Flavia headlight control box

[williamcorke]

There is a 'control box' for the headlights on my 1800 Vignale - standard fitment - within which there are three electro magnets and a complex arrangement of rockers etc. There is a rotating device on one of these which controls main beam. My reason for opening the box to investigate is that I have 'lost' main beam - when the button on the indicator stalk is pressed, nothing happens.

I have established that the 'rotating device', which has 4 lobes, acted on by an electromagnetically actuated rocker,  and which is supposed to click into 90 degree positions - 2 on and 2 off - is sitting between correct positions - on a 45 degree angle if you get me.

I have tried rotating the gubbins in question, cleaning, lubricating, putting more or less pressure on the 3 brass/copper leaves that make contact and engage on the rotating shaft to locate it. All to no avail.

Can an expert please enlighten me on what can be done. Does anyone have a known working box that I could swap in temporarily to make sure that that I have correctly identified the problem?

I'm supposed to be taking the car to the Le Mans Classic early in July, so don't have a massive amount of time left to sort out any problems like this (the rest of the list of bugs has been resolved over the past month).

Thanks,
William

[lancialulu]

Hi William

Can you set up a bench test as they are very sensitive to set up . I got mine to work reliably more by luck than judgement and touch wood it is still working after a couple of years. There really ought to be a modern relay solution (which I was going to do for my self until I got the CEAM unit to work). If the coils are good it is just a matter of time before you get the sweet spot. Other than that the consorium? Dave Gee?

Sent you a PM
Tim

[williamcorke]

Bench test is a good idea. First, I need to spend some time with the wiring diagram to work out exactly how it works...

[Dave Gee]

William
I have had a look on my shelf and have found my spare lighting control unit. The cover is cracked and it hasn't been on a car for 2-+years, but if you would like to borrow it, you would be more than welcome. If you want to, let me know your address and I will post it this week. I too am going to the Classic Le Mans this year....and the car keeps finding things for me to do to it!
Dave

[williamcorke]

William
I have had a look on my shelf and have found my spare lighting control unit. The cover is cracked and it hasn't been on a car for 2-+years, but if you would like to borrow it, you would be more than welcome. If you want to, let me know your address and I will post it this week. I too am going to the Classic Le Mans this year....and the car keeps finding things for me to do to it!
Dave

Thank you Dave, that's wonderful. I'll PM you my address.
I know exactly what you mean about the car finding things for me to do... nothing like a deadline, is there.
William

[williamcorke]

A follow-up to this thread.

Dave's spare control box is fitted to the car (thank you DG).  I do now have main beam, but can't always (yet) dip the headlights, so some more fiddling is needed.

My unit, once out, on the bench, and with a working unit to compare it with, turned out to have a problem with one of the coils. One of the wires into it (the ends of the coil's windings) had corroded inside its insulation. Because it's the end coming from the inside of the coil and has broken with no 'stub' to speak of, the entire coil will need to be rewound. I've written to a local winding specialist in South London to see if they can take it on.

Meanwhile... I have been trawling Italian websites for another box and found 3 for sale. The range of prices advertised, 68Euros, 280Euros, 649Euros (this last one price on application only and advertised as being for Ferrari! Maserati! etc. in the usual way). Naturally I wrote to the first, which has... already been sold. Not jumping on the 280Euro one just yet though.