Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi everyone,

I may have a problem with the indicator flasher unit on my S130/5 . It may have been toasted when I mistakenly changed the hazard flasher unit for a high wattage one thinking it controlled both hazard and indicators.
The indicators worked fine with the new unit connected (obviously). Then I tried the hazards and there was a high-pitched buzz from behind the dash so I immediately switched off. I replaced the original (hazard) unit and soon after that the indicators (offside) stopped flashing and now just stay on and the nearside ones are slower. The hazards work fine on their old unit. The diagram shows the indicator circuit passing through the hazard switch and when the hazard flasher was disconected the indicators wouldn't work. Surely the higher wattage from the hazard relay, for the brief moment it was on, couldn't have cooked the indicator flasher?

Any suggestions - other than 'look at the wiring diagram in future you idiot' - will be gratefully received as I'd like to take the car to Stoneleigh.

I've resigned myself to the probability of the indicator flasher relay being attached to the back of the dash near the hazard switch. Can someone please tell me where it is?

Thanking you in anticipation of any help,
Si

Ps the green indicator light can now be seen to glow slightly under braking
at night!

Hi Si

From the sounds of it you have disturbed the earth to the flasher and no longer have enough current to make it flash one side. Plus it is probably semi buggered. While I am fixing my window earth and am up behind the dash I will try to install the ford fiesta flasher from my original plus 2. Ditch the original ASAP and get some nice even flashing. The hazard lights are a secondary consideration as far as I am concerned.

Berni

Hi Berni,

The indicator flasher joins the hazard switch and shares the path to the left and right side lights and earth. Looking at the terminals it appears the indicator flasher circuit and the hazard circuits cannot be live simultaneously. So what has happened to affect the direction indicator flasher?
Well as you rightly say the lights will stay on if there is insufficient current through the turn signal circuit to cause the flasher to work - but the front and rear bulbs haven't blown. High resistance and therefore reduced voltage obviously has the same effect on the flasher relay. There is clearly greater resistance in the right hand circuit as the lights don't flash at all. I can clean some contacts but why would there suddenly be more resistance in the connections? Could it be heat causing oxidation from the higher wattage electronic flasher (albeit for the brief moments it was connected)? The hazard flasher works slightly differently in that it will flash at the same rate regardless of the load and that is why the hazards work the same as before.
So I have to check the lamp earths and connections as a first port of call. I don't really have time to grope behind the dash and change the flasher if I'm to get to Stoneleigh but we'll see what happens.

Thanks for your reply,

Si

Simon,
You have a bad earth on the rear taillight module on the side that does not flash. Just put a jumper wire on it for now to a good earthing point and go to Stoneleigh. You can fix properly later.

Ps the green indicator light can now be seen to glow slightly under braking
at night! Shocked

This observation was the clue I needed to find the bad earth. I got thrown off for a time by an omission on the +2 S130 Wiring Diagram Non-Federal drawing. They forgot to add an earth symbol to the single flasher indicator bulb which appears just to the right of the indicator switch. That's an error and everyone that has one of these cars should correct the drawing! Either circuit for the turn signals will flow current through the dash bulb to show the turn signals circuit is okay. Both lightbulbs (stop & turn) in the tailight share a common earth path. Since the provided earth path has high resistance the electrons always will find another way to earth. When you apply the brakes the current is flowing back up the wiring for the turn signals and flowing through the indicator bulb to earth and that's why it is glowing at night. The turn signal flasher requires both bulbs in it's circuit to light up properly or the load is wrong and it will not flash correctly.

Have fun at the Lotus doings!

On second thought perhaps the indicator bulb is a wattage so the earth path is completed when it flows through the other turn signal circuit just that the there is not current for those bulbs to light up since they are in series. That makes the most sense and is the simplist circuit to design. It also makes the diagram correct which is a plus. Still the problem is a bad earth at the taillight that's causing the circuit not to flash.

Absolutely right as usual Keith,

Thank you so much, you've helped obviate a lot of time spent checking connections. You really are a credit to this forum and have been a huge help to me.

Thanks again,

Simon.

I'll send you some photos of tomorrow's event if I get there.

Guys I have a 1968 +2, did this come with hazards fitted?

When I rewired the dash I took out a few switches that were poked up under the dash. But as mine has a dynamo the indicators are very slow to work if the engine is not running.

Is it worth fitting a hazard switch?

Jason