Flasher relay type in elan plus 2

[Mike2drummond]

I am trying to replace the standard bulbs in my elan plus 2 with led versions and one of the issues is that it requires a different flasher unit due to the lower power required for led bulbs.

One question from the web site that I am ordering from is what type is the existing relay between
B (BATTERY), L (LIGHTS) and E (EARTH)
Or
31 (EARTH), 49a (LIGHTS) and 49 (BATTERY)

Does anyone know this? I presume that getting to the relay is going to be difficult so I wanted just to do this the once.

Thanks in advance

Mike

[ericbushby]

Hi Mike,
Contact `classiccarleds` in Cheltenham. The guy there will make sure you get the correct lamps with the correct colour and supply a suitable relay for the indicators. he knows all there is to know about fitting led lamps in our and other cars. Prices are right and advice is free.
My Elan is all LED now except for the ignition lamp and headlamps (at the moment). All supplied by them.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[HCA]

I suggest that you follow Eric's advice Mike, and do the job properly.

The web site is wrong. A flasher relay with 31, 49 and 49a is the same as one with B, L and E. The question they should be asking is if you have one of these OR a relay with B, L and P. The +2 will have the latter where P = Panel light.

Note that you will need two relays. T'other is for hazard lights.

[stugilmour]

Mike, I also got my LED stuff from Classic Car LED’s. My loom is different from stock for both of these circuits, and does use this type. I don’t think your Plus 2 in stock configuration uses either of the flasher configurations you are considering.

I have attached the illustrations from the workshop manual of the stock flashers. Note there is one for the turn signals and one for the emergency flashers, assuming your car is so equipped?

This page explains the terminal letters. I haven’t waded thru the details, but hoping you can figure out your model. Essentially what Hal is describing though, the P being the Panel or Pilot dash indicator light, the B or + being Battery positive (hot at all times for the hazard, hot in run & start for the indicators), and L for Load or Lamps thru the appropriate switch.

http://www.gtsparkplugs.com/flashers-turn-signal.html

Perhaps send the official Lotus WSM picture attached to Classic Car LED’s and see what he recommends. I don’t think he has everything on the web site, just judging from all the satisfied customers he has with Little British Sportscars.

At a quick guess maybe something like this one? It looks to have an additional external ground, perhaps to ground the electronics, so may be a dash out deal. Note he offers relays with a loud clicking sound, which I really need!

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/collec ... -p-2-3-pin

I note in the flasher explanation page they mention some terminals may have minor voltage present due to how the heater is wired, which might cause a problem with LED bulbs as they will light up with even trace voltage applied. I actually had this issue with my brake light LED’s. Hopefully Classic has a solid state equivalent relay that gets rid of that potential issue, along with the classic rapid flash problem.

One other method to mitigate rapid flash that presumably will work with the stock circuit is the addition of large resistors in parallel with the turn signal filaments. Classic has these as well, or you can get them on eBay. I haven’t tried mine yet, but I understand they may work with only one resistor per side rather than front and rear. They get quite hot though, and kind of defeat the low current benefit of LED’s. Advantage is no digging behind the dash to install. I was going to install on the front indicators first as easier to heat sink them; I do not see an easy way to safely mount them in the boot.

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/collec ... urn-signal

Sorry not a direct answer. Someone else can perhaps add more details and options.

[Mike2drummond]

Thanks for your replies. I have checked the bulbs again and now ordered all of them with a replacement flasher unit after speaking with classic car LEDs. Very helpful.

Now to try and find the flasher unit behind the dash.

Mike

[stugilmour]

Excellent Mike. Could you post results when you get it working?

Sorry, can’t recall stock location of the flasher relays, although one early car location diagram indicates indicator flasher is proximal to the headlamp pull switch. This is for a LHD car though. Am kicking myself a bit as I never adequately documented where I located mine during the rewire; I recall debating where to put it but can’t remember what I did!

If you are having to remove the dash, consider getting the warm white instrument LED’s Classic offer. They look fantastic!

Editing to add the only picture I can find of my stock loom. Note mine is a 1969 Federal model. Have circled the two flashers.

[stugilmour]

Here is a terrific looking location and wiring diagram for a RHD S model.

viewtopic.php?t=20146&p=115989

Top tip. Press on the photo library tab. Set to 800 pictures per page. Type slowly “D-A-S-H” to filter the topic title that the pictures are posted to. Have to type slowly as it re-filters after each key stroke. This hopefully may provide a dash picture of your model.

All the best. HTH

[jeff jackson]

Wouldn't it be nice to put all that copper wiring mess on one big PCB? 2oz copper of course.

[Mike2drummond]

With help from classic car LEDs I finally got all of the indicator/hazard system working.

The flasher units were located on the lhs of the dash in my case just outside the main switch area.

I had to run a new earth for the flasher units as the original units were unearthed but initially both systems would not work. It turned out that the car had the input/output to the flasher/hazard units my reversed and this would work ok with the traditional units but the led compatible units need to be wired correctly.

Thanks to classic car LEDs for the help.

[ericbushby]

Hi Mike
Good to hear that, thanks for reporting back.
Eric in Burnley