Flow Lock valve connectors

[jasonc00001]

Hello,

I'm trying to find the male and female connectors that connect the flow lock valve to the harness.

Does anyone know if they are a standard size / make and where I can get some from.

A google search has come up with 'Mate-N-Lok - 3.5mm Connectors' but they don't look identical.


The reason:- early excel , go around a corner and fuel guage bounces around. So I read the forum and bought the spidya anti slosh device .. http://www.lotusexcel.net/phpbb/viewtop ... f=8&t=5051.

Just i want to be able to 'insert it' / 'wire it' inbetween the flow lock valve wiring, without damaging the original harness or flow lock valve. This way I can revert the car back to original if required and I don't have to go rooting behind the dash.

If anyone's got a dead flow lock valve and the equivalent harness end I'm interested.

I'll post pictures of the install once I've got all the bits.

Jason C.

[royal]

Hi Jason I fitted the anti slosh unit on my 85my car I did it behind the instrument panel and fitted the unit just above the relay bank in the drivers footwell, it's not that difficult took about 90 mins , unfortunately it did not cure the problem, I still have a bouncy needle just not quite so quick. I think this system was designed for the later SE cars and there must be some difference in the wiring that is causing this. Also if your car is the same as mine are you getting the yellow warning light coming on as well if so that's the low fuel level delay unit packing up which is easy to replace if you have one fitted in the first place, I didn't I now have the relay and nowhere to plug it in. Something else to be sorted. Cheers Keith

[jasonc00001]

Keith,

Looked at mounting it behind the dash, but following my escapades with the awfull central locking wiring that someone fitted (running on 2 core, table lighting flex ???) I wanted to seperate it off. Hence the boot mounting / wiring.

Yes my needle bounces about , and the low level light comes on and off accordingly. Hoping that this little box will fix both as they both get fed from the same gauge sender wire on the tank. Didn't think the model I had came with a damper relay for the low level, will investage further once I've got through some of the other cars / jobs in my queue.

However , maybe some at Lotus was intending a dual purpose 'g' and 'fuel level' gauge. Orange warning light indicating correct operation of the lotus sideways system.

Now a 'friend' tells me that some of the electrical connectors are very 'Classic Mini' esque so I'm going to go and bother a mini owner and find out.

Will let you all know what I find out.

Jason C.

[royal]

Hi Jason, sorry to disappoint but the anti slosh device will only damp the fuel gauge if you are lucky it didn't work with mine. The G meter can be cured with the Low Fuel Warning Lamp Delay Module but you will also need the jump harness from an Se spec car to fit the module to as there is no clue on the module as to what wire goes where see viewtopic.php?f=27&t=5455. The module and jump harness you can get from Lotusbits although you will have to go there and sort through all their wiring looms to find the jump harness yourself, otherwise it will cost you a fortune for them to do it, haven't made it there yet. Best of luck Keith

[AndyC]

From Fitz's post I believe it can be used to damp the low fuel light. The unit had a low-level trigger built into that anti-slosh device, so if the fuel light in the dash is wired to that instead of the normal connector it should do what's required.

[fitz]

The gauge is designed for the vdo gauges, if you have the smiths ones it won't be configured correctly. The chap could make one up for you / ammend yours with the settings for your fuel sender if it is not working for you, if you are able to read the resistance at full and empty.

Yes - There is an output for an led light when fuel level is low, i think 1/8th of a tank iirc. I haven't tried this though so am unable to confirm either way.

[jasonc00001]

I'm running VDO guages so everything should be ok. (Introduced at this year on this model. Probably why it jumps about.)

I'll sort out the low level warning light if the box doesn't stop it flashing on corners , or I can either put more petrol in , or just take them darn corners a tad slower !

Just want to fix the wandering needle first.

Still cant find a match for the flow lock connectors and don't want to damage / chop the harness.

I'll keep looking.

Thanks for the replies though ....

Jason C.

[jasonc00001]

Morning All,

Well it stopped raining and I finally got round to fitting the anti-damper from spidya.

1. don't like adding things electrical to anything without a suitable fuse, so adapted spidya's device to hold a fuse.
10 amp temp fused now a 2amp fuse as that's all I had lying around.











2. didn't want to chop into the loom , so sjsportscars provided some lucas connectors , 3 pin.
2 pin connector found in an old loom.

created a jump off point for the power from the flow lock valve and a jump off point from the fuel tank sender unit to the device.





3. quick test with multimeter and fitted into the rear loom via plugin connectors.





4. tests ok with ignition on. taped to the tank and mounted on the rear bulkhead.







All good. A good shake of the car and no flutter of the needle.



Only comment I would have in all this is that the device could do with damping the low level warning light as well, cos this still flickers on and off. I'll email spiyda with my comments as feedback is always good (now I've gone back to management speak).

Happy Excel-ing !!