Re: [members] Digest for club-lotus-northwest@googlegroups.com - 1 update in 1 topic

[ma...@micro-engineering.com]

Did this same job on a late model Elite.  Used a set of lifts from the headlights of a Toyota MR2.   Added a relay to supply 'fresh' battery current with its own inline fuse.  Worked well.  Separate motors on each side.  If I had it to do over I would have used the Esprit approach with only one motor and a mechanical linkage between both pods if practical.

    

  Mark

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Subject: [members] Digest for club-lotus...@googlegroups.com - 1 update in 1 topic

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• wiring woes - 1 Update

wiring woes

jf <jfb...@aol.com>: Jun 26 09:43PM A few years ago, when I repainted the Elan, decided to shelve the bulky vacuum pod system that raised and lowered the headlights for a more modern alternative. Purists will be appalled at changing out Chapman's vacuum system. What could possibly be more elegant than drawing vacuum from the intake manifold, siphoning much of it off into a front crossmember and routing the rest all the way to the dashboard, to an on-off switch that then reroutes to back forward to a couple vacuum pods the size of a two-pound coffee can? Although they functioned just fine, I had to remove them anyway as part of the body work in order to repair damage to the wheel well, which occurred during a prior owners apparent foray into oversize tires. The gashes in the bodywork allowed huge amounts of the airflow to escape rather than being forced through the radiator. While the pods were out, I looked at replacing the mechanism with simple electric actuators. They are simple motors that extend and contract and weigh a fraction of the vacuum pod system. I think if they had been available in the 1960s, Chapman would have grabbed a pair. So, after a bit of fiddling, sketching and finally cutting out cardboard templates to confirm the mounting points, the new system was installed and worked...well just OK.  When raised, the motors didn't really have enough power to keep the light pods steady, and one of them began drooping after a bit. So a couple weeks ago I ordered much stronger and slightly larger units and set to installing them. Most everything went according to plan. There was a bit of fussing to create an appropriate mounting point and a tad of fiddling to adjust the final movement. Nothing that I didn't expect. What came as a surprise was that as soon as I turned the headlight on, the 30amp fuse protecting the circuit popped. Now, let me point out, the headlight circuit is completely separate from the headlight motors. In spite of that, I double checked all the wiring to the motors and all seemed fine. So then I went to the dash switch that powers the headlight system...which in hindsight was foolish because there is no grounded wire anywhere near it. I then looked at the high/low switch on the steering column and everything checked out. So back to the dash switch. I pulled the wire going the selector assembly and popped in a new fuse. And it popped as soon as pressed the switch. Next, I disconnected the wire that feeds the parking lights and hit the switch again. And the fuse was fine. I took the multimeter and did a continuity test between the disconnected wire and ground. And it beeped. So I went back to the front of the car and disconnected the wire feeding the left parking light. And it beeped. The same thing with the right parking light. I opened the wiring loom and checked the entire length of the wire from the lights to the switch. And everywhere I checked I got a "going to ground" meter beep. The thing about the Elan, is that with a fiberglass body, there are damn few spots where a wire can go to ground. Typically, the problem is in reverse. Something doesn't work because of a bad ground. Because I had been working at the nose of the car, I was convinced the problem had to be up front...that I had somehow swapped a wire into the wrong system. But after hours of checking and disconnecting every wire I could disconnect, my pile of popped fuses was growing and I was no further along. Finally, I decided to go to the rear of the car. Like I did at the front, I disconnected the wires going to the tail lights one by one. Each of them showed a positive link to ground. I was running out of options and ideas.  Frustrated and about to pop a fuse of my own, I was ready to close the boot lid and call it a day when I noticed the two wires that feed the lights that illuminate the license plate. No way! I figured. But what did I have to lose? I disconnected one wire and the multimeter was quiet as a stone. I plugged it back in to confirm the reading and the meter sang.  So now I don't have an lights over the license plate. And I don't care. Someday I'll fix it, but for now I have other projects, including restoring all the disconnected wires at the front of the car.  There is probably a lesson in the whole exercise. If you can figure out what it is, please let me know. My guess is that, from time to time, the Elan just want to confirm I'm worthy.          Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.     - Italian Proverb

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