Column switches for high beam/indicators and w.screen wipers

[JMP]

Those column switches for the high beam/indicators and for the windscreen wipers/washer, on both side of the steering wheel, are identical to those of the Lotus Elise S1.

[Readit]

The column stalks for indicators and wipers are standard GM parts from their smaller cars. I had a pair of Carlton stalks which were too large but a pair I saw on a Corsa of the 90s looked identical. Some also say Astra will fit too.

[theelanman]

yep...bog standard GM......
I got a spare pair for modifying with the brushed stainless stalks

like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Cava ... Sw44BYGFgr

and add on stalks...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BESPOKE-HIGH- ... Sw44BYkOb-

[Readit]

Those alloy stalks look good, could brighten up the dash with the right steering wheel.

[theelanman]

mine....

[lotusflasherman]

I go for function over form, so fitted a Carlton/Omega wiper switch with variable delay. Had to use windscreen wiper relay GM 90494187 as well but a worthwhile upgrade. Arm also has 2 push switches (marked R & S) on the end that I haven't yet got round to using ... only been on the car 2 years .. Plan is to wire into the Nokia car kit to accept and terminate calls rather than use the control pad mounted by the radio.

My son had an Astravan with a non-standard wiper switch and we found some info on a Vauxhall Astra owners internet site about what had been done and I thought that'll work on an Elan...
I'm pretty sure I saw something similar on here after I'd done it but can't find it at the moment ... Geoff or Pinky ?

Not much different from the OE so matches the headlamp switch pretty well..

wiper delay.jpg

[dapinky]

Not seen the Astra wiper conversion before - I fitted the VW relay for variable intermittent sweeps (but i quite like that one!).

However, I fitted a Vectra indicator stalk in mine so I can have the cruise control function buttons.... the actual stalk is identical in size/shape.

[Readit]

Someone has got to be daft enough to ask the question, so here goes.

Cruise control on an Elan, got to be a first???

[theelanman]

an idea.......nothings happened yet.....
but never say never

I think the problems were mainly to do with the extra monitoring and speed controllers

[Readit]

My new Astra has got it so its probably just a straight swop

[theelanman]

the car need a control box....computer to work out the speeds.....
also needs something to tell it how fast its going.........

the stalk will just swap over....but it wont work......

[lotusflasherman]

Not seen the Astra wiper conversion before - I fitted the VW relay for variable intermittent sweeps (but i quite like that one!).

However, I fitted a Vectra indicator stalk in mine so I can have the cruise control function buttons.... the actual stalk is identical in size/shape.

I thought you'd done something - did you choose VW because of your camper and you know how it works ?

The Astravan was a DIY upgrade to a Carlton variable wipe and the R & S buttons on the Carlton switch are Resume & Set for cruise control. Presume On/Off was on the dash or another stalk.

Have you got cruise control working on your Elan now? Nearest I get is on the long drag through France I hold the throttle with my left foot so I can bend and flex my right leg a few times ...

[Giniw]

Nah the best cruise control is when you drive flat out: cheap, light and reliable!

Seriously, it would be hard to add on an elan since the butterfly is mechanically linked to the throttle pedal, it's not a potentiometer like on more modern cars.
The only thing that can be controlled by the ECU is the IAC, but even fully opened it would not allow the engine to rev much more than around 2500-3000 RPM if I remember correctly.

[lotusflasherman]

but here's the Cruise Control thread ..Mr Pink's Cruise Control Project 2015

[dapinky]

Seriously, it would be hard to add on an elan since the butterfly is mechanically linked to the throttle pedal, it's not a potentiometer like on more modern cars.

Nope - simple to add a mechanical operator - if you have a spare throttle body that you can nick the stuff off to double-up the cables....

Edit - Gareth beat me to the link....

... as an update on the project, I have had it working, but the speed range that it would switch on and off were not ideal - due to the different frequency of the Lotus sender and the Vauxhall receiver.

I have now fitted a sender to the FOS wheel (well, a Vauxhall Vectra ABS sensor, which reads from a cog thingy which is designed for a Cavalier, and fits the Elan driveshaft). This feeds through a Vauxhall relay thingy (pulse generator) originally from an Astra G (designed for cars without ABS to run Cruise)....

.... this gives a pulse in the range to operate the Cruise Control 20 - 110mph, so ideal for my use.

[Giniw]

but here's the Cruise Control thread ..Mr Pink's Cruise Control Project 2015

but thanks for the URL, and thanks dapinky too. Nice project! (but not that straightforward in my opinion ^^).

[lotusflasherman]

again but...
on the subject of ABS reluctor rings mentioned by Dave ... John Mountain ('who did the electrics' - P38 Mark Hughes' book) told me they continued to develop the M100 and a couple were made with full working ABS and got sold with it.
Anybody got one or seen one? I'll have to ask if they did away with the proportioning valves. Now there's an interesting project for somebody ...

[dapinky]

but thanks for the URL, and thanks dapinky too. Nice project! (but not that straightforward in my opinion ^^).[/quote]

Gini,
It was done just to see if it could be done

(oh, and since I smashed my right ankle a few years ago I find keeping my leg in one place on a motorway can cause discomfort - and maybe an inability to brake when I may need to. It's no problem on a road where I keep moving it, but an hour on the motorway starts to become anoying).

It is actually reasonably straightforward (especially if you already have a Vectra with all the bits working so you can work out how it goes) - but nowhere near as simple as modern 'fly-by-wire' systems.

[Giniw]

Gini,
It was done just to see if it could be done

That is ... err sorry I forgot the offtopic sign! Please allow me to just start all over again!
but that is a good reason

lotusflasherman > but that is interesting! I once read somewhere in a blog comment (!) that the car production had been cancelled before they finished to develop it, and the guy who wrote the comment pretended he worked on the project. But I can't remember where it was and of course it might be wrong.