Lotus Elan Central

Since we Fed drivers don't have side flashers (helpful with a small, low car like ours) I've been wanting to find a way to add them for some time - safety being the key reason. Drilling holes in the body panel to add an extra light is an option but not one I wanted to pursue. Some of you may be familar with Daniel Stern's lighting website (a good source of general information) and he has a section on how to wire up your side marker lights so they do double duty as flashers too. I've been thinking about doing this for a couple of years so I visited his site again and discovered he had found a device that made this modification even easier.

You can use one of them to do the job for both sides by running wires to the side whrere you didn't install the unit but for the cost it was easier to just buy two. Took about 45 minutes a side with removing the wheel and arch liner (then putting them back on) taking the bulk of the time. Works perfectly with the parking lights on or off. No point in pictures really as its the same side marker we all have - now it just flashes when you indicate a turn. Worth the effort in my opinion.

I actually just did this.

Removed the front bumper, spliced the hot going to the front turn indicator light to the side light with a diode (to prevent parking lights turning on front orange indicators) and then also added a diode to the original hot leading to the side light (to prevent both side lights blinking). Soldered the connections and used some heat shrink tubing.
Repeated on the passenger side.

Got the 10 amp diodes from here: http://www.westfloridacomponents.com/DI ... ifier.html

Seems good for daylight, but when the lights are on, how do you see it is flashing?

Brit-Car-Nut wrote:Seems good for daylight, but when the lights are on, how do you see it is flashing?

Simple really. The side markers are always on when the parking and headlights are on. When the signal indicator is activated they start blinking and return to a steady on when the signal indicator is deactivated.

Not by just adding a couple of diodes. When the lights are on, sending another 12v feed to match the flasher will just leave the side marker on, not flashing.

By using the DS Device, that is resolved, but I was asking how the diodes did anything differently when the headlights/sidelights were on already.

Brit-Car-Nut wrote:Not by just adding a couple of diodes. When the lights are on, sending another 12v feed to match the flasher will just leave the side marker on, not flashing.

By using the DS Device, that is resolved, but I was asking how the diodes did anything differently when the headlights/sidelights were on already.

It wasn't clear who you were asking so I suppose Mr. "ccb056" will have to drop by and answer your question. For me, it seems a like a lot of work (removing the front bumper and all) for such a simple modification.

It's possible to do it without the module from Daniel Stern but the problem is that the side markers won't flash in unison with the front indicator lights. What happens is that when the front lights flash on the side markers go off and when the fronts flash off the side markers go on. I'm a coordinated kinda guy so I wanted all my lights singing the same song.

Brit-Car-Nut wrote:Seems good for daylight, but when the lights are on, how do you see it is flashing?

Good point! The side markers will not blink when the parking/headlights are on with the diode mod!

The fix is to use Dan Stern's DRL module: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... flash.html

We are now using the DRL module.

I purchased and had shipped to the US the side panels from a UK supplier with the side indicators. Thats when I found out my Rover and the Elan have the same side indicator lights, I was able to upgrade to clear ones from a rover supplier, they snapped right into the pre cut and shaped holes. Next I will have them re-painted and install them along with a clear LED lens center light intigrated into the rear spoiler. Just waiting on on the clear LED lens to arrive.

-James

Finished the side marker project:

viewtopic.php?f=80&t=22614

-James