Modernizing the wiring

[carfixer24]

It's still a work in progress. but since it's rather cold for working in an unheated garage right now, I've done a draft of the new wiring diagram for the car.

There's still some things to sort out, but at least it gives an idea of how it'll look when it's done.

[Andy8421]

just had a quick look at your diagram. There may be other issues, but its not a good idea to have headlamp current flowing through the headlamp microswitch - particularly if you plan to keep the dreadful standard lotus items. You would do better to switch the ground to the main / dip relays then you only have a few tens or at most hundreds of mA to cope with.
i have never seen anyone blamed / credited for the Elan wiring, but using those rubbish courtesy light switches for a safety item like headlights, and then calling them 'microswitches' is very poor. The switches were no good when they were protected in a door pillar in their original application, but out in the elements they don't stand a chance.

[carfixer24]

Thanks for the tip. I'll make that change in my drawings before I get to wiring the car.

[billwill]

just had a quick look at your diagram. There may be other issues, but its not a good idea to have headlamp current flowing through the headlamp microswitch - particularly if you plan to keep the dreadful standard lotus items. You would do better to switch the ground to the main / dip relays then you only have a few tens or at most hundreds of mA to cope with.
i have never seen anyone blamed / credited for the Elan wiring, but using those rubbish courtesy light switches for a safety item like headlights, and then calling them 'microswitches' is very poor. The switches were no good when they were protected in a door pillar in their original application, but out in the elements they don't stand a chance.

>its not a good idea to have headlamp current flowing through the headlamp microswitch - particularly if you plan to keep the dreadful standard lotus items.


Ironically, I understand that that is the way Lotus wired them up originally; the relays only actually serve to turn the headlight or dipped beam off when the pods are down.

It is probably well worth making the changes suggested by Andy so that the dashboard and column switches carry only the much reduced current for the coils of the relays and have the relays control the heavy current of the bulbs.

[carfixer24]

Not a lot going on due to the cold weather here, but I've been able to install the fuse panel and run the wires behind the dash to their approximate locations.

Dash wiring is also starting to come together nicely, though I should hurry up, the wife wants her dining room table back...

[stugilmour]

Looking good. Two items to check, although I only took a quick look. My experience is on a Plus 2, so apologies if your Elan is different.

I think the turn signal pilot (the single dash mounted light that flashes) will need diodes to prevent shorting to both turn signal sides. Typically the modern pilots have two separate dash light for right and left so no issue. With a single pilot I used diodes on the left and right supply wires. These ones come with spade connectors, although I used a couple of soldered in ones from The Source....

http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/748

I haven't looked in detail at the setup for the hazard flasher, but you may have an issue using the stock Lotus switch? I used several relays to get around the hazard / turn signal issue on my re-wire, but my kit loom was a bit different as it was set up with a single modern flasher for both hazard and turn signal rather than two separate ones.

Maybe the Painless loom assumes use of a pretty complex hazard circuit specific switch? Not sure what you have available in the dash now and if the diagram is based on the stock switch? Essentially the issue is the hazard circuit should be supplied hot at all times, fused where the turn flasher is hot in run, fused. I have not looked 100% carefully, but the way it is shown the emergency flasher may back feed to other hot in run circuits? I used a changeover relay to get around the issue.

All the best with the project.

HTH

Stu in Calgary

[carfixer24]

Thanks for the advice... I hadn't thought about the diodes, but I think you're right about the turn signal indicator.

The hazard switch appears to be an add-on switch. The Painless harness does have a completely separate flasher for the hazards. I don't think there will be an issue with backfeeding, but I do intend on testing every function on the car with a low-amp battery once it's reassembled.

My drawing of the diagram may also be in need of some work. I keep finding little issues with it and correcting them as I go, so it's no longer the latest version that's posted.

[gus]

I think the indicator tell tale is wired prior to the flasher, no diodes in my Plus Two

IIRC power string is 12volts-->blinker-->indicator switch-->lamps

[carfixer24]

It's been a while since I updated this, but here's a few progress pictures. The dash is wired except for grounding to the frame. Wiring behind the dashboard is coming along nicely. Still not as clean as I'd like, but 10x better than how I found it.

[carfixer24]

It's been quite a while since I updated this, but here goes.

The car is now completely wired, aside from the passenger's window motor (tight garage space makes this difficult until I can move the car).

The engine hasn't been started yet due to a fuel issue, but it cranks normally.

All electrical that can be tested without the engine running works.

Here are some progress pictures. The car is more assembled now than shown in any of the pictures.

[billwill]

You don't actually need diodes for the dash indicator light provided that you wire one side of the bulb to the left side signal lights and the other side of the dash light to the right-side signal lights.

It becomes an interesting circuit in which the dash-light current flows through the filaments of the un-lit signal lights.

[el-saturn]

the term: prince of darkness (in reference to our f.looms) is right on bro!! sandy -- PS i hate my loom, dash+lightning (thomas e. did)

[carfixer24]

As it sits right now, and a copy of the most up-to-date version of the accompanying wiring diagram.