Glad its fixed. So next time let us know you have replaced the switch with a non standard item maybe we could have solved this problem a lot quicker for you.

Just as i was trying to explain to you on the carb/stage one thread replacing something does not always cure your problem and sometimes it creates other problems, in this instance i am sure the rear lights were working before the switch went bad and in turn that replcing the switch with the RS one probably made the headlights work but created a rear light problem. Not trying to jump your bones here just trying to explain why you have to do things a certain way especially when working on 40 year old British craftmanship at it's best.

Now onto the next issue, keep em coming :-)

Fixed.

My temp replacment radioshack switch didn't have a live 3rd terminal on it.  the original innocenti did.  Luckily i had bought a new one off ebay and was waiting to install it.  Switch is in, all lights working.  

Thanks

They should come on with the switch in the first position which is the parking lights and stay on when switched onto the 2nd position headlights.

Good progress.  I took a short jumper cable and ran a hot to the connector for the tail light and BOOM all three lights illuminated (Left/Right/#Plate).  From there I knew i had a few random wires disconnected under the dash.  I turned the car off and figured if i can find the hot one i found my missing link.  Found it first try.  So now the question is, when should those lights be on?  When the parking lights are on (switch under speedo) or when the headlights are on?

You need a plan of action, a voltmeter/tester and patience.

Let's review teh light circuit quickly:

At one end, you got the battery, at the other end you got a light bulb. There's a bunch of stuff in between that requires to be tested.

The light switch is a circuit that is always powered.

First point to check is the line battery to fuse box. Check if you got power at the terminal before the fuse.
Power: yes, Continue looking
Power no: Your problem lies in the wiring between battery and fuse box. (unlikely)


Second point to check, terminal after the fuse.
power yes, Continue looking
Power No: Check the fuse, and fuse box, theer could be a bad connection and/or corroded contacts.

Third point to check: Fuse box to connection to light swich
You got power, Continue lloking.
No: Your problem is in teh wiring between the fuse box and switch.

Forth point swich.
Remove the swich, disconnect the cables and bridge the live cable with each of the out cables. You will likely see 3 cables: One is power in, one is running lights (front, back, dashboard and plate) and one is headlights). If your lights turn on under bridge, it's the switch.
I have taken appart many Mini switches, but never an innocenti one. You may need to take it appart and clean it and bend teh contacts, or replace it.

If the lights don't turn on with the bridge, well, the problem lies in the wiring between the swich and the lights. That one is going to be "fun" to find. All position lights, dashboard lights and plate lighst should come on. If only some of them turn on, you have a problem with the wiring at some of the splits.

Hope this helps.

My money would be in the switch. the way the switches are wired (at leats on british Minis), it is possible to turn on the headlights even if the position lights contact fails.

Best regards,

Miguel

www.MinipassionMini.com
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Yes to what Ian wrote.

Determine whether your licence plate lights, front parking lights and instrument lights are working. If not, the problem is central. If so, the trouble may be in the back, or in the wires leading to the back.

Looking at this picture of yours (sorry, can't improve the resolutuon of my 'copy'), the tail light wiring (plug to taillight housing) appears to be similar to the Haynes wiring diagram 17 (1984 onwards) where:

1. white = reverse light
2. red = brake light
3. yellow = tail light
4. black = ground (I see 2 of them - one may be a ground for the boot-lid or licence plate lamps)

Continuing back from the white multi-plug, I see some bundled wires and some outside the bundle. Figure out which wire of this groul ps connected to which wire of the tail light.

In the bundle I think I see:

1. green/white trace
2. red (smaller than the loose reddish ones)
3. green/white trace
4. black (maybe)
5. yellow (folded back and taped)
6. purple (taped)

Outside the bundle I see two thicker wires

1. orangish-red
2. red with brownish trace(?)

I suspect the E-yellow might have been the tail light feed that was replaced by the I- orangish-red, and the F-purple replaced by the II-red/brown trace(?).

Follow the loose wires I and II back through the car. I'm guessing they run to the left tail light area, then down along the boot floor, into the cabin, uneder the carpet and come up under the dash somewhere. The bundled wires would go back to the left side, then up along the roof to the multi-plug in the engine bay. It is difficult to thread replacement wires that way - much easier under the carpet.

If all your parking lights and instrument lights don't work, start by checking the fuse-box and in-line fuses. Don't trust the fuse-box farther than you can spit it (thowing is too easy) They corrode in behind and the riveted connections go bad - the fuses will be fine but the rivets behind won't carry current. These lights are probably fed from the same fuse, which receives power from the parking/headlight switch.

Forget about Step 1 of the plan.  If you have a problem with the turn signals then its a separate problem and needs to be addressed separately.

Your "running lights" are on an independant circuit (which includes the number plate lights - and, I think, the dash lights...  ... and that's what you need to fix.

Don't know what age your car is but I would be looking at the front loom to rear loom connector plug which, in my car, lives at the extreme top, right (as you look at it), rear of the engine bay..

The trouble with most wiring diagrams is that they show the electrical logic of the circuits - and only provide a rough guide to the physical layout...

Cheers, Ian

Got it, thanks.  I have a wiring diagram for a Innocenti Export 1300 that should be a good place to start.  

All the front lights work.  I have a switch under the speedo (left/driver side) that turns on the parking lights.  This turns on the yellow side markers, and front parking lights (under the head light).

Action plan.

1. Confirm that front turn signals work when parking lights are on and off.

2. Dig out my wiring diagram

3. Check lic plate light.

4. I'll dig out the multimeter and get some test leads and begin the hunt.

Thanks

You have it backwards - filaments "draw" power. There is a 5 watt filament (tail light) and a 21 watt filament (brake light), each fed from its own wire. You can have your tail lights on and only the 5 watt element is energized. Or you can have them off and only the 21 watt element is energized when you put the brakes on. At night, you do both - the tailight glows and the brake light comes on when you try to stop. Both filament share a ground through the side wall of the bulb base. (Ever notice a car going along at night and one tail light is brighter than the other - that's because some "dim-bulb" forced the double filament lamp in the wrong way.)

Both supply circuits supply 12 volts up to whatever amps the fuse rating is on each circuit. Watts + volts x amps. The 5 watt tail light would consume only 0.42 amps. (For all your front and back parking lights you'd consume only 4 x 0.42 = 1.68 amps.) The 21 watt brake lights would each use 1.75 amps (or 3.5 amps for both).

If your brake lights come on when you step on the brakes, those circuits are OK.

If your tail lights do not come on, they aren't getting power. Rear licence plate lamp(s) should also be on. Your job is to find out where the gap in the circuit is. That should begin with a wiring diagram.

Go to the front of the car and figure out where the front parking lights are. Are they double filament bulbs in the turn signals, or are they single element "glow"' bulbs inside the headlight housing?  Do they work with just the parking lights on? Do you ahe side marker lights in the front wings? They should go on with the parking lights. If none of the front lights work, suspect a central problem, like a fuse or switch, or maybe a gang plug somewhere.

Fly, Dug a little deeper. B38/8 was also used on NON-export 1001s From Feb '72 - Mar '73. So you are likely correct. About 23,000 made. The later Export totaled around 44,000. 

Now go fix the wiring!

The brake light wire is separate to the tail light wire.

I know that light partially works cause the brake lights work.  Would i assume correctly that 5W of power is only enough juice to make 1 element illuminate, and 21Watts is enough to make both illuminate?

Well they are original then. Like i said start at the end and find out where you loose power with those two wires taped up i imagine it has been an on going issue. First make sure the lights work with a direct power source.

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New bulbs would of been toooooooo easy!  I already have the 21/5 watt bulbs in there.  Time to start trouble shooting wiring.

The light assembly does say "CARELLO 12.204.748    MADE IN ITALY"

I'm going to bet its a bulb issue.  I will confirm. But MiniMania sells them for under $1.  Also, my car is alledgedly a non-export Mini 1001, I have export docs from Italy from the original owner in Italy.  But who knows honestly!

Yeah something is definetely going on back there.  There are two wires that are not in use any more.  

The glass is certainly italian, it has italian words and stamped "Made in Italy" on it.

The wiring colors and lights look kinda Italian to me.

What is the wording on the outside of the lenses?

Regardless, you have a wiring or bulb issue. Likely wiring if both sides are out.

B38/8. Didn't we go down this road before. Stands for Mini 1001 Export made between Mar '73 and Jan '75.

Maybe so Mur but looking at the different colour wiring and taped together plug and no Carrello ?? was it on the lights i assumed they were UK ones, maybe they put UK lights in later Innocentis.

Innocentis were the first to get those tail lights. 

Looks like someone has maybe retrofitted UK lamps to your Innocenti. Make sure you have power to the plug if not trace the wire back from there. Also put power to the running light wire (right off the battery with a jump wire) to make sure the bulb is good and check the ground wires

This picture tells the story:

Top is turn signal (yellow) - blue wire, single filament bulb.

Middle socket has two wires - red and yellow - one for brake and one for "tail" light, parking light, or as you call it rear running light.  It should have a twin element lamp bulb. If you remove the lens and the bulb, the bulb should have two elements and two terminals on the end. It should go back in easily only one way - the 'bayonet' lugs on the side are at different positions relative to the end of the bulb. The socket will have two corresponding terminals looling back out at you.

The bottom socket is for back-up light - white wire, single filament bulb.

All bulbs and sockets are grounded by the socket outer shells, which are grounded to the body with the black wire.

The bottom red patch in the lens is a reflector.