Headlight time delay relay

[Mac48]

How is the headlight time delay relay supposed to work?  I am actually trying to determine what and where the relay for all of the interior lights is.  My understanding is that after a few seconds of opening a door all of the interior lights will go out.  I am trying to do this so that when I go to shows I can leave at least one of the doors open.

[Hemi Dude]

2 hours ago, Mac48 said:

How is the headlight time delay relay supposed to work?  I am actually trying to determine what and where the relay for all of the interior lights is.  My understanding is that after a few seconds of opening a door all of the interior lights will go out.  I am trying to do this so that when I go to shows I can leave at least one of the doors open.

You are barking up the wrong tree, there is an interior lamp relay which allows the interior lamps to stay on for 90 seconds after you open a door from the outside, but disconnecting it will not help you in accomplishing what you desire. The simplest resolution is to merely remove fuse #6 temporarily while the vehicle is being shown.

Be sure to reconnect the fuse before moving the car as this fuse also powers the stop lamps along with speed control and many other smaller lamps.

[Mac48]

Thanks Hemi, that is what I suspected but I failed to mention the car is a 1990 16 valve.  In the manual it looks like fuse # 16 is what I need to pull.  Regardless I still don't understand how the headlight time delay relay is actually supposed to function.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Mac48 (see edit history)

[Nile]

I also have a 90 16V and have recently spent some "quality time" with my fuse box.  Hemi, as usual, is correct, it is #6.

[Garnet & Gold]

You guys are either both right or both wrong.  If you look at the red service manual fuse #6 is the cigar lighter and #16 is all the lamps including the illuminated entry (see page 8W-6). If your are looking at the blue service and on page 8W-6 fuse #16 is the cigar lighter and #6 is all the other lamps including the illuminated entry.  I don't have my SOHC here to look at.  Nile do you have both a DOHC and V6 handy you can check out?

 

[Mac48]

So I pulled #16 and the lights went off.  Now for the other part of the question, how does the headlight time delay relay function.  Do you turn off the ignition, turn off the headlights, and then have a few seconds before the headlights go off?  If not, how?  If so, mine is not working.

 

[Hemi Dude]

4 hours ago, Mac48 said:

Thanks Hemi, that is what I suspected but I failed to mention the car is a 1990 16 valve.  In the manual it looks like fuse # 16 is what I need to pull.  Regardless I still don't understand how the headlight time delay relay is actually supposed to function.

Here is a good time to emphasize the importance of (YEAR, and ENGINE TYPE) when asking us questions or when needing assistance with repairs on the TC by Maserati.

Yes, on a 90-91 TC the fuse you want to disconnect is #16, for you guys with 1989 TCs, it is fuse #6.

 

It IS NOT a headlamp time delay relay, it is a 90 second ON relay that powers the interior courtesy lamps including the 2 in the rear view mirror.

There is no function on these cars that delays the HEADLAMPS from turning off.

 

Thank you to all involved in this correction.

[Mac48]

Hemi, you are correct.  I failed to ID my car correctly.  Thank you sir!

[Gavdavis]

Hi guys, in response to the Headlight posting, I did the relay upgrade to take the amp load off of the headlamp switch. I found a couple terminals that were starting to melt specifically terminal H and R, H for headlamp feed and R for taillights. I also found a kit online that allows automatic headlamp control without the need to pull out the switch. The kit is called Autolight Light Sensor if anybody is interested in installing one and I found it on ebay. I installed relays for both headlamp and taillights. The kit operate the coil side of the relays and turn on the lights based on the ambient light. There is also a switch that can turn it off if you do need it. This comes in handy when working on the car in the garage with the ignition on. Here is a pic of the kit and install.