paul83 Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Hi All, I am in the process of converting my TR6 from LHS US spec to UK RHD, and discovering a world of difference in the wiring! After hours of searching, I need help on the switches used for the lights if the car does not have a foot-operated dip switch for the headlights. Where is/are the light switch(es) located in the car, and what are the positions of the switch(es) to enable off, dipped beam, full beam and flash (of the full beam)? Thank you, Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Foot switch is on the firewall to the left and above the clutch pedal. I swapped mine to an extra stalk on the left of the steering column. Simple swap if you can locate the correct lucas stalk. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MilesA Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Hi Paul On a UK RHD the various switches are located under the cowl(s) on the steering column as follows, facing the steering wheel from the driver's seat: - On the RHS, the stalk closest to the steering wheel is the indicator switch. If overdrive is fitted, the stalk behind the indicator stalk, is the overdrive on/off switch. - On the LHS is the stalk which controls the side lights and main beam and flash facility (although not all switches seem to have this facility). Essentially, all three stalks are in the OPPOSITE locations to those shown in this diagram below (only one I could find!). As mentioned by Tim, the main beam dip switch is foot operated and is located the left and above the foot pedal (picture below). Again as Tim has mentioned, the foot switch can be replaced with a further stalk that you can install behind the sidelights/main beam/flash stalk on the LHS. There are a couple of ways of wiring this and you should be able to find references to the articles on the Forum (or someone will be along with a link!). If you are thinking of doing this I would do so when putting all these stalks together because it can be a bit of a pain disconnecting everything to thread the additional cables through the channel under the steering column when you later add a dip switch stalk (ask me how I know!). Hope that helps. Miles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paul83 Posted February 8 Author Report Share Posted February 8 Hi Tim & Miles, thanks for your help. An additional stalk seems to be the way to go. Question: did any of the TR6 models not have the foo-operated dip switch? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 1 hour ago, paul83 said: Hi Tim & Miles, thanks for your help. An additional stalk seems to be the way to go. Question: did any of the TR6 models not have the foo-operated dip switch? Hi Paul, most people use the OD switch when moving the foot switch to the column. It works well Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 (edited) 44 minutes ago, RogerH said: Hi Paul, most people use the OD switch when moving the foot switch to the column. It works well Roger The OD switch swap is OK, but it isn't a toggle switch so it either needs more electronics or you can substitute a lucas toggle switch. I think lotus elan used the same column and a toggle switch for dipping headlights. Lucas dip switch Although I am not totally sure this is the correct one for the cowl fitting. Edited February 8 by Tim D. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Hi Tim I used the TR OD switch and it does the job a treat. However when I started to answer this I realised I haven't a clue how I wired it in. aaarrrggghhhhh Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Bit more research the switch is a 35864a switch from lucas. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 2 minutes ago, RogerH said: Hi Tim I used the TR OD switch and it does the job a treat. However when I started to answer this I realised I haven't a clue how I wired it in. aaarrrggghhhhh Roger bit like me forgetting which lucas switch I used (remembered eventually). I can see how you would use an od switch if you just used it to switch on the main beam and lived with both filaments on when you use main beam. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Happens to be one on ebay being sold by fitchetts. Dip switch Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MilesA Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 This may assist... Miles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevo_6 Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 This may also help, copied from Tony Thompson. Hope he is alright with me sharing, I did copy it from this forum. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Macleesh Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 It can be done without an extra switch by using a latching relay which utilises the existing flash position on the light switch to toggle the relay state when headlights are on. It's on my list of things to do but not a priority as I don't think I've ever had the car out in the dark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnC Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 14 hours ago, Macleesh said: It can be done without an extra switch by using a latching relay which utilises the existing flash position on the light switch to toggle the relay state when headlights are on. It's on my list of things to do but not a priority as I don't think I've ever had the car out in the dark. If you’re looking for one then I’m pretty sure many VWs used a latching relay which the flash function toggles. JC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Casar66 Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 On 2/8/2024 at 5:10 PM, paul83 said: Question: did any of the TR6 models not have the foo-operated dip switch? Yes, my one has no foot-operated switch. 1973 RHD CR5xxxxO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 Just be aware the currently available latching relays are triggered by negative pulse (earth) which wasn’t the case when the technicalities article was written. (Changes to the internal wiring) Blew 3 (at £20+ a pop) before someone on the forum advised me of this. To overcome this you need to add another relay that uses the output from the headlamp flash to momentarily make an earth connection to the latching relay, rather than a +12v pulse. When done it is more elegant than adding another switch to the column. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
heckler Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 VW dip relay 111-941-583 or 411-941 -583 is the one required ,as well as a12v 30 amp relay . This is for using existing column switch no need for additional stalk . Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 It looks to me as thought the Durite 0-728-02 should do this without the need for a second relay. The diagram shows it is wired differently from the VW one - the relay coil (pins 30 and S) are shown as electrically separate from the switched circuit and appear to have no other connections, in which case I can see no reason why it cannot be connected with S permanently earthed so that connecting 30 to + momentarily will switch the relay over. Of course only trying that will show whether the diagram tells all...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grahamgl Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Rob, On the basis that your assumption is correct, what would the circuit look like please? Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 (edited) Like this: With headlamps off the flash switch works as normal - flashing high beam on each operation. With headlamps on, the flash switch will cycle between high and dipped beam, (so to flash from dipped you would have to operate the switch twice ). I am not sure whether the relay can be used on positive-earth systems - the Durite catalogue is rather lacking in detail on the specifics and applications. It doesn't say the coil is polarity-conscious but they may just be assuming that all cars are negative earth. Really, only experimentation would tell. It may be as simple as turning the diode round the other way. Edited February 11 by RobH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nigel A Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Sounds like fun at MOT time, last time the tester thought the overdrive switch was the dip switch and failed it!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Apparently there is an internal connection (I think between 30 and earth) with the Durite relay which results in it failing if you send a +12v pulse to trigger the switching. (I think between 30 and earth) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 1 hour ago, Andy Moltu said: Apparently there is an internal connection (I think between 30 and earth) Hence my caveats Andy. If there is an earth, it is very remiss of Durite not to show that, nor polarity, in the technical details. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim D. Posted February 12 Report Share Posted February 12 Managed to have a look at an old overdrive switch while at the parts fair in Stoneleigh. It is actually the same as the dip switch I mention earlier in the thread but with one wire not soldered onto the terminal which forms the second pole. So an easy conversion should anyone want to go with the 4th stalk option. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted February 12 Report Share Posted February 12 (edited) Hi Tim, I'm glad you looked at the OD switch. This is what I use and it works very well - placed just ahead of the normal lighting switch. I had forgotten about the 3rd contact - so it is a change over switch but not used as such for the OD. The price of these is shooting up - why!!!! Roger Edited March 1 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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