Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I took the advice of a number of members and purchased a new wiring loom for my '72 Sprint. It looks like it is a generic loom for an S4.

I am having trouble figuring out the wiring for the two micro switches on the headlight vacuum switch.

I recently saw a post for the lamp switch that was hugely helpful.

Any help on the micro-switch wiring would be greatly appreciated.

Jay Supnick

Micro switches allow the relays to go to earth and so turn headlights on.
Have you got a wiring diagram?

I do have a wiring diagram but it does not show the micro-switches, only the "Lamp Switch" which I assume is the toggle switch next to the micro-switches.

Try this one with micro switches shown

I assume we're talking about Failsafe federal headlights? Please see my thread - http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-electrical-f38/late-federal-fail-safe-headlight-wiring-t30133.html

Good talking with you earlier today Jay...

Thanks for your help!

Jay Supnick

pharriso wrote:I assume we're talking about Failsafe federal headlights? Please see my thread - http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-electrical-f38/late-federal-fail-safe-headlight-wiring-t30133.html

Good talking with you earlier today Jay...

Does the failsafe aspect make any difference to this part of the circuit:
When they are down they are off
and when they are up they are on
and when they are only half-way up
they are neither off nor on.

Failsafe is wired different.
When Failsafe have a leak in the Vacuum system and come up they should switch on the headlamps.
Failsafe should only switch on Headlamps when the Headlamp Switch on the dashboard is in Headlamps on position.

On Elan +2s130 cars the left Stalk on the Steering Column pulls back to flash headlamps if the Dip switch is in High Beam position.
Alan

I think that a lot if the stalks being a triumph part have the pull to flash capability.
Not much use with normally retracted headlights though!
Lifting the lights does illuminate them when ignition on which I suppose is a sort of flash facility - I use it when pulling into my remote opening garage.

[quote="MarkDa"]I think that a lot if the stalks being a triumph part have the pull to flash capability.
Not much use with normally retracted headlights though!
Lifting the lights does illuminate them when ignition on which I suppose is a sort of flash facility - I use it when pulling into my remote opening garage.[/quote

Hi Mark,

Sorry but i'm talking about a +2S130 Failsafe and when you pull back the Triumph Stalk to flash the Headlamps it actions the Electric solenoid that makes the Headlamps rise. As the headlamps rise they switch mainbeam on.

At least that's how the Lights worked on my 1973 +2S130/4.

No need to use the usual Switch in the Dashboard for flashing.

Alan

Indeed but either way you still have the lamp lifting time before lights are effective.
Do you have to hold the lever all the time?
On standard vacuum you pull, lights lift and illuminate then push and lights go down.
The stalk can be wired to work high beam when pods are up but not energised, easily eenough.
I've thought about this for motorway driving.

A bit different on Federal cars. My Federal Sprint has micro switches on the pull knob and that
determines whether or not the lights come on. The lights up or down has no bearing to
on or off. In other words, if Iose vacuum, the lights come up but they're not on because my
switch is still pushed in (off). No flasher circuit.

Yes you need to hold the stalk back to flash and after flash let go.
I found it very handy and very fast because there is only one Headlamp Pod to draw the vacuum, not two.

Failsafe is much faster action because of only one Vacuum Pod to pull vacuum.

Alan

My early plus 2 had been modified to have the two spot lights under the bumper. During my rebuild and rewire, I?ve added an extra relay to the light circuit so that if you flash the lights using the column stalk and the pods are down, it flashes the spot lights, if the pods are up it flashes the main beams as normal. The relay is worked by one pod microswitch. My pods have been modified to be motorised with a Mazda electric headlight motor.

That's a neat idea to avoid the lift delay.