Headlamp flasher location

[paddy]

I've had a look in the archives and can't find a picture.

Does anyone have a photo showing the original position of the headlamp flasher relay and flasher unit (down near the LH pod)?

Thanks in advance.

Paddy

[rodlittle]

Hy Paddy
Exactly what I am looking for too, I know there is one relay on the left hand side of the engine bay but where does the second one go, I cant find any clues from my old wiring loom, its too far gone
rod
also 63 S1

[paddy]

I think the one relay in the engine bay is the flasher relay.

The other relay for the normal function is behind the dash, shown in the first picture in this thread:

elan-f14/wiring-loom-where-does-run-behind-the-dash-t19423.html

Paddy

[garyeanderson]

I don't ever put this back into my Elan's. They may even be illegal to have in the peoples state of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, They also put a new law into effect that using headlamps to flash from behind is considered aggressive driving and is an expensive fine associated with it. I also do not put in the switches on the headlamps that ground the relay either, as I don't like another point of failure. I just ground the relays. Anyway I looked around in the engine bay photos and one of the last ones that I posted was of Chris's S2 26/4142 and it still has the relay and flasher in its original location. I thought that with over 80 engine bays that at least one should show almost every angle and this one has the correct view.

[paddy]

Gary, well spotted, thanks.

I had been assuming that it was in the nose, because this is where it looked like it should be based on the loom I have.

Paddy

[cabc26b]

Patty , here are some more -

I always put them in, IMO they are one of the neat features of the car.

George

[fasterbyelan]

Hi,

This may help, the position is original. You can determine which relay is which one by the wiring 'cause I've forgotten

[paddy]

Thanks for the replies folks.

Some slightly more obscure questions:

- was the relay originally a 3-terminal or 4-terminal 6RA?
- was the flasher a 2-terminal or 3-terminal one?

More curious than obsessive ....

Another thing I don't understand is why they had two microswitches. Since they each switch to earth, they could have just used one.

Paddy

[cabc26b]

Paddy ,

The red car's wiring is original - The Relay is a 4 terminal, I'll check which mfg if you want but I have seen lucas and clear hooters 4 terminal relays used.

The flashers are suppose to be round 2 pole flashers - I have not been able to locate a a round 2 pole for the blue car, so if you look close you might notice its a 3-pole the blue car has a lucas relay in the engine bay and a clearhooters that was original to the car in behind the dash along with a the second flasher which is a 3 pole.

hope this helps

George

[fatboyoz]

Paddy,
The wiring diagram from the Elan manual shows the relay for the flashing main beam as having three connections: C1, C2 and W1(could have four spade terminals though with one of them being a double). You can use a four connection (C1,C2,W1,W2) relay, but you would have to put a jumper wire between C2 and W2.

I puchased my two terminal, round flasher unit from Paul Matty in the UK.

The two microswitches?
The one associated with the flashing main beam function provides an earth so that the headlights will flash when the light pods are selected up with the vacuum switch, without actually turning the main lamp switch on.
The other one is associated with the main lamp switch. It stops you from turning the headlights on whilst the light pods are down and turns them off when the pods are stowed, if you forget to select the main lamp switch off.
Two totally different functions which can't be actuated by the one microswitch.
Colin.

Thanks for the replies folks.

Some slightly more obscure questions:

- was the relay originally a 3-terminal or 4-terminal 6RA?
- was the flasher a 2-terminal or 3-terminal one?

More curious than obsessive ....

Another thing I don't understand is why they had two microswitches. Since they each switch to earth, they could have just used one.

Paddy

[paddy]

George, really helpful, thanks. I just assumed everything was Lucas and I never knew Clearhooters existed.

Paddy

[paddy]

Colin,

The two microswitches?
The one associated with the flashing main beam function provides an earth so that the headlights will flash when the light pods are selected up with the vacuum switch, without actually turning the main lamp switch on.
The other one is associated with the main lamp switch. It stops you from turning the headlights on whilst the light pods are down and turns them off when the pods are stowed, if you forget to select the main lamp switch off.
Two totally different functions which can't be actuated by the one microswitch.

Yes, I understand the different functions and how they are wired, but looking at the wiring diagram I can't see a reason why it wouldn't work to use a single microswitch, connected to earth on one side, with the other side connected to both relay circuits (ie to the headlamp relay W1 terminal, and also to the flasher unit en route to the W1 terminal of the flasher relay).

The main lamp switch ensures that one or other of the relay C2 terminals is isolated (switch terminals 6 and 8 on the diagram), so there is never a circuit that traverses both relay coils, or at least I can't see one.

As always, I'm happy to be proved wrong. I might just try it to see if it works.

Thanks again for the replies. You learn something new every day.

Paddy

[rodlittle]

Thanks Karl youve made my day thats exactly where I wanted the 2 relays to be to fit in with what I could work out from my decrepit old loom and the circuit diagram
cheers
rod

[garyeanderson]

Thanks Karl youve made my day thats exactly where I wanted the 2 relays to be to fit in with what I could work out from my decrepit old loom and the circuit diagram
cheers
rod

Hi Rod

The photo that Karl posted is that of an S4.
The S1 and S2 have one relay on the inner arch and one on the wiper wheel box. How you do it is up to you of course.

Gary

[rodlittle]

Hi Gary
Theres no sign of anything ever being attached to the wheel box on mine, curiouser and curiouser.
Oh if only Id taken some pictures before I junked all the parts that were beyond repair
cheers
rod