of reading wattage from a wire? I recall some old ARRL Ham radio formula that relates to resistance, voltage and wattage...
     

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