Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hello all from the 'new boy' to the forum,

Sure this obvious once you know but, my indicators will not flash to the left (71 Sprint; perfect in every other way ) The (newly replaced 2 wire) flasher unit clicks albeit with different tone than correctly operating right indicators. - Which indicates that is not the fault?

Bulbs and fuses are OK and earth and other connections front and rear appear OK. However, I suspect I'm missing some obvious earth somewhere? - I tried rigging extremely primitive volt-meter to rear indicator and only registered around 2 volts

Any and all pointers greatly appreciated, Thanks in anticipation - Tony

Tony, when the left flasher is operated are any of the other left side lights flashing at all? I had this problem with my S4 FHC and it was just a bad earth on the rear light unit

Rob P

Thanks Rob,

No, but before I got the flasher unit to click the rear indicator stayed alight, with side and front doing nothing. - Cleaning the contacts got the flasher unit clunking. - I will have another look at the rear next.

Almost certainly a bad earth at the front end ,

Check it out with a meter.

Hope (I know) that you will find it soon..

Al' ,,,,

Thanks Al,

However, I spent (relatively) ages around the front - brake servo is right in the way! - I cleaned and ran second earth down to the common earth link with the side light (which works fine). I'm going to get a decent meter, any other earth at the front I have missed?

Check all the earths, everywhere... clean them all and add extra earthing wires if required.
If that fails... use hand signals. I believe that the "I am about to turn left" signal involves sticking your right arm out and performing a circular motion, whilst double de-clutching into second and giving it beans... Just saying...

LOL ,,,,,

Needs must eh!

Pete, uncanny and spot-on, that has been the recent modus-operandi (any of us with old British sports cars remember it well). However, am not sure how it will fly with the MOT inspector? - Appears I will be groping around again this weekend, when (apparently) I should be doing other 'more important' things..

Fixed-it!...

If this was the Oscars, I should now say thanks to all the technical expertise here: "Move / wave your arm and give it beans"? = Basically what I started doing as soon as I passed my test at 17 and drove old banger's of British sports cars... Inspiring stuff however, close to 40 years down the line, I checked and double checked the earths, paid ?9.99 for a state of the art meter (how do they manufacture and ship them around the world for that price?) and, finally, put my glasses on and x-checked the wiring diagram.. What a joy to have (ref a-fore mentioned old British Sports) a car that has never been bodged or 'modified'.. The wiring was 'time warp' perfect, still with orig 71 stickers and references in place.

In summary, I'd stuck a bullet connector in completely the wrong place and then set about triple checking earths and cursing 'Joe Lucas', all without merit or logic... Then drove like a dream today until the fan belt started to squeal at 4000+ rpm (just when every job but polishing the dash rocker switches had been done!)

Glad you got it sorted, hope you can enjoy the fun bit of these cars for a while now, that's driving it of course, bring on some sunshine

I replaced my mechanical flasher unit with an electronic unit, now even running with a dynamo and with the headlights on, the indicators flash when the engine is idling. Before I would have to rev the engine to make the indicators flash.. a but embarrassing for the MOT..

Carl