Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I've found myself a great little pre-airflow S3 FHC. Been going over it on the random evening getting it ready to get back on the road.
So far, looks like the PO did it well. One thing that oddly sticks out though - every switch on the dash is slighly different. One one or two, the switch feels "weak" (for lack of a better description). One has a really crisp swtich to it, but the chrome dome part at the base of the switch stands out as completely different from the rest. All of them have a slighly different version of the round keyed lock ring/nut. I have a few spare switches, but honestly looking at them, they don't look all that quality.

Is there a go-to source for quality dash panel toggle switches? I know everyone offers some flavor of the old lucas switches, which probably weren't the best of quality at thier outset... but is there someone that sells a version that is reliable good, solid, & looks the part.

Is the panel lamp dimmer switch available anywhere at all?

are you in Europe? https://www.sjsportscars.com/ has lots of lucas toggles and they also sell the round bezel nut by itself. The hardest switch to find is the electric window toggle.

Thanks for the tip.
I am in Europe. I also noticed that Kelvedon lists both a standard and a "high quality" panel switch. Any have experience with the latter?

When I had my race wiring loom made , but with a chapeau to the original look, DC Electronics recommended the ones from Holden

Ganzdachhaus wrote:Is the panel lamp dimmer switch available anywhere at all?

I don't follow this particular question. What is the panel lamp? Are you referring to the backlights for the dash instruments (tach/speedo/etc) or the "map light" in the center middle of the dash? Either way, neither of those are dimmer switches on my car (an s3 dhc). I've added a diagram for ease of conversation. I needed a few replacement switches too...and bought the lucas variety you mention in your first post. But the window switches I purchased from RDent.com in the US (where I am...). They have a version that matches pretty closely but requires more relief on backside of dash...so you can really only add them if you are also pulling dash at some point. But I can confirm they are nice and match very closely (toggle is slightly larger than original but is same shape - and bezel is round with chrome dome style)

The panel light dimmer switch on my S3 dims as you slowly move the toggle up and down. Some people just move it to fully down not realising it is in fact a dimmer switch. D

If we look closely at the S1 S2 wiring diagram the panel lamp switch is shown to include a variable brightness function.

This is the “rheostat” switch used to vary the dash lighting, I believe they were fitted in the early Rover cars.

Panel Lamp = light that illuminates gauges?

Wiring diagram shows Panel Lamp switch controls individual lamps, in practice some internal to instrument some external, for Fuel gauge, Rev counter, Speedo, Oil gauge & Cigar Lighter lamp.

Wow that rheostat is intriguing. I have never seen one of those before. Mine has a standard on/off toggle switch and I always wondered what the point of this was. Why would you ever want to turn the illumination off? Now I understand what this is really for - to dim them. Mine must have broke in the past and the PO replaced it with a standard switch. I assume these rheostats are made from the rare element unobtainium, or has anyone seen anything like this for sale. I am on a mission now to try and find or to make something like this. I too remember looking at the wiring diagram and seeing this but thinking mine must just be different.
Interesting.....

Here you go Keith.......mr Google helps
https://www.jrwadhams.co.uk/rheostat-sw ... aloon.html

Thanks. I found a poor old one on ebay (as you do) but didn't find that site. Cheers. I realised however, this prob wont work with the modern led's that I have put in there. The original filament type bulbs were so dim anyway I can't see why you would want to dim them more. Will look into it though. Thanks.

I have LEDs and my old dimmer switch works fine. D

I put LEDs in the instruments in my Plus 2 but find that so little light makes it out the glass of them anyway that a dimmer isn't needed. Thank goodness, since it didn't come with one in the first place.