Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Need to replace a headlight bulb... are there any easyish headlight upgrades I can whilst I've got it in pieces? is there a holgen kit or something similar I can fit?

Foe a budget Jobbie, just get some cibie 7" lenses that will take H4 (dip/main) Bulbs, use relays and run a decent fused feed(25A if my memory serves me correctly). Instead of dodgy candle powered lanterns, you'll have WW2 search lights!! some one posted a wiring diagram (my scanner is U/S at the moment so have a search in the archives. For the lamp units try Demon Tweeks, they carry the full cibie range.

hope this helps

Mark

Thanks. Hopw cost effective is this cost effective upgrade? any idea? is it easy to do - I have the mechanical skills of a carrot....

If you can change the sealed unit headlamps then you can fit the cibie units, they take a "normal" halogen headlamp bulb. You need to take a high current feed from somewhere convenient, say the solenoid on the bulkhead (my wiring loom memory is a bit rusty) feed this to a suitable relay that is switched by the existing headlamp wiring a simple 4pin 30Amp should be ok, if you scrounge these from a breakers, some even have a built in fuse.

I'd sketch you a diagram, but I havent got a scanner to post it, I'll see if I can come up with an alternative!!

Mark

here's the sketch, showing one relay, you can get more "complex " ones that can do both di and main in one unit, best to get an auto electrician to advise you, also on fuse ratings, wire sizes and suitable high current source

hope this helps

Mark

click on the image and enlarge it

Here are the relay numbers

http://www.ado13.com/techs/relay.htm

Hi Mark,

How are you?

I have rewired my lights (back and front, relays, new fuses etc)
in anticipation of changing my sealed beam units out from the
front. And of course trying to may the car and wiring safer.

I've been on Demon Tweeks site and found the Cibie units
you mentioned.
But I have a question!

What option out of:

W/OUT SIDELIGHT and
PIN FIXING SUIT RHD

should I be choosing for my Elan +2S?

I guess one is a direct replacement for the Lucas unit, with the
placement lumps on the back of the unit to locate it correctly
in the sealed beam mounting.

Thanks in advance,
Peter (1973 +2S 130/5)

Hi Peter,

you want Convex lens and without side light, (unless you want additional side lights!!) To suit RHD would make sense, you may still have to modify the headlamp bowl to take them, but it should only be a couple notches or lugs to remove. Use H4 bulb type as these are the traditional dim/dip 3 pin bulbs if you have suitable wiring/alternator out put you could run higher wattage than the norm, also I believe that the "blue white" bulbs available today throw out more light than the tradditional ones, but may not last as long (no personal experience but used to work for a factor that sold them).
I would ring DT and make sure you get the right bits, thier telesales bods are pretty helpfull from memory (i hate online ordering, but like online catalogues for research!)

Regards and good luck in your hunt for "illumination"

Mark

Daniel Stern Lighting has some really good information on upgraded headlamps and wiring at:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... elays.html

Daniel recommends Cibie E-code headlamps and particular H4 bulbs, all to be used with properly wired relays and at least 14 AWG wire for the power circuit.

Bill

bill308 wrote:Daniel Stern Lighting has some really good information on upgraded headlamps and wiring at:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... elays.html

Daniel recommends Cibie E-code headlamps and particular H4 bulbs, all to be used with properly wired relays and at least 14 AWG wire for the power circuit.

Bill

Fantastic site! thanks Bill

Mark

tower of strength,

Glad you liked the input. I bought a similar system for my 308, although I havn't installed it yet, but plan to retrofit my Elan as well.

The kit supplied for my 308 included lens assembly, adapter to the existing wiring connector, fuse holder, sockets for the relays, bulbs, and reflector/lens assemblies. What was not included was the wire for the power circuit. The other issue is what fuses I should fit. My thinking was that 15 A fuses would be appropriate assuming 1-fuse for the high beam and 1-fuse for the low beam. Perhaps, a couple of 20 A fuse would be better.

The important thing is that the performance is in the lens. Note that RHD lens are different than LHD lenses. I will fit LHD lenses for the the USA.

ferrarichat.com had fairly extensive thread on this topic. See

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread ... niel+stern

The only issue in my mind is whether the additional heat will cause problems with the fiberglass pods. I think not, but I don' t know for sure.

Bill

bill308 wrote:
The only issue in my mind is whether the additional heat will cause problems with the fiberglass pods. I think not, but I don' t know for sure.

Bill

Hi Bill,

I cant see the extra heat as being an issue to be honest, There is no way that the lamps will get as hot as the exhaust/engine and there is plenty of fibreglass in close proximity near those!!

I'm going scrapyard scrounging at the weekend, I rekon I know where to lay my hands on a different pulley/ belt arrangement so I can run a high output Bosch alternator without having to increase the side load on the water pump.

If this works out, I'll post on here and let every one know!!

Mark

Heat will probably depend on whether you are updating to higher wattage. Wattage measures the total energy dissipated. If you stick to the same wattage, higher light output may even give less heat output with more energy going to light than heat.