Light motors
Symptoms
When attempting to turn-on, there’s a lot of whining, then you don’t always manage to get it up, at least not all the way, conversely, after it’s been up and shining then it’s turned-off, it goes down with a bang and the whining continues after it’s tucked back in it’s resting place. Sounds familiar ? ...
An intermittent head light motor
http://s615.photobucket.com/albums/tt234/Elan_SE/?action=view¤t=100_1236.mp4
Spares
The Lotus part number for a complete motor repair kit is A082M6706S.
Where to get the spares to repair your broken motors: http://www.rodneydickman.com/
Update, SJ Lotus now do a similar kit:
SJ082M0033 OVERHAUL KIT for HEADLAMP MOTORS, Includes drive rollers, gaskets, screws and instructions. Sufficient for a pair of motors.
SJ082M0034 Plastic drive gear as opposed to an upgraded rodneydickman metal vareient.
13/6/17:
- Kelvedon Lotus appear to be offering the Lotus kit at a bargain price.
- Wayne Broadley has produced a spares kit which you can order directly or via ebay: - http://elanm100.com/web-shop - http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Lotus-Elan-M100-SE-S2-Headlight-Motor-repair-kit-/282504480751?hash=item41c69447ef:g:PIkAAOSwezVWzu8f
What you will get in a new rodneydickman kit...
After removing the the Headlamp Motor from the car, it is pretty simple to remove the three screws ‘A’ (English size I recall) holding the Gear Drive Cover to access the Plastic Driven Gear which was the root of my Headlamps impotence. To remove this Gear, I found that it was necessary to raise the Motor Housing by taking the two retaining screws 'B' out and lifting the Motor about ¼ inch, at which point the Motor’s two spring-loaded Carbon Brushes step off the Commutator and come to rest on a smaller diameter section of the Motor Shaft, but at least you can now remove the Plastic Gear and begin the repair.
WARNING: If you remove the motor completely, make sure it is replaced in the same orientation otherwise you will end up with winking or inverse headlights - the pod will be raised when the headlight is off and will descend when the headlight is on!
Headlamp Motor Fix
(part 2)
First, identify which side is having trouble. They utilize the same repair kit, but the left side requires a bit more work (this has to do w/ the brush installation on the armature - I'll explain this later).
The part is in kit form -- "for repairing Ford/Chrysler power windows." I found them locally for $14.95/Kit. Good Luck!
Just read this very slowly and carefully. It will make sense if you think about it....
LEFT SIDE: 1. Jack up vehicle / Remove wheel / Remove plastic inner fender. The inner fender is held by (3-4) 10mm bolts in the arch of the well and (3) Phillips #2 screws on the underside. The inner fender can now be pulled out.
2. Open hood / Remove (2) 10mm bolts behind the headlight housing. Be sure to count the shims/washers under each bolt because they will fall out. Doing this will make adjustments a lot easier!
3. Remove 10mm bolt retaining connecting rod at the light motor. (see pic below - "Removal Top View")
4. Remove (2) 8mm bolts anchoring the motor unit from inner fender. (see pic at right - "Motor Removal")
5. The motor is now free to be removed from the vehicle.
6. The motor should be disassembled on a towel - to catch small pieces (small springs/bolts).
7. Remove the large bracket from the unit 8mm nut and bolt. Remove the 10mm bolt on the drive arm. The arm can be removed by clamping in a vise and taping the center bolt with a small hammer.
8. Remove the (3) 1/4" bolts on the other side. Upon removal of this cover - it'll reveal the mysterious granules. Remove the (2) 1/4" bolts retaining the housing for the Armature (Don't lose the (2) springs behind the brushes!!!) Upon removal of the Armature shaft -- the white plastic sprocket is free to be removed from the housing.
9. Clean the parts with compressed air, insert the new torque pins and re-lube the sprocket with grease. Insert the sprocket back into the housing. (see pic below - "Torque Pins")
10. Here's the tricky (hard) part. Get a strand of wire
- can be found in a stripped length of speaker wire
(see pic - "Torque Pins"). Holding the motor housing in
one hand / Insert the (2) springs in the slots near the
brushes. (see pic at below - "Brushes")
11. With the strand of wire / Make a loop around the brush and insert the brush into the slot (see pic - "Brushes") Do the same with the other side.
12. While pulling the brush back w/ the loop of wire/Slide Armature into the housing/When fully inserted, remove wire by pulling on one side of the loop/Do this on the other side/Attach (2) 1/4" bolts.
13. Position sprocket cover and install (3) 1/4" bolts/Attach large bracket to motor housing.
14. Place motor back into vehicle and install all bolts removed (just reverse the removal procedure).
