BernardSG

Thank you all. Will keep you posted!

Thank you for the good advice Pete.

Hi Everyone, My 1979 S1 Eclat vibrates at speed (70+), it's been the case since I got it 2 yrs ago. I've changed a bunch of things (tires,alignment, bearings, u/j, engine & gearbox mountings, bushes ..) without success. I was so far leaning towards an incorrectly balanced propshaft, as the vibrations were clearly vehicle-speed related. After changing the engine and gearbox mountings, the car now makes a loud (bearing?) noise coming from the back when I lift the throttle. Vibrations are worse. I got my mechanic to lift the car, and I saw that the propshaft has a lot of play towards the differential end. 3 sec video here : https://youtube.com/shorts/PU7DujiBpNU?feature=share So...clearly something's not right with the diff, but I don't know if: - a poorly balanced propshaft could have destroyed the differential - or the diff was just progressively deteriorating. With this long intro, I have 2 questions: - can this great group advise on the most likely cause, what parts are most likely to fail? - can the propshaft be removed without taking the engine+gearbox out, once the diff is removed? I'm hesitating between: - buying a bunch of internal diff parts (input bearings,seals, etc) and hoping that the damage doesn't extend to pinions and other internals...(cheap on parts, likely more expensive on labour) - sourcing an entire diff (lotusbits has a newly rebuilt one, but it's not cheap, and I have to ship it to Singapore. But labour would probably be higher than with the first option) To add some context, I'm not equipped nor qualified to takeout the diff and investigate, I would need to book time with the shop. Happy to listen to your advice. Thanks a lot! Bernard

Hi everyone, Update: After working on refurbishing a spare gearbox for quite some time, my mechanic said the issue is the gear lever. So I'm now looking for a gear lever assembly for the 5 speed Lotus box (item 1 on the picture below). Would anyone have a spare in decent condition and would be willing to sell it? I have already reached out to SJSports Car and Lotusbits, but no luck... Thanks a lot! Cheers, Bernqrd

Thank you all for your replies - very consistent. Clearly I'm not looking at tracking the car - there's no track in Singapore to start with! So will stick to the rebuild if deemed necessary. Bernard

Hello! The gearbox (Lotus 5 speed) on my S1 Eclat is getting tired. It's pretty much impossible to engage first now. While I'm not sure what is the extent of the damage, the shop I sent it to started mentioning a full rebuild, so I'd like to consider my options. One of which would be a replacement. If I were to go down that path, would a Getrag from an S2 be a better choice than the Lotus box? I read they are superior, but would it be a lot more work to fit it rather than an S1 ? Thanks a lot for your inputs! Regards, Bernard

Hi everyone! I'm finally in a position to close this topic: I followed Michael recommendation and had a look at my indicator stalk. It was indeed partially melted. Ordered one (plus a bunch of other bits) from SJ and replaced it. Everything now works! I take this back: everything related to the lights now works ;) At the same time, I realized that the stalk on mine was not the original version , so the replacement also addresses that. Thanks all for the support, moving on to other issues now! Cheers!

Thank you Michael for your help, I had not thought of this. It could indeed explain why only the low beam don't work. I hope it's not too difficult to get to that switch!

Hi eveyone, thank you very much for the new pointers! First, low beam vs high beam : I have to admit I hadn't checked in High beam. I was just using low beam when I had these open/close cycles. Then, the thermal interruptor. I didn't find much info about it on the forum, but a Wikipedia page mentioned the following : Thermal switches are included in some light fixtures, particularly with recessed lights, where excessive heat is most likely to occur. This may lead to "cycling", where a light turns off and back on every few minutes It made me quite certain it was the culprit, as it really corresponds to my symptoms. But then I took it for another drive. And today, the behavior was different. The pods remained open throughout, but the lights are off. If I switch to the high beam, everything is fine (lights are on, pods remain open) which left me puzzled. Why does is the problem only for low beam? I tried swapping the fuses (high beam vs low beam), but no difference. I checked the wiring diagram, and mine being a late serie eclat (1979), it does have a relay after the thermal sensor (see file attached) I guess I'll try to find this thermal switch and the relay and check the connections... Cheers, Bernard

Thank you both. This would be one of the relays under the steering column/driver footwell, right? Any hint as to how to identify which one?

Hi Peter, I have the paper version, but even that is not fantastic quality. I've just scanned for you (attached), I assumed it was a RHD non federal, let. Me know otherwise. Not sure it's a lot better than what you already have Cheers, Bernard RHD early S1 Heater.pdf

Hi Tony, They're still vacuum operated. I don't think there is any major leak as the pods stay in the closed position for over a week when the car is not driven. Thanks! Bernard

Thanks Richard! I'll have to keep investigating. During a short drive today, I realized that the headlights not only close on their own, but after while they reopen on their own as well... And then its an endless cycle. Open, close, open, close... I suspect its something to do with the voltage drawn from the battery : with both headlights and aircon on, I see the volts going down... Then the lights close, Voltage slowly goes back up, and after a while the lights open... I'll have to retry without the aircon, to see if I face the same symptoms. Cheers! Bernard

Hello everyone! Eventful drive yesterday : it started raining heavily and got quite dark. I switched on the lights, but after a couple of minutes, they retracted on their own (I believe the lights were still on; but the pods went down). I couldn't bring them back up right away. I tried again a minute later or so and this time it worked. Not for long though. I tried again today in full daylight, dry weather. The same thing happened. The pods don't stay up for long. Any idea of what it could be? A faulty relay? Cheers! Bernard

Hi everyone! I'm keen to fix the bonnet light on my S1 Eclat. But there's no voltage at the lamp : cables are cut somewhere under the insolution foam. I found the information below on this old thread. I would like to better understand the path of these cables from the bonnet to the "loom"; Would anyone be able to share a picture? Thank you! Bernard

Hi everyone, The boot of my S1 eclat tends to opens on its own..the lock itself seems OK, but the "hook" ("catch"? Sorry not sure what is the correct word) is worn - I suspect it is the main culprit. But I can't find this part on either RDent or Sjsportscars, so I'm wondering if it is original... Any idea? Picture to illustrate below And yes, I'll have to change the seal as well Thanks a lot! Bernard

Thanks! You're right, good images on Google. Looks like my alternator currently sits where the compressor is supposed to go! The car originally had just a heater. No aircon, so no bracket. And then to work with the electric compressor, a larger alternator has been fitted, so that would possibly have to be changed as well. Mmm... Not feeling overly confident with this.. I'll send the engine pic to my mechanic to see if he feels inspired Thanks again

Hi everyone, I'm still considering if I can fit a regular sanden compressor in the car, but struggle to understand how to fit it in the engine bay. Would one of you have pictures of the air con compressor and the belt setup? I haven't been very successful with my searches on Google... Thank you! Bernard

Thank you! Will they be wet all the way till the end of the trumpet? Or where the butterfly valve is?

Thank you both! I'll try to block the hole for the time being. I know it's supposed to go to the tube, but not that easy to reconnect properly. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I had a look at the hole in my airbox (circle in red on the picture below). Is it important to plug it? Is duct tape an option or is it a bad idea? I wonder how much suction there is and if it would likely unstick it...? Thank you! Bernard Hi

Thanks again for all the comments and hints! 1 - good for the hissing noise being normal. One less thing to worry about... 2 - the spring is there. When I action the cable by hand it goes back in position well 3- sticking throttle cable : I'll have a look this weekend when I face the problem again., but again, actioning the lever manually seems to work fine. I just had a look at the engine bay for potential vacuum leaks. I found other problems - the cam housing Gasket is damaged. Don't know how I missed that earlier. - the crank case Breather hose is not connected to the airbox. As a result, there's a gaping hole in the airbox...the "tube" that is normally attached to the airbox is missing in action altogether..

Thank you both, it gives me a few points to check. There's no throttle jack, and I believe the throttle closes properly, but I'll have to double check. Can't hear any "popping noise", so I'll leave the lean mix option aside for now. The air leak is a fair possibility! I'll spend some time looking at pipes over the weekend. Possible related, When I try to use the choke, there is a noticeable hissing sound, not sure if it is normal or if it is also caused by a vacuum leak? It's my first carburated car in over 20 years, and I have to admit I don't remember if this noise is normal or not Thanks a lot! Bernard

Hi everyone! When my engine has warmed up, it has a nice Idle speed (around 900 RPM). However, after a while, if I press lightly on the gas pedal while in neutral, I bring the RPM to 2000, but... it stays there even after release the pedal... Never goes down. Same symptom when I shift from 1st to 2nd: rpm don't drop before I engage 2nd gear. And third similar scenario: if I slow down, gear is engaged, RPM drop along with the declaration, but as I press on the clutch upon full stop, they (sometimes) go back up to around 1800-2000... Would you know what can cause this? What controls the rpm beyond the choke and the accelerator? I've read with great interest the thread about the throttle solenoid but.. my car doesn't seem to be equipped with one. Note that the car has an aftermarket Air-conditioning, but it runs on an electric compressor, so I don't think it interferes... Any advice welcome! Thank you very much, Bernard

Hi everyone! Managed to clean up the handle, and attach it back to the door prior to putting the door card, thanks to your advice. All good Now, I'm not sure I have the courage to do the second one... Cheers, Bernard