Esprit S3 Headlamp Relay

[85S3NA]

Am pulling together my list of job / upgrades / parts replacements for the Esprit over the winter - including exhaust manifold - one minor thing I'd like to do is upgrade the headlight relay to have dipped beam on all 4 headlights - does anyone know if this can be done on the S3's, and if so, the relay part number, and might might stock it ??

Thanks in advance

Jonathan 85S3NA

[scotty2]

SJ sportscars.

[judgea]

Jonathan, I would like to consider this for my 87. Please post what you find after talking to SJ Sportscars, etc. Thanks.

[wedg1e]

Er... I'd have thought the first thing you need to do is change the two inner main-beam units to twin-filament... then just wire them in parallel with the outer lamps.
Of course you could get all technical and have a separate pair of relays for each lamp, how much time and money do you want to throw at it?

[Dr.Hess]

On my car, all the headlamps are Wagner 4000's. These are a hi/lo sealed beam. In other words, the inner (hi/main) lamps have low beam elements that are never used and the outer (low/dip) lamps have hi beam elements that are never used. I discovered this last week while replacing the left outer lamp. I had previously replaced the right inner and noted the part number in my database. This time, while noteing the low beam part number, I realized it was the same. Also, I replaced the rusted crap screws with stainless ones last time, so it was much easier to do this time.

What I would like to have instead of all four low beams on is all four high beams on. I was actually thinking about this at the time, and I think the solution would be a jumper harness between the lamps on one side. Easy enough to wire up. Removing the bulbs to get to the connectors is the hardest part. Power drain would be an additional 130 Watts, about 10 amps total (5 per side), approximately, through the existing circuits. Not sure if the wiring/fuses would accommodate that or not.

Dr.Hess

[wedg1e]

The best way to minimise voltage drops etc on a car lighting system (though nobody seems to do it) would be to have a huge cross-section feed direct from the battery down to the front of the car. Then, adjacent to each headlamp you have the relevant relays and fuses to feed dipped and main beams, with the only signals coming from the cabin being low-current ones to operate the relays.

[arium]

Interesting comment on the north american cars.... I thought that the two outer lamps used one filamement on low beam; then switched to the other filament for high and energized the two inner lamps for high beam.

Now, on other european cars i've owned; I have learned that if you have the main lights on either high or low and you pull back on the dim/high stick on the steering stalk you engage all filaments on all lamps for like ultra high beams. Sure lights up the road when you do that. I haven't however, ever tried that on a Lotus. Guess I better go take it out in the dark for once and see.

Another experiment in the making.....

Best to all,

Steve