Angus553

If only all the jobs were this easy!!

Oh dear....guess what, better scrap the above as have eventually diagnosed the problem and its location. The problem is a perished hose joining with the brass pipe connected to the carb. So new hose required and the problem is no more for now. Just have to put everything back together again.

Well not sorted the problem as such but putting a 0.7mm washer between the 2 broken parts slowed the headlight down and was slower than the other one instead of faster without it and then put a 0.4mm washer in the gap it was slower but nearly synched, so an even thinner washer or shortening the plunger might synch it.

Hello All Have obviously messed about with the headlights too much and also now the front carb leaks and causes the headlights to raise as soon as the ignition is switched off, possibly having noticed the 2 MX5 motors in the garage and bench tested as ok!! any way have tightened up the trumpet nuts a little and the gasping air sound is slightly less but the headlights raise immediately still. If any one has any suggestions or advice just let me know, although long term the MX5 motors will cure the raising lights but the air leak will need to be sorted. Angus

Hi Tony its in the lights/HVAC section from 14/10/14 " MX5 headlamp conversation" and the really relevant stuff is from black eclat. This is the one i used for the wiring info.

Hi Tony my MX5 motors have arrived and ive bench tested one of them and it seems to work ok. Rotates 180 deg one the dipped and main beam and continues to 360 deg on return/release. Looking at it from the front it rotates anti clockwise so hopefully its going the right way.

Looks good. What colour wiring to you have?

Looks pretty good to me.

Apart from not fixing the headlights have done plenty of other jobs recently. New spark plugs again....BP6ES, otter switch seal and red hemetite to cure small leak, gearbox reversing switch and replaced oil,replaced differential oil, repaired o/s mirror, made new headlining front and rear but not fitted yet, all interior lights working, adjusted both doors and rear hatch to fit much better than previously, have fixed the rear wiper motor by replacing the the broken brushes and springs and rewired it all with basically components from an old shower unit, but the worm drive and tube are bound solid and wont budge and the 8 pin wiper switch is not working at all, handbrake cable unceased and working well, got the heater working by replacing the relays and unjamming the motor.......I know their is more but cant remember atm.

Apologies seems like I didnt reply to this..... Well it was the solenoid valve that got broken and fixed but alas more messing about has meant the vacuum cylinder no longer is air tight having previously been fibreglassed over and was working really well. The rubber inside now doesnt hold any air so unfortunately along with the unsynched headlights now needs to be replaced with MX5 motors.

Hi Tony How is it going with the MX5 brackets?

Thanks for your input Guys. Have checked all the pipework actuators and bellows to try and diagnose the issue. Have done the manual headlight release and they are synchronised. Put it all back together only to find the lights only stay down for 10 mins, so checked everything again and did a little experiment with the bellows and a bowl of water. Both watertight and now retaining a vacuum for 24 hours plus as before so relieved about that. Back to the original problem, had a thought that the first repair made the length of the actuator slightly longer and it was fractionally slower, but the other repairs made it slightly shorter and now works slightly quicker.(is this linked??) I suppose the moral of the story is not to break it in the first place!! As ever any ideas gratefully received ,or do I just get 1 from lotusbits?

Thanks Tony- have taken out both headlights and solenoid valves pipes etc again. Cleaned inspected and returned to the vehicle but alas the same result as before. Unfortunately its back to the drawing board for another think.

Does anyone know how to re sync the vacuum operated headlights? Have changed over the solenoid actuators and the pipes from the vac tank but the n/s one operates faster. they stay in sync for about 10 seconds then operate at different speeds. n/s was broken and fixed by me but works faster than the unbroken one and is starting to become annoying. thanks

Hi Tony AFIK they should be thermostatically controlled and come on at a set temp. Mine come's on automatically if the temp gauge goes just over the halfway mark. Possibly the PO has bypassed the thermo control and fitted a manual switch some where, and it doesnt work properly any longer or because of over heating issues it has to work all the time!! If you an otter switch it may be that is the problem and doesnt any longer work as it should? Angus