Electrical Control Box

[charles jackson]

Hi,

Just searched the group archives on eScribe and found nothing - thought
it had been discussed before. What does the control box atually do?
Where is it physically located?

Thanks

Bob Bulfin, Auburn, AL
69 Lotus Elan S4 DHC

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

The only control box I can think of controls the strength of the electric
field in the generator to produce the amount of current needed to charge the
battery and run the electrics in the car. It is above the footbox on the
left side of the engine bay.

If it was connected to an alternator it would be called a regulator. There
are two type which are covered fairly well in the workshop manual.

On later US S4s with the all red taillights there is a relay box that
provides the brake/turn and hazard functions for the single bulb system. It
is under the dash somewhere, but I can't say where since I don't have that
systems on my car.

Rob LaMoreaux

MTS Systems Corp.
Powertrain technology Division
4622 Runway Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-822-9696
Fax 734-973-1103
Main Desk 734-973-1111
www.mtspt.com
Work email: ***@***.***
Home email: ***@***.***

[tvacc]

The control box you mean is located just above the parking brake handle
on the firewall. This box Controls the way the way' the rear lights
light up, whether for braking or turning. I
-----Original Message-----
From: "Robert D. LaMoreaux<***@***.***>
Sent: 12/27/04 3:58:02 PM
To: "***@***.***" <***@***.***>, "'Bob
Bulfin'" <***@***.***>
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] Electrical Control Box




The only control box I can think of controls the strength of the
electric
field in the generator to produce the amount of current needed to
charge the
battery and run the electrics in the car. It is above the footbox on
the
left side of the engine bay.

If it was connected to an alternator it would be called a regulator.
There
are two type which are covered fairly well in the workshop manual.

On later US S4s with the all red taillights there is a relay box
that
provides the brake/turn and hazard functions for the single bulb
system. It
is under the dash somewhere, but I can't say where since I don't
have that
systems on my car.

Rob LaMoreaux

MTS Systems Corp.
Powertrain technology Division
4622 Runway Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-822-9696
Fax 734-973-1103
Main Desk 734-973-1111
www.mtspt.com
Work email: ***@***.***
Home email: ***@***.***

[tvacc]

I was on my PDA when I responded to the last email..so the answer was short.



In my 72 Sprint.(for Sale by the way)...I actually took out that box and had
to change to a 3 light taillight.because I could not get the wiring harness
for the control box model.



I eventually found out how it all worked by looking at an Europa TC
diagram.and using that as a guide.



The whole episode led to what I consider a famous RD quote from Ray. I had
called him a number of times.trying to figure this all out.as he had sold me
the harness.

After bugging the heck of him for about 2 weeks.



He said..( and I paraphrase it)



"Tony"..you are just going to have to come to grips with the fact that by
the time you are done with this.you will know everything.every color..every
detail of the wiring on an Elan. Just sit down and figure it out.till you
understand how it all interacts.."



He was right.by the end I was dreaming(or was it nightmares) about that
damn harness..and did know every color and where it went and how it all
worked. Now I did not remember all of it when I tried to drive cross
country this fall from Seattle to Buffalo.(only made it to Kansas City when
the water pump gave out)...as I could not remember how the tach and ignition
were connected.but it did come back after help from Ray.and a few other guys
on this list.





Tony V





_____

From: Tony Vaccaro [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 6:11 PM
To: 'Robert D. LaMoreaux'; ***@***.***; 'Bob Bulfin'
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] Electrical Control Box



The control box you mean is located just above the parking brake handle
on the firewall. This box Controls the way the way' the rear lights
light up, whether for braking or turning. I
-----Original Message-----
From: "Robert D. LaMoreaux<***@***.***>
Sent: 12/27/04 3:58:02 PM
To: "***@***.***" <***@***.***>, "'Bob
Bulfin'" <***@***.***>
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] Electrical Control Box




The only control box I can think of controls the strength of the
electric
field in the generator to produce the amount of current needed to
charge the
battery and run the electrics in the car. It is above the footbox on
the
left side of the engine bay.

If it was connected to an alternator it would be called a regulator.
There
are two type which are covered fairly well in the workshop manual.

On later US S4s with the all red taillights there is a relay box
that
provides the brake/turn and hazard functions for the single bulb
system. It
is under the dash somewhere, but I can't say where since I don't
have that
systems on my car.

Rob LaMoreaux

MTS Systems Corp.
Powertrain technology Division
4622 Runway Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-822-9696
Fax 734-973-1103
Main Desk 734-973-1111
www.mtspt.com
Work email: ***@***.***
Home email: ***@***.***











CopyrightC LotusElan.net and the author:

[lotuselan2]

Tony

My DPO cut the main harness of my +2 between the front and rear of the car.
That told me not to reuse or replace the harness. I started from scratch
and wired the car to function as I wanted it to function. Fuses the way I
wanted fuses, modern ones. Somehow I came up with about half the wires as
the original car and everything works! I made my own wiring diagram and
have a note pad with each individual function (loop schematics for the
electrical types). I used heli-wrap rather than black tape to bundle the
wires in groups.

Yeah, that control box had me perplexed for some time. An hour or two with
a test light on the bench and it became clear.

Originality was never my objective as the list has seen before. I'll take
speed a reliability over Lotus originality any day.

Ken
'69 +2 with BDR

[khamai]

Nice article on the GGLC site on the "relay" box.

http://www.gglotus.org/ggtech/relaybox/relaybox.htm