[elisenc]

This past weekend my Switch pack module failed on my 2005 Elise.

I searched around and did not see any good write up on how to repair the unit.

First off my problem. When i switched on the headlights, the parking lights would not come on. The switch on the dash did nothing, and the center indicator in the switch would not light.

So the first thing I did was to try to isolate the problem. Since the Headlight and the parking light switches are the same I removed the lighting panel (There are two screws in the cubby hole below the lighting panel). Then I unplugged both the headlight and the parking light switch. then I plugged the parking light switch in the headlight connector, and the headlights could switched on and off with the parking light switch. So I knew that it was good.

The next step is a bit harder. to get at the switch pack module you have pretty much disassemble the dash.

Disconnect the battery before you do anything else!

Here is a good write up on how to remove the dash:
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f101/my-dash-removal-instructions-37404/

With the dash top removed, the Switch Pack Module is right behind the instrument cluster. I had to remove the instrument cluster to get at the two screws that hold it in place.

Now with the Switch Pack Module loose there are two connectors one shorter and one longer, both have a tab on them, push the tab down and pull on the connector, they should come right out.

Here is a picture of the Switch Pack Module (Not my module. My Module is # C117M0008F):

On the case there are four tabs, you can gently pry them up, and separate the two halves of the case.

Once opened, you will see the board. There are a number of relays on the board. Using the wiring diagram from Lotus and a multi-meter, I traced the relays down to their function.

I have labeled them in this image:

I suspected the relay (part number HG 4117/02 SH1S) may be the problem, I so I looked it up and found the spec sheet for it.

Relay Data Sheet

Here is a electrical diagram for the relay:

This relay is what is called a double pole single throw, which means that both sets of contacts are on at the same time. Lotus has wired both contacts in parallel to handle the current load of the lights.

I found that in my case the parking light relay's coil was open (> 300 Ohms). The other relays measured about 130 ohms across the coil. So now I knew what was broke, next was to fix this problem. Since I don't have rear fog lights (And most in the US don't either) I unsoldered that relay, and used it to replace the parking light relay.

I left the fog light relay pads empty, in case I ever order some replacement parts, I can fix it easier later.


Hope this helps some folks.

 

[Turbopun]

Well done! <golf clap>

 

[Jim-C]

Nice work ! Not easy to decipher that relay pack.

 

[glb]

Good stuff. Thanks.

 

[rsamani]

nice.. have the same problem with my AC rec. Just to lazy to figure this out.
this will save me time on the research..

Thanks.

 

[Doge]

nice.. have the same problem with my AC rec. Just to lazy to figure this out.
this will save me time on the research..

Thanks.

Same here.

Nice work OP!

 

[twilightprotege]

fantastic post.

the parking light relay in my switch pack just died and i'm going to try and do the same as you. problem is i cant find good places to get the relays without spending a lot (since i'm in Australia). is the HG4117 just a code for whoever makes them and other PCB relays will work so long as they have the same specs? if so, any idea of other manufacturer codes?

 

[twilightprotege]

I think I found a compatible part - V23072-C1061-A308 - http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/7236.pdf

Can anyone confirm?

 

[twilightprotege]

Anyway, just thought i'd chime in. I found a no longer working switch pack, took out a working relay and have done the same repair as the OP (my car has fog lights so i didnt just swap that relay). all works fine now

 

[jerryk]

good evening. I am trying to repair my switchpack module. Could you please send me the pictures via have(had) by e-mail? Can't see on the site.

Thanks, Jerry. [email protected]

 

[jroberts86]

good evening. I am trying to repair my switchpack module. Could you please send me the pictures via have(had) by e-mail? Can't see on the site.

Thanks, Jerry. [email protected]

I did this a few months ago. The only hard part was removing the dash piece above the steering wheel. It took a lot of force, and yes it comes straight back. I did not lose any clips.

Good luck.

 

[sleibo]

how do you tell, on the circuit board of the switch pack module, which relay is for the parking lights, and which relay is for the (non-existent) rear fog lights?

 

[Obeisance]

Where did the photos go?

Anyway, I also had the relay for the running lights fail (~58 kMiles). I took the relay from (what I assumed to be) the driving lights (not installed) to replace it.

How to Repair a Lotus Switch Pack ? Or, why don?t my Elise?s parking lights work? | Z-Car

I was able to find some other relays which were equivalent in pin structure, actuation (double pole, single throw, normally open), voltage and amperage, but they were not readily stocked at newark or mouser, so I opted for the free fix.

If this fails again, I will likely try to replace with an FET. The fact that these relays are buried behind the gauge cluster and soldered to an integrated unit is a big pain from a maintenance standpoint- I guess this is the cost for simplicity.

Removing the binnacle is a big pain- those clips are very tight. After removal I pinched the metal clips in so they hold with less force; the next time I have to remove this part of the dash board will be much easier.

Here is the switch pack. I have an older 'B' version.

I checked the resistance between the coil leads of the relay. Just as above, the relay which was broken had an open circuit across the coil leads. I had to push hard to penetrate the sealing layer on the PCB in order to read resistance.

I used a solder bulb to suck up the solder on the surface and blow out what was in the oversized holes in the PCB in order to get the relay loose enough to remove.

 

[dacarrier]

To echo what sleibo said, does anyone have a schematic for the switch pack that points out which relay is for which lighting system? I'm not getting 130Ohms on the relay that's separate from the other four on the outer edge (in the socket printed RL3 on the board) and my driver's low beam light isn't working...

Thanks

 

[sleibo]

Has anyone determined if the relay noted by twilightprotege (September 2015 above) is a suitable replacement for the relays on the swithpack board? Using the spec sheet provided by twilightprotege, it seems that either of : V23072-C1061-A302 OR V23072-C1061-A402 would work, though I am not clear what the difference is between these 2. Has anyone determined if they fit and work? THanks. I just had the second relay go bad on the board and of course I no longer have a fog light relay available as spare since I used that 4 years ago when the other relay went bad!

 

[sleibo]

Has anyone determined if the relay specified by twilightprotege (in 2015) above will work? By my read, either of V23072-C1061-A302 OR V23072-C1061-A402 seem to be the proper relays: Form A, SPDT high current switch. Has anyone tried either of these? THanks. I have had the second relay on this board fail, now for my left low beam headlight. I previously used the foglight relay for my repair back in 2016, so I dont have that option anymore.

 

[sleibo]

Found a replacement relay

OK Guys I finally found a replacement relay. I had a relay fail a few years ago, then last week my left front low beam relay failed. Since I used the fog light relay last time, I didnt have a relay on the board to use as a spare. As pointed out above, Lotus uses a DPST relay; I guess they do this because each pole can not handle all the current for the headlight alone. However a beefier SPST relay would work just fine. In fact, the output of the 2 relays from the stock DPST are connected in series on the circuit board (see below).

Obeisance above posted some nice photos of the circuit board. I copy one here to point out the connections. Each relay has 5 pins, arranged in a row of 3 plus a row of 2. On the row of 2, both of these pins are connected in series on the circuit board and are the OUTPUT of the relay (high current, to the light; yellow arrows on photo below). Obeisance pointed out that the 2 outer pins on the row of 3 are the coil leads of the relay. The center pin on the row of 3 is the high current IN to the relay. So, when you turn on the light switch, current flows to the coil leads, the relay closes and this closes the connection between the high current IN (center pin on row of 3) and the high current OUT (both of the pins on the row of 2).
I have also outlined another relay pin collection in RED on the photo below. Note each relay has 5 pins but some are mounted in mirror image from others. The row of 2 pins still is the high current OUT; the center pin on the row of 3 is the high current IN.
I bought a beefier SPST relay (ebay, $10 for 5 of them), with wiring harness. In my case, the 2 yellow wires are the low current coil, and the red and blue wires are the high current in and out. Most of these relays have the wiring printed on the relay itself (see photos). So I removed the old relay, then soldered the 2 yellow wires into the 2 outer pins on the row of 3, the blue wire to the center pin on the row of 3 (high current IN), and the red wire to either one of the 2 pins on the row of 2 (high current OUT). You leave the other pin hole on the row of 2 blank. Voila, it works! This allows me to leave the relay in a more accessible position behind the steering column cowling, so if I have to replace it I simply remove the cowling, snap out the relay and snap in a new one. If I ever have to go back and do this to more than one relay I will probably make a little mounting plate in an accessible location and put the relays all side by side there.

I hope this helps!

In my case