So I thought I knew a lot about my GTV. Like, I bought it as a rolling shell and have had almost every part of it apart. Yet recently I learnt something I didn't know...
It started with doing a bit of wheeling and dealing with a client to upgrade my current (real) Recaro seats to ones with bigger bolsters. The old Recaros are going to the 105 stash (so don't ask if that are for sale...)
The recaros I ended up with had an awful black and white vinyl upholstery so a retrim was in order. Materials chosen and trimming done, then rear seat to match front... Well, you know where this is going! Door trims next and now it's all looking pretty smick inside, but a rather stained headlining. So last of all the headling in a more modern looking dark grey stretchy cloth material (with I may add was 10-fold easier to fit than vinyl.
I also decide I want a useful courtesy light in the car (placed better than in the in the B-pillars like the useless, self-destructing garbage Alfa originally fitted). I chose from my stash of NOS parts a nice Altissimo courtesy lamp with a three-position switch.
Bracket made and installed in between the sun roof and sun visors, I re-route the wires and install the headlining. A neat and unobtrusive install, I go to test... But: the light stays on when the switch is in the position where the door switches should shut it off!!! I scratch my head and wonder how this can happen... In any case, I now have a useful courtesy lamp... I just have to turn it on manually.
A few weeks go by and I am sorting myself out before I head off one evening. Turn the courtesy light on and mess about. Only for it to turn off about 15 seconds later. I happened to notice a click from the fuse box. Open door, light comes on, close door, light goes off after 15 seconds.
So: after owning 5 or so Alfetta GTVs over 30+ years, I learn that there is a time delay on the door switch function. Just probably none had useful/functioning courtesy lights.
Are you sure that's not an aftermarket addition?
All of my Alfettas (77,79,79) have had working lights (to some degree) but they were all directly switched - not via a relay let alone a fancy time delay relay.
I just checked the Haynes Alfetta wiring diagram and the 1987 update, neither show a relay of any sort.
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My '82 GTV has a courtesy light timer and it is shown in the 1983 GTV owners manual factory lighting wiring diagram.
My 86 also has the courtesy light timer, although it didn't work so I have removed it and replaced with a neat little JayCar unit.
The original unit is attached to the brace that runs under/behind the dash, directly above the fusebox. Probably easiest to see if you remove the drivers side fresh air vent and rubber piece. Or adopt 'the position' (lying on your back in the drivers footwell with your legs outside the car and your head wedged next to the pedals).
Both of my old 83 models did not have the timer.
My gtv and Giulietta had this feature, there is a timer in the dash normally the capacitors fail causing the delay to stop working this relay mechanism is easily rebuilt if you know some basic soldering and electronics
20 odd years ago,,i replaced those useless courtesy lights with better Alfa units with LED globes on my 1984 GTV V6 witch come standard with a 15 second delay.
So much better