windscreen wiper button ring has gone!

[Niklas777]

Hi all,

I have a problem with the windscreen wiper button on my Elan S3.
The retaining ring has fallen on the other side of the dashboard, as you can see in the photo.
Is there any way of putting this ring back into the fixing hole without dismantling the whole dashboard?

Thanks in advance,

[Andy8421]

Its been while since I took this part to bits, but from memory (and I am sure others will correct me if I am wrong) -

The part you are pointing to behind the dash is simply a spacer. The whole arrangement is held in place by a nut that fits behind the knob at the bottom of the chrome 'top hat' that mounts on the outside of the dash.

You get to the nut by removing the knob - which you do by pushing in a small spring loaded button that is visible on the side of the button toward the back.

The nut screws onto a thread that sticks out of the the washer / wiper control body where the plunger enters and holds the whole lot (outer 'top hat', spacer and washer / wiper control) together.

If you are lucky and nothing is broken, screwing the nut back on should sort out your problems.

Andy.

[Niklas777]

Thanks a lot Andy, i will try this tomorrow.
I think the nut in question requires a specific tool to be tighten right?

This nut has 2 notches and i think it could be challenging to tighten it with a regular screwdriver (please forgive the not so good mechanic i am…)

Niklas

[Andy8421]

Niklas,

I pretty sure mine had a normal shaped nut, but that doesn't mean much, it is quite possible that it had been swapped out over the years.

A threaded chrome ring with two cutouts is a common fitting on Lucas switches, so its probably more original than my setup.

You can normally do these up with a pair of narrow long nosed pliers, but it is a fiddle to get the tips of the pliers to stay in the cutouts, and will be tricky at the bottom of the 'top hat'. Its a pretty simple thing to make a special tool out of an old bit of tube, a hacksaw and a file. It doesn't have to be great, its not as if the ring has to be torqued up.

It does remain a question why it has come undone, something may be adrift with the thread on the washer / wiper unit.

[elanman999]

Niklas,
As Andy says it looks as if you have the correct set but the nut ring has come undone. You need a tool like I show in the pic.
Take the knob off and screw the nut ring back on.
A selection of tools for this type of job.
Cheers
John.

[gjz30075]

Moss Motors sells this tool:
https://mossmotors.com/37-2500-bezel-to ... s-switches

[billwill]

Thanks a lot Andy, i will try this tomorrow.
I think the nut in question requires a specific tool to be tighten right?

This nut has 2 notches and i think it could be challenging to tighten it with a regular screwdriver (please forgive the not so good mechanic i am…)

Niklas

I use a piece of old copper plumbing pipe, for which I have filed the end leaving two projecting tangs to engage the notches in the nut.

[tonyabacus]

Niklas
You can get to the back of the switch but with care, first disconnect the battery as there could be the possibility of touching a live wire as it is quite tight behind the dash. Look at the front of your ignition switch and you will see the type of locking ring others have talked about.

As mentioned previously remove the button on the switch and then the locking ring inside, once apart you can pull the body of the switch out for a closer inspection, but remember to mark the vacuum tubes so they go back correctly. You should now see what is effectively two cones, Check the threads to make sure they are good and ready for reassembly. Not sure if it is standard or perhaps a common ploblem, but on my S4 there is a ring of very coarse wet and dry sanpaper that goes betweent the backof the dash and the rear part of the switch to help stop the switch from turning once all back together..

So for clarity if you could see a side view of the dash you would have,
1. The chrome part to the front
2.The dashboard
3.The wet and dry ring of sandpaper (this is approximately 8-10mm larger than the diameter of the rear assembly)
4.The rear part of the switch assembly
Hope its just come loose.
Tony