MX5/Miata headlight conversion wiring help please!

[berni29]

Hi There

I have read all of the information that I can find both on lotuselan.net and elsewhere about how to wire my (from previous owner) plus 2 headlight motor conversion up.

I have the 5 wire MX5 (1994 I think) motor and it is connected to a NC 5 pin relay. If I connect power for an instant the motor rotates 360 degrees and stops. if I connect that power constantly the motor will rotate constantly.

I have seen some posts saying that I need another relay, but how to wire? The diagrams I have seen just do not make sense to me and do not work if I copy them.

Anyone have an idiots guide please? I managed to get the standard Ford EFI working, but this has be stumped haha.

Many thanks

Berni

[RichardHawkins]

Berni,

I have done this, it was several years ago and I am away from home at present. If no one else offers help I will be home Friday but will need reminding.

From what I can remember one of the 5 wires was connected to a “tell tale light” on the MX5 dash, so is effectively redundant, the system works like a two way domestic light circuit. My memory is perhaps wrong but I think a “changeover relay” is used, I also think there are two power supplies so that if you switch the ignition off with the pods up they will go down.

Hopefully someone who is electrically competent will correct me here. I am a mere mech Eng.

Hope this helps,

Richard Hawkins

[berni29]

Hello Richard

Thank you for your kind offer. I have rewired mine to include another relay, and will test it tomorrow. I’m pretty confident it won’t work haha.

All the best

Berni

[Elanman99]

This is the circuit I drew when I converted my headlamps. I used two separate motors and three relays but if I was going to do it again I think it would need only one relay.

Ian

[berni29]

Hi Ian

Thank you, I have copied your diagram, although I have only one motor so have used 2 relays only.

I am curious to know if you have followed convention with the relay numbers because you have 85 connected to a live (for instance) when I though that it was for earth. I ask mainly because one of the relays I was going to use has 2 diodes and i thought it might make a difference as l.they are directional.

Photo below, please ignore colours!

Thanks again. Will test tomorrow.

All the best

Berni

[Elanman99]

I dont think there were any diodes in the relays I used so I just connected the coil and did not think of convention.

It is normal practice to have a diode across the coil but you mention two diodes in yours, what does the second one do?

Ian