Routing of dash loom - +2S

[jono]

I wonder if anyone has a photo or two they could post up to show how the dash loom is fitted to the +2S dash.

I am wrestling with my new CN dash loom (new, but of some years vintage) and having a devil of a job getting it all to fit. I have already changed the spade conectors for flags and this certainly helps a lot but all the wires are gathered together into a monstrous huge bundle cable tied together and I think i will need to separate them out and wrap them as it doesn't all fit behind the dash.

I bought my car as a failed resto (stripped and in boxes) so do not have the benefit of photos.

I understand that the original dash loom was bound and fixed to the rear of the dash with P clips?

There is very little room behind there

Any guidance on where the flasher units go would also be of help. It's curious as the flashers were both clipped as original to the u/s of the glove box on my car (1970) but the wiring terminals on the new harness place them somewhere underneath the tacho and speedo.

Any assistance greatly appreciated. Photos would be a huge help

Cheers

Jon

[Foxie]

Jon, I fitted a new dashboard to my +2S maybe 25 years ago, it's now faded and the varnish cracking so now I have a new one on order.

I can't give you any tips for your particular problem at the moment, but one thing I will be doing is making the glove box removeable by changing the mounting flange arrangement. This will enable access to the area behind the dash on the passenger side. As I have relayed all the lights and window winders, I would hope to replace the heavy cables for these with lighter ones.

[Grant K]

Hi Jon,
A few photos of my approx Sept '69 S dash wiring, as removed from the car. Seems to be all original.
There are just 2 P clips, slightly above & either side of the ashtray. Flasher cans were attacheded to glovebox.
I'll be transferring my instruments to a new dash/loom soon, so will also try to make something tidy out of this mess.
Good luck!
Grant

[jono]

Grant,

A million thanks!!

Just what I need

Cheers

Jon

[bob_rich]

Hi Jono

My info is a bit late but hope it might help. My +2S 130 of december 1973 vintage and the wiring diagram for the car was as given in the layout non federal from 72050732L/72050235M. I have attached a picture of the rear dash wiring , virtually complete after I removed it. the two flasher units are below the tacho. The two thermal trips for the lamps are the lower left of picture while the +10V regulator is to the right of the battery voltage meter (lower left of radio cut out).

It is VERY tight behind the dash. I am rewiring with my own loom and using flags on virtually all of the terminals.

Hope this helps but it is important to note that is really is very tight behind the dash!

Best Of luck

Bob

[jono]

Thanks Bob,

My dash differs from the S130 in that the fuses are under the bonnet and everything feeds across from the passenger side but your picture is helpful as a guide and for ideas

Anyway I am getting on well having completely unpicked and re made the CN loom and split it into 2 separate legs (it was quite wrong for my car). It's time consuming but curiously satisfying

I have taken to soldering the flag terminals as a normal crimper does not work and I like the permanency of a solder joint.

I am going to post up some pictures once I have tested everything and wrapped and clipped on the loom.

Cheers for all your help both

Jon

[rdssdi]

Lotus used many different wiring looms on the +2. The workshop manual will show some wiring diagrams with dates of use. I ordered a "+2 loom" from British Wiring (U.S.) thinking they were all the same. I was very wrong.

I had to return the loom purchased and sent my old loom to Auto Sparks (UK) for replication and additional relays , fuses and other improvements. They did a wonderful job as the loom fit.

It would be wise to compare the loom you purchased with the original loom from your car.

bob

[jono]

Bob#2,

The original loom from my car was scrapped at an early stage in the build on the basis that the new loom which came with the car was presumed to be 'correct'.

To be fair to CN, the other parts of the loom (rear, centre and front) were very good and fitted perfectly and the quality is good as well.

The dash loom as supplied consisted of a huge bundle of cable tied wires terminating in an array of plugs. It has only just dawned on me really but I think what they intended is that the dash loom covers many variants and it is up to the installer to unpick it and make it fit the specific application (which is what I am doing at the moment). Aside from the fact that the loom does not fit, it is otherwise of good quality and all of the cabels are well coded and referenced back to a wiring diagram so the process of wiring is actually not that onerous provided you take a methodical approach and keep of the booze while you're doing it

Their main error IMO is the failure to provide flag connectors - the loom could not possibly have fitted without them.

Anyway, enjoying the challenge and the opportunity to 'improve' on the original loom

Jon

[jono]

I have now completed my dash re wire and attach photos of each stage.

It all fits perfectly, except for the glove box fouling slightly on the demister duct , but at least non of the wiring is crushed agianst the heater - in fact there is actually clearance there