Lights On Permanent?

[Breezehill]

Hi,
The car a 1970 +2S with alternator has been fully rewired using looms supplied by a Lotus agent. All seems to have gone back together ok however:-

1. When reconnecting the battery the side lights are on?

2. When lifting the headlamp pod (with micro switches) the headlamps come on, but a full lift when the micro switch is engaged the all the side lights go off?

Any thoughts.

[HCA]

The sidelights have been connected to the headlamp lift microswitch at a guess. This will have power waiting to operate and when fully up, power is disconnected.

Hard to say where the error is sitting in an armchair, but look for a red wire on a microswitch to start with. Or behind the dash, possibly there is a red wire out of place.

Who re-wired everything with the new looms?

[Breezehill]

HCA,

Carried out the rewire myself starting with the rear loom, engine bay then full dash rebuild.Done partial rewires on various classics but this is the first full rewire, not a huge task using photos of the old setup in conjunction with the Lotus Workshop Manual but yes the odd hiccup.

The dashboard has not yet been finally fitted so should be able to check back on the red wires.

[Breezehill]

HCA

Forgot to mention.

Taking the Red/Green wire off the front relay the side lights go off. Will check the relay connections and test the relay just in case it's faulty

[HCA]

I can see this one becoming lengthy!

Lotus are notoriously bad at changing the accepted colour convention to suit their own purposes for the odd circuit, plus, they change the wiring within model runs at the drop of a hat. I do not know how many diagram versions there are for a +2. I only have one on file, and admittedly, it is for a model with a dynamo.

I really need to see the diagram that pertains to your car that shows in particular the micro switches you mention.

Red/Green is generally used for a bulb failure module. you do not have one of these, but my +2 map shows a Red/Light Green to be the wire from wiper switch to wiper motor. There is not a Red/Green wire used anywhere. So no help there!

It is generally accepted that solid red wire is used for sidelights and number plate bulbs. I believe that Lotus have kept with this. So what ever your issue, power is somehow bypassing your sidelight switch and jumping into the red circuit. This needs to be traced and eliminated.

This Red/Green wire - when you disconnect it from the relay, the sidelights extinguish - but do they work normally with the sidelight switch? Also, with the Red/Green disconnected, does anything NOT work as it should, maybe the wipers??

Also, what colour are the other wires off the relay?

[HCA]

I have made a quick google search amongst the myriad of Elan wiring diagrams. I found one for 1970, but it has a dynamo. And it is a Federal one. The designer must have had a particularly good supply of ganja as it is all over the place! It does use a Red/Green wire, two in fact, one from sidelight switch to fuse box and then on to lights, and a second from the main light switch to guess where? yep, the same fuse. I am not sure what he was doing here!

Most of the other wiring diagrams you have to pay for.

I think it really critical you get a wiring diagram that matches the loom. A call to the supplier asking what year their loom pertains to and a relevant diagram.

[HCA]

I spent a few more minutes looking for wiring schematics and finally found one, 1970 with alternator!

Here Lotus used a Red/Green wire from the 'Lamp Switch' to a dedicated thermal cut-out for the sidelights.

Many +2s - maybe all, I do not know - had a thermal cut-out for the headlamps (do not ask why, again, maybe a good supply of ganja in the design office) that is behind the dash - a little module notable with a Brown wire in and a Brown/Blue out. This is the subject of many previous posts regarding lights suddenly extinguishing when negotiating a fast corner. But it seems that in 1970, the ganja sparkies decided to install another cut-out for the sidelights.

But I cannot see anything where a Red/Green is on or even near a relay...

[alanr]

Are you sure that pressing the 'Park' switch on the panel not extinguish/control the side lights? The idea back in the day was for parking lights.

Alan.

[Breezehill]

All,

A couple of issues resolved yesterday so thanks for all your input.

First the lights permanently on was finger trouble one wire on the wrong terminal so now sorted.

Second the fan replacement switch, on these seems you need a jumper wire across the middle two terminals so now works as two speed fan again.

Third the panel interior switch, checking back with the supplier seems they sent the wrong one so in wait mode for replacement.

The issue now is with Park lights, click the switch on and the sidelights come on but don't stay on when you release the switch. Connected up the original switch but still the same, lights don't stay on so issue elsewhere? Just in case it was a relay issue Ive replaced with a new 6RA?

Getting there slowly

[Breezehill]

Panel / Interior replacement switch arrived today, however still not correct, its only two position and should be three.

The 6264R is visually the same as the original and likewise is three position though works incorrectly.

The original panel switch does work though sticks occasionaly in its operation the three options are

0 = off
1 = panel lights
2 = panel and interior

The 6264R
0=Off
1= Interior
2 = Panel and interior

The 6271R
Just two positions on or off