Headlamp flash action

PostPost by: l10tus » Sun Sep 27, 2015 10:34 am

image.jpeg and
Not an OEM feature on the Elan, but I'm wondering if I can use it ?

Whilst sorting your electrical issues, many of you may have noticed that the LH Dipped / High beam Headlamp stalk still has the 'Pull Towards You' feature, of an Headlamp flasher built in, but obviously with the pop-up headlights - not used.

On mine, the Brown connection wire to the flasher contacts was left dangling unconnected behind the dash column area.

I'm Just thinking of fitting white 'daylight running' spotlights behind the grille in the nose area, and wonder if the redundant headlight flasher could be used to flash these lamps, as well ?

I suppose the real question is:- "if I wire the Brown wire into the Blue / White wire (in said location, could I somehow utilise the this circuit to "flash" the proposed new spots, given that the Blue / White wire goes to the Headlamp relay still" ??

I know I've read that someone on this forum has a similar set up, and feel for safety's sake, it may not be a bad thing - increasing other drivers awareness to our little treasures.

Any help on feasibility appreciated !

Regards,

Phil.
Last edited by l10tus on Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostPost by: RichardHawkins » Sun Sep 27, 2015 5:46 pm

Phil,

I am away from home at the moment so can't check, but if I remember correctly, on my car (1968 S4) although the stalk would move there are no contacts in the switch. Check your switch before proceeding, I bought a replacement Triumph switch for headlight flash.

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PostPost by: elanfan1 » Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:23 pm

I'm pretty sure Lotus just blocked the pull action of the switch with a small timber wedge. Just remove it to reinstate the action of the switch.
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PostPost by: TroonSprint » Sun Sep 27, 2015 8:00 pm

The flasher position works on my Sprint and since I have MX-5 electric light lifts, it is actually useful! They snap up smartly, already on.

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PostPost by: l10tus » Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:03 pm

Gents,

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, my switch does have contacts, and yes it works a treat,

But it's just that when the Brown wire is re-inserted into the bullet connector to make a circuit with the Blu/White (Main Beam ) wire, it has no effect on the headlamps ( I tried flashing when on Dipped beam and there's no increased light output action) - so wondering if I can use the flash switch and some of the wiring to operate my spots in the nose, behind the grille ??

Any ideas?

Ta,

Phil.
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PostPost by: pereirac » Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:50 pm

Some Elans had an extra flasher unit which would automatically flash the headlights if they were raised switched off.... :D
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PostPost by: RichardHawkins » Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:27 pm

Gentlemen,

I am home now, and have retrieved my old dip switch. The switch has only three wires, a supply to the switch, and returns from the switch to main beam or dip beam. There two more terminals and contacts in the switch, but no wires soldered to them. The switch only operates up and down, there is no 'pull towards the driver' action.

I think the switch is original, stamped on it are the following,

Lucas
England
71 SA
5 68
35775

I think 5 68 could be the date of manufacture as my car is a 1968. It had a piece of timber jammed in it so it could only move between two positions, and only use the contacts that have wires attached.

The replacement Triumph switch has 4 wires and a 'pull towards the driver' action.

Is my original switch the wrong thing?

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PostPost by: l10tus » Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:59 am

Richard,

Thanks for the follow up, as promised.

I would say yours is original.

However, my car is 5 years later, and the switch is believed to be original, also.

Maybe Triumph or whoever added this feature later and it was then supplied as standard on the Elan, as I appear to not be the only one with this feature ?

But, back to original question - I know Elan was never fitted with a headlamp flash action, but I'm trying to find out if it's possible to use it and part of the wiring, for additional nose mounted flashers, ?

There is a double bullet connect in the photo, which has Blue/Green and Blue/White wires plugged into the White/ Blue headlamp High beam wire - what's the function of the Blue/Green ??

Regards,

Phil

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PostPost by: billwill » Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:23 pm

OK, you have to tackle all such issues with a set of logical steps.

1. You say you have a brown wire unused in the bundle from the column switch. You have to determine exactly what it does. i.e does it connect a single circuit to ground or a single circuit to +12v or is it affected by other positions on the switch arm. Is it in series with any of the other switch contacts.

1.1 attach a ( up to 20 volts say) voltmeter between the brown wire and ground and operate the switch. Does the voltmeter indicate at all? If so the switch connects to +12v.

1.2 If it does NOT register in 1.1 then connect an ohm meter beweeen the brown wire and ground. and operate the switch. If it is high ohms (near infinite) unoperated and low ohms (say less than 1 ohm) when operated, then the switch connects the brown wire to ground.

1.3 during 1.1 and 1.2 try all the other positions of the switch arm to see if they have any effect on the brown wire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once you have determined what the brown wires does, you can easily use it to operate the coil of a extra 12v relay which has say 30amp contacts, and those contacts can be used to operate the spot/headlights. You could add an auto-flash unit in there if you want, but I would consider that unneccesary as you can flash with your fingers. Using an extra relay means that you avoid interference with the existing circuits and avoid messing them up. The new circuit can be spliced into the spotlight circuit by using double-bullet connectors at an existing joint.
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PostPost by: l10tus » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:40 am

Bill,

Thanks I'll give it a go!

Regs,

Phil.
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PostPost by: pharriso » Thu Oct 01, 2015 1:14 pm

l10tus wrote:But, back to original question - I know Elan was never fitted with a headlamp flash action, but I'm trying to find out if it's possible to use it and part of the wiring, for additional nose mounted flashers, ?



Phil to Phil, that's not correct!! all later elans included headlight flashing by pulling the vacuum switch without the headlight rocker switch (sidelights) being turned on. :D

I cover the subject in http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-electrical-f38/late-federal-fail-safe-headlight-wiring-t30133.html where the main subject is Federal fail safe wiring; But I also document the pull to flash wiring & function.

I assume that you have 2 micro switches on your vacuum light switch?
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PostPost by: l10tus » Fri Oct 02, 2015 11:04 am

Phil,

No it's not the flash to pass, regularly flashing headlamp system I'm talking about.

That works perfectly after the wiring diagram was corrected.

No, this is the inbuilt (or OEM) dipstick operation on the Sprint /S4 ( probably others!), if you check there is a normal flash on the dipswitch stalk which is not used on the Elan, but is still there!

If you remove the shrouds from the steering column you will find all the components still there, the pull towards you operation of the switch, contacts (like points connections, Brown wire, connectors etc.) - it's just not used on the Elan.

I am considering using it to enable LED spots to be flashed in the Nose, through the Grille, Savvy ??

(See again second paragraph of original post)

RSVP

Regards,

Phil
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PostPost by: l10tus » Sun Oct 04, 2015 7:49 pm

Q: anybody else got a brown wire dangling like mine ??

RSVP,

Regards,

Phil.
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PostPost by: TroonSprint » Sun Oct 04, 2015 8:29 pm

Phil,
I've just been checking my wiring diagrams and have realised what your brown wire is for. It is intended to be connected to a live source so that when you pull the flash position the lamps can light even if the main light switch is off. So if you like to think of it this way, it is for power going in to the switch, not coming out of the switch. Pulling the switch connects the bulbs to the brown wire. This is why having it disconnected doesn't prevent anything else from working.

I hope that makes sense. Of course it is no use if the lamps are down, and with vacuum operation they will remain down. On my car with electric lifts it raises the pods and lights the bulbs simultaneously when the main switch is off. Because of the way I have wired the lift motor relay, it only works on my car if the dip switch is in the high beam position. I expect there's a way to sort that out, but it isn't much of an issue for me.

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PostPost by: billwill » Sun Oct 04, 2015 11:38 pm

Hmmm, yes, we should have thought of the significance of it being brown.

I think brown wires are for +12v unfused lines. The main supply from the solenoid to all the rest of the circuits (except the high-current starter motor) is brown.
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