Headlight flash and steering column earth

[handi_andi]

Hiya
Can some one tell me please how the headlight flash is meant to work. My understanding is that when you pull the stalk with the pods down it should flash the sidelights, and with them up and on dipped it should flash the main beams, is that correct? There seems to be a brown wire coming off the flash contact that gets +12v when the stalk is pulled, however, I have no idea where that wire goes to and at the moment pulling the stalk does nothing either with the headlight pods up or down. Can someone enlighten me please?

Also, where is the earth point meant to be for the steering column which would appear to be necessary for the horn to work.

Thanks

Andy

[ppnelan]

Andy, assuming you're talking 'late' +2 here (with solenoid operated vacuum pods), the headlight flash should bring the lights up & on but will only work if the dip switch is in the main beam position.
The steering column is earthed by a wire that bridges the universal joint (i.e. bolted with the clamp bolts to the column and the rack), and then there should be a wire connecting the (rubber mounted) rack to the chassis to ensure a good earth. One end goes under a nut on one of the clamp u-bolts but I can't remember where it connects to the rack - I'm sure someone else will...

Matthew

[john.p.clegg]

Andy
I think you'll find the steering column is earthed via a little strap across the flexible joint at the lower end of the column and then on through the rack and mountings.....I could be wrong though...

John

[handi_andi]

My pods are non-fail safe and operated from the vacum switch with a micro switch the pod hits to turn them off. Have yet to work out if it is a hybrid vehicle or whether original. It was built in 1972 and is an elan plus 2 130s

I'll go hunting for the strap/cable on tuesday thanks.

Andy

[types26/36]

Hiya
My understanding is that when you pull the stalk with the pods down it should flash the sidelights,

No, the sidelights never flashed on any Lotus model, with the sidelights ON OR WITH THE LIGHTS OFF but with the headlight raised (via vacuum) the headlights will flash, as soon as the headlights (dip or high beam) are switched on then the flashing is de-activated and the high or low beam is on depending on the position of the dip switch.

[handi_andi]

Now I am very confused, either that or yet another fault that requires correction has just been identified on my car.

Ok, so my understanding was wrong and the flash function should only work with the main headlights, which means that it can only work with the pods up. It was also just said that if the dipped or main beams are on then the headlight function is disabled. Point is, that as soon as my pods come up my dipped headlights or main beams come on, depending on position of dipped switch, independent of the side light switch. Therefore unless I am misunderstanding I would in essence have no flash function, which seems wrong and doesn't explain where on earth the brown cable goes to that gets +12v when you pull on the stalk and what it's actual function is. Although could explain why I could find no trace of it on wiring diagrams, actually come to think of it I was struggling to find a headlight flash switch on it at all. All there seems to be is two microswitchs, the headlight one and the sidelight one. I assume one of them is the one on the pods that shuts them off when in the closed position, and I thought one of them would be the headlight flasher switch, but the wiring on it and the +12ve doesnt seem to tie up with either. Can someone enlighten me?

Thanks

Andy

[types26/36]

"Ok, so my understanding was wrong and the flash function should only work with the main headlights, which means that it can only work with the pods up"..................

Correct
===========================================
" It was also just said that if the dipped or main beams are on then the headlight function is disabled."......................................

Yes the flashing is disabled
=========================================
"Point is, that as soon as my pods come up my dipped headlights or main beams come on, depending on position of dipped switch, independent of the side light switch. Therefore unless I am misunderstanding I would in essence have no flash function,"..............................................

Yes, it would appear your wiring is not correct, the pods rise via the VACUUM switch but if the LIGHT switch is STILL in the OFF position or even in the sidelight position then the lights should flash (main beam filament)
This is the basic concept of the flashing system
=====================================

" which seems wrong and doesn't explain where on earth the brown cable goes to that gets +12v when you pull on the stalk and what it's actual function is. Although could explain why I could find no trace of it on wiring diagrams, actually come to think of it I was struggling to find a headlight flash switch on it at all. All there seems to be is two microswitchs, the headlight one and the sidelight one. I assume one of them is the one on the pods that shuts them off when in the closed position, and I thought one of them would be the headlight flasher switch, but the wiring on it and the +12ve doesnt seem to tie up with either. Can someone enlighten me?"

I don't know the +2 well enough to help you with the wiring as +2's have far more complicated wiring to the small Elan, it sounds as though your flashing system has been disconnected and it could be for a number of reasons. May be the previous owner had problems or just disconnected it as apparently it is now no longer legal.
I've posted a section from the early Elan manual but the togglel switch on your car would be a rocker type switch

[handi_andi]

Ok I think I am starting to understand how the system is meant to operate and where the problem(s) may lie. Two, hopefully simple, questions and sorry if I sound dumb for asking them:
i) Is the sidelight switch meant to be a two position click click switch like the fan heater one or an up/down push to make like the electric window one? Mine is sort of acting like a two position click click one but is kind of loose on its movement and reading the workshop manual last night I suspect it could be one of the faults
ii) Where is the sidelight micro switch located on a non-failsafe system. My headlight microswitch is located and operated by the nearside (left) vacum pod but I haven't seen sight of the other one and the manual didn't give me any pointers.
Thanks
Andy

[types26/36]

Andy, as I said I have never owned a +2 so others may want to correct me, your light switch should have three positions: off/sidelight/headlight.
In the manual is a layout diagram showing the micro switches but I had to reduce it, if you cannot read it PM me and I will send you the larger version.

[martinbrowning]

Andy,
I have a 1972 plus2S/130 (pre-dash mounted fuse panel) with non failsafe headlights. My sidelight switch is a push up/down with spring return to the centre. Without raising the headlight pods it will switch the sidelights on(down) or off(up).
I have a sidelight microswitch under the left headlight pod next to the headlight microswitch so when the light pods are raised the sidelights come on. When the pods are lowered, the sidelights remain on until I switch them off using the dash mounted switch .

regards

Martin B

[handi_andi]

Martin
Thanks, I am coming to the conclusion that that is what mine are meant to do, espeically as mine is also a 1972 plus 2 S130, but are failing to do at the moment probably partially due to user error and also I think the switch there is not so good. My plan is to go hunting to the sidelight micros switch and make sure it is connected and then see if it is possible to extract the up/down switch for servicing and if necessary replacement.
Thanks
Andy

[handi_andi]

Ok, I have been on a wiring hunt tonight and found and sorted two problems around the side lamp switch. Working off drawing M58, which I believe should cover my K reg lotus elan plus 2 130s. I found that the red/green and the blue at the sidelight switch had been joined together on the same terminal or the switch and the switch was only on and off. This has not been changed so that the feed wire from the ignition switch (brown/white) can only feed one or other of them depending on the position of the side lamp switch. The side lamp relay appears to be welded closed at the moment, so it and the two other headlight relays re going to get changed out although they still appear to be operational.

Regardless of that though, I am struggling to understand the wiring diagram, as the dipped headlight relay and the main beam relay appear to have a +12v going to the contact C2 on each relay at all times from the solenoid via the bridge between the bottom two fuses in the front fuse box, which also puts a +12ve feed into contact C2 on the side light relay (brown/white wire all the way). Given that the W2 winding contacts on the dipped and main beam relays are joined by the purple/blue wire and grounded to earth, and that there will always be +12v to winding contact W1 on either the dipped or main beam relay as the feed is direct from the dipped switch which is fed from the ignition switch. Then since the path to ground is via the headlamp micro switch connected to W2 on the dipped relay and therefore W2 on the headlamp relay, doesnt this mean the headlights will always come on as soon as the pods lift?

If that is the case, then the closing of the sidelight micro switch will cause the +12v from contact C2 on the sidelight relay, which comes from the headlight relays, to be directed to winding contact W1 on the sidelight relay. Winding contact W2 on the sidelight relay is connected to earth, therefore the action of closing the sidelight micro switch would be to turn the sidelights on surely?

Hence if this is the case, then surely there is no need for both the red/green wire going from the sidelight switch to the top fuses in the front relay box and the blue wire going to the relay. Surely it ought to be a case of either the sidelights are turned on with the pods down by either the relay or directly by the switch itself.

Or the other possibility is, that there shouldn't be a wire (brown/white) between the dip beam relay and the front fuse box, which would mean that the feed for the headlight relays would come from the sidelight relay via the microswitch, which would mean the pods could be up but the headlights wouldn't illuminate unless there was a feed from the side lamp switch via the blue wire to W1 on the sideligth relay. The feed from the flasher switch could then be wired to C2 of the side light relay, as this would then attuate either the dipped or main headlight relay depending on the setting of the dip switch, which would all seem to make alot more sense.

Does anyone have any views on the above, and or know if there are any corrections to diagram M58 please?

Thanks, I am determined to get to the bottom of this and sort out the lighting electrics once and for all on the old girl.

Andrew

PS Why do I sometimes get the impression that wiring diagrams are only provided in an advisory capacity for a lotus?

[handi_andi]

OK I now have side and tail lights that come on with the sidelight switch or automatically when the pods come up, which as far as I can tell is the intent of drawing M58, although does require the red/green wire between the sidelight switch and the fuse box to be removed. Have also substitued a relay for the second microswitch that is earthed via the headlight microswitch.

Thanks to one and all for your help

Andy