Headlamps
Contents
Replacement headlamps
Incandescent
Can be sourced from Lotus, but expensive, if still available. An aftermarket type made by Durite seem to work fine, and are much cheaper.
Durite Dipped Beam 042275 £9.30 + vat approx
Durite Main Beam 042276 £9.30 + vat approx
Part numbers quoted for dipped units are suitable for right hand drive cars only, left hand drive suitable units are available I believe, but I don't have part numbers.
I managed to source mine from my local motor factors, they had to order them, but availablity wasn't a problem, however, may not be the case in other areas. The company below have been known to mail order supply these lamps, so worth giving them a try:
DB Auto Electrical Supplies
3 West Bawtry Road
Rotherham
S60 2XG
01709 377418
If you change the light units to the Durite items then you'll also need to change the outer dipped headlamp bulb plug on the headlamp wires as they take a differnt bulb (H4 rather than H1, same as the high beam), easy to get and do, just ensure you wire to the correct bulb terminal, i.e. the other one from the high beam as connected to the standard high beam plug on the inner headlamp units.
The lamps themselves will also not quite fit into the plastic retainer ring, one of the location lugs is not quite in the right place. There's two options; either cut off the lug, or cut the plastic retaining ring to suit. A Dremel or similar is useful here.
LED
PNM have developed an LED replacement kit and others are looking into cheaper versions.
Pod lift module issues with LED headlights
One of the issues with LED replacements is that the electrical load of the LED units is not sufficient to trigger the lift module and the headlights stay in the raised position. The problem has been solved by PNM who include a resistor (of unknown value) inside one of the headlight modules. The quick fix solution would be to add a resistor equal to the headlight resistance across the LED units: This is guaranteed to work, however it requires a 4 ohm resistor rated at more than 50W!
The path to ground (through the headlight filaments) is required to activate the relay which drives the headlight motors in the pod lift module. I have investigated the current required to reliably operate the module (between 100 & 120 ohms off the battery (12V) and between 120 & 150 ohms with the engine running) so 100 ohms will provide a reliable solution. Absolute maximum power dissipation (battery charging voltage of 14.4V) will be exceed 2 W so a 3 or 5 W resistor will suffice. Mark Elvin has successfully trialled a 100 ohm 5 W resistor with LED headlights and pod operation appears to be consistent.
Geoff 27/10/2020
Rust
Rusty rings
If your headlamps look like these, then you need new rings, and probably new headlamps too. However, the rings are no longer available from Lotus, and the headlamps, if you can get them, are currently about £85 each.
Replacement retaining rings
Rimmer replacements
Replacement headlamp retaining rings are no longer available from Lotus. However, a very good similar type is available as used on the Triumph Dolomite Sprint, and are currently available from Rimmer Brothers:
Single item £12.48 inc VAT http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-511598A
Set of 4 £40.25 inc VAT http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-511598AK
They're not perfect, but at least they're the right diameter, 2 of the 3 lugs will line up, the third is not used and needs to be cut off, also a small amount of trimming is required, so I attacked them with a Dremel. Where the third lug is removed an alternative mounting needs to be made, I drilled through the side and screwed into the plastic ring. A bit of ingenuity is required!
While replacing the headlamps or rings, you'll also find the small screws that retain the entire assembly to the headlamp pods have probably rusted, if these snap off while removing them or require drilling out, they are M4 thread, and replacements should be 20mm non-countersunk screws, I used stainless socket heads. Fairly easy job to drill the remains out from the locating plates and retap. The adjusting screws going through the springs seem to survive and don't require replacing.
Plastic 3D printed replacements
Added 1/7/2017 by donsladek - Plastic replacements are now available courtesy of 1kenobitoby on LEC through Shapeways:
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/1kenobitoby
Rusty fixings and springs
A full stainless fitting kit (including custom stainless springs) were made available on LEC.
Headlamp fitting picture guide
LEC member MattDon has compiled a simple pictorial guide showing how the new lamp units fit to the old plastic retainer rings.
Durite update from Tuga2112(Jaoa) Nov 2021
Cross Reference: Durite 0-422-75, Ring R8731, Hella 1M3534LSA001, Wipac S8100 & LA1016
Durite 0-422-76, Ring R8712, Hella 1M3114178001, Cibie 082369
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Photos supplied by Don.Hasi and RayD |
Cutlea01 18:29, 22 November 2009 (UTC)
