The Lotus Grand Tourers

When I switch the headlights on the passenger windows opens and will not close until you switch the headlights off and use the passenger window switch as usual to close it?????? With the colder weather aproaching I could do with fixing this!!!!

I have no idea how to fix it but I have to confess it made me laugh !

Unverified poster...............mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm interesting (if i was a cynic)

Yep ....waste of bandwidth

Could be a short or earthing fault in the passenger footwell - esp. if you have a dim-dip module.

amarshall wrote:Could be a short or earthing fault in the passenger footwell - esp. if you have a dim-dip module.

How would I know if I have a dim-dip module? Mine is a 1986 low compression manual

Hi & Welcome Ben (now verified )

Dim-dip became a legal requirement from 1st April 1987

thanks to amarshall in a previous post the above - searching a little can reveal wonders , you should be ok - although lotus are known for fitting what was to hand, but as its only a legal requirement from '87 its unlikely yours will have it.

Iirc the bypass is so you can have your sidelights on without the headlights popping up but not being lit (dip beam), so presumably if you can have your sidelights on (3rd position on headlights (off - valet - side - dip)) without the pods being raised you do not have this?

It does sound synonymous with an earthing fault of some kind, worth getting the relays out of thier locations in the footwell to check for water / corrosion as a first port of call?

Benjamin1983 wrote:

amarshall wrote:Could be a short or earthing fault in the passenger footwell - esp. if you have a dim-dip module.

How would I know if I have a dim-dip module? Mine is a 1986 low compression manual

Too early for dim-dip, but the headlamp retract relay is in the passenger footwell too - on later cars. It depends when in 1986 your car was built (changeover year). Can you post the last 4 digits of the VIN please so we can see which electrical setup applies ?

Short term, you could deal with the symptom by pulling the fuse for that window - if there is one, or just disconnect the motor inside the door.

fitz wrote:Hi & Welcome Ben (now verified )

Dim-dip became a legal requirement from 1st April 1987

thanks to amarshall in a previous post the above - searching a little can reveal wonders , you should be ok - although lotus are known for fitting what was to hand, but as its only a legal requirement from '87 its unlikely yours will have it.

Iirc the bypass is so you can have your sidelights on without the headlights popping up but not being lit (dip beam), so presumably if you can have your sidelights on (3rd position on headlights (off - valet - side - dip)) without the pods being raised you do not have this?

It does sound synonymous with an earthing fault of some kind, worth getting the relays out of thier locations in the footwell to check for water / corrosion as a first port of call?

All the relays have signs of water marking ect as I've just taken them out to replace the fan switch relay. Clean up the terminals on all relays as a start??

Benjamin1983 wrote:
All the relays have signs of water marking ect as I've just taken them out to replace the fan switch relay. Clean up the terminals on all relays as a start??

Water gets inside them and corrodes them quite badly. Better to replace them all if possible - or at least pop the covers off and see how bad they are.

amarshall wrote:

Benjamin1983 wrote:
All the relays have signs of water marking ect as I've just taken them out to replace the fan switch relay. Clean up the terminals on all relays as a start??

Water gets inside them and corrodes them quite badly. Better to replace them all if possible - or at least pop the covers off and see how bad they are.

In case anybody else has this problem. The illumination wire was shorting in the window switch I think. When I wired out the ilumination wire the problem stopped.