July 2002 Message Board

Jul 1, 2002 - 06:34 - From: Dimitris Selas
Title: Lotus Site
Message: Hi guys. I wonder if there is a "thing" like an official Lotus site (yes, a site created by Lotus Cars, UK)? If there really is an official Lotus site, then we could always ask them for things such as fuel tanks and get an official answer.

Jul 1, 2002 - 10:34 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Lotus - official answer
Message: Good idea, but I'm afraid we are getting the official answer. Dave Simkin (714)348-1614 is Lotus's official Tech rep. for the entire USA. Lotus has obviously changed their story in the last 2 months, so there have been some meetings of executives and some decisions made. The only way we can change that is to disprove their "version" of the truth, commonly called a lie, with facts that we compile. Hopefully we can convince them that there is more financially to be lost by not replacing the fuel tanks than by avoiding the issue. Does anyone know any contact people or phone/Email of someone at a major automotive magazine. They might like running a story about how Lotus doesn't care a wit for its customers, and is willing to risk their lives to save a few bucks. Can anyone say "Ford Explorer?"

Jul 1, 2002 - 12:12 - From: Dave Simkin
Title: ELAN GAS TANKS
Message: In response to the string of ludicrous messages that are being posted about Elan Gas Tanks I would like to set the record straight. Firstly any of you out there that think Lotus cars do not support there Elan customers obviously have never contacted us or talked to us, I have personally talked to many of you out there and indeed have worked on some of your vehicles while at the dealership level ( even Doug's )Currently we are testing gas tanks on vehicles that use Lotus Dealerships ( we do not have access to customer lists from independant repair facilities) This test is being performed to evaluate the need for future gas tank production. SHOULD THIS RESULT IN A RE-CALL M100 ELAN OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED AND WORK WILL BE PERFORMED AT NO CHARGE , Anyone who has already had a tank replaced will need to provide us with repair documentation to get re-imbursed. SO CURRENTLY THERE IS NO RE-CALL ON GAS TANKS. As for the ludicrous number of failures that we have encountered I have no reason to lie about this only facts. Only 561 Elans were sold in the USA and believe it or not we have experienced a lot more tank replacements than the whole of the rest of the world. If any one wants to contact me my telephone # is 714-348-1614. Unlike many other manufacturers Lotus does indeed support there customers whether the vehicle is 1 week out of warranty or 10 years out. Hopefully this will end the slanderous postings and put peoples minds at ease. Dave

Jul 1, 2002 - 13:18 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Dave Simkin
Message: Dave, I cannot help the fact that you change your story each time I talk to you. You also directly stated TO ME that this was no longer Lotus's legal concern because of the age of the car. You also stated that Lotus (if there is a recall) would only reimburse owners $188 (the price of the tank) and 2.5 hours labor. My dealer charged me 3.9 hours labor and $287.50 for the tank. I am looking at the receipt right now. It occurred at Matheny Jaguar/Lotus on 12-14-2001. I personally mailed you the receipt. Will I truly be reimbursed Dave, or are you sticking with your original story this time? I do not know where you are from, but here in the South (southern USA) keeping your word to another person means something, and being lied to is not appreciated. When your story no longer changes and I can have respect for you my tone will change, but you have done nothing to show me that Lotus cares anything about my well being. In fact, you have shown me that Lotus cares about money above all else.

Jul 1, 2002 - 13:49 - From: Paul Metz
Title: Gas Tank Replacement
Message: I am concerned about the tone of some of the memos regarding Lotus USA position on replacement gas tanks. Within the last 3 weeks my tank was tested by an Elan dealer using a Lotus supplied kit. The tank did not pass the tests and the lines were ruled out. The dealer talked to Lotus and advised me the tank would be replaced at their expense. The only issue is that a tank was not in stock in the USA. I don't think we should make an issue of this until Lotus either does not replace a tank as promised or fails to reimburse based on a proper application. Let's give Lotus the benefit of the doubt before we declare war and start a process that could damage them. I think it is in our best interests to have Lotus survive as a viable manufacturer. I am more concerned about the availability of the power window motors.

Jul 1, 2002 - 14:09 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Paul, Gas Tank Replacement
Message: That is very nice Paul that your tank is being replaced at Lotus's expense. But most of ours, including mine, have not been. Perhaps Dave/Lotus can explain why some tanks are being replaced for free while others are being replaced at the cost of the owner. I would be interested in hearing the answer to their unevenly applied policy.

Jul 1, 2002 - 14:23 - From: Edward
Title: Power windows motors
Message: Paul, I think there may be a aftermarket power window motors you can put on the Elan. I have repaired my power windows several times, related to C clips breaking, guides out of alignment, etc. On the back of several magazines, which I have kept, are ads for aftermarket power window kits. If you would like, I can get info for you.

Jul 1, 2002 - 15:27 - From: Doug
Title: Fuel Tanks
Message: Guys, Dave contacted me last week to ask about the mixed messages he was receiving about the tanks and all. Dave is a nice chap and do try to reason with him. I do have mixed feelings about this issue. One one hand I did have my tank replaced by Harry and Dave himself when he was with Bauer Lotus and they covered the costs. But on the other I have personally been through the hassle of dealing with Lotus as I was the original complainer to them and to the NHTSA!! I can see both sides so I feel for Matthew's and Paul's statements above. At least Dave is here and trying to get the proper word out. Let's keep him around to update us. I will get a board up this week about this problem. And I too am worried more about the availability of other parts and wonder if Lotus is planning on doing anything about this too . . . ?? Do contact the NHTSA to file you tank complaint (I recommend the phone over the internet for this by experience) if you are in the Us and have not done so yet.

Jul 1, 2002 - 20:15 - From: Dave Simkin
Title: why some and not others
Message: I do not think there is anyone out there that was contacted by a dealer to have the test performed who's tank ( not lines) failed the test who has not been told we will provide them with a tank. The main reason for this as explained to Mathew today was so we could get the leaking part of the tank back for inspection. We do not want to blindly go ahead and produce more tanks that may exhibit some problems, instead we would like to correct any potential for failure before hand. Rest assured as I said before , should this investigation warrant a re-call we will be the first to notify the authorities.

Jul 1, 2002 - 20:34 - From: Mike
Title: Gas Tank
Message: Having dealt with an intermittent electrical leak via re-charge, trickle charge, etc. it seems obvious, but if someone has a leaking tank, i.e. fumes are evident, take extreme car. The tank is only 2 feet from the battery and a slight spark is all she takes.

Jul 1, 2002 - 20:59 - From: Ed
Title: Shocks/Dampers etc.
Message: Anyone have any feedback on what's available at the moment. Looking at Doug's suspension page, I see a $3K option and a $550 option. The Koni's would be nice but I'm not to keen on a $3K upgrade at the moment. Can anyone comment on the Chris Neils dampers, or anything else that would be an adjustable option? Are the Chris Neils ones available for front and back? Mine are not shot yet but the protective boots on the front are in very bad shape. So I'm looking around and trying to decide what my options are. Adjustable dampers would be preferable, but new springs and the ability to adjust ride height while nice is not a necessity.

Jul 2, 2002 - 01:25 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Dampers
Message: Ed, I have the adjustable Dampers from SJ Sportscars in the UK. These 'Gaz' Dampers are adjustable for damping and spring pre-load. They cost about half that of the scarce factory parts which apparently have to be bought as an assembly with springs fitted. SJ gave great service, and I received my dampers 7 days (here in the USA) from ordering by phone.

Jul 2, 2002 - 07:08 - From: Shaun Lee
Title: Turbo question
Message: I have just purchased my first Elan M100, I am really pleased with the car but I have noticed something wierd with the operation of the turbo and I am unsure if it is normal or I have a problem. When driving the car it appears that there is a dump valve which is causing an audible whooshing sound when changing gear, I thought that this could be the waste gate but if I accelerate hard the boost is normal until I change gear again, the boost dissapears during the gear change and returns to full boost when I floor the gas again. The problem is that if there is a dump valve fitted then I cannot find it!!! I have checked all the plumbing from the turbo to the injector inlet and can find nothing!! Any ideas?

Jul 2, 2002 - 08:14 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Shaun, etc.
Message: Shaun, the dump valve could theoretically be located anywhere between the turbo outlet and the throttle body, although the usual location is near the throttle body. Dave Simkin did call me yesterday. It appears that about 20% of the Elans they have brought in for testing so far have the fuel tank problem. I suggested to him that he check Lotus's records to see how many fuel tanks had been sold in the US over the last 10 years. Why this has not already been done I have no idea. But this failure rate seems excessive to me for a part as critical to our safety as this. Dave said he would look at my letter/dealer receipt on Monday but did not commit to reimburse more than he had previously stated ($188 plus 2.5 hrs. labour), which would still leave me stuck with $346.65 of the bill. He stated he had no control over what dealers charged, as they are not owned by Lotus. Am I responsible for this amount due to a safety defect of the MANUFACTURER'S product? Should this be the case I will petition the proper parties for redress of this grievance. Perhaps not just for myself but on a class action basis for all of us who find ourselves in this situation.

Jul 2, 2002 - 09:02 - From: Dave M.
Title: boost issue
Message: Shaun, welcome to Elan ownership! I'll beat Doug to this one ;) : "add your name to the owners list if you haven't already". As for your turbo, you could have a valve located along the intake route as Matt mentioned, or it could just be the normal stock operation. I'm not sure exactly what the audible piece is, but if it's a quick "phooosh" sound, that's a dump valve. If it's a stuttering "chhh, chhh, chhh" sound, that's the true stock effect of the turbo stalling between shifts. That's why a number of us have fitted the dump valves (or "BOV" blow off valves). It sounds as if the turbo is working properly otherwise.

Jul 2, 2002 - 11:12 - From: Dave M.
Title: isuzuperformance/BMW M1
Message: As a follow-up to Scott's message, there are some parts out on ebay right now, but only one for the Elan (the lower IC pipe). See http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1840918343 We may want to keep an eye out for other items. If you do read this, Bill, can you update all of us on where the anti-roll bars stand? As a PS: followed a red M1 into work today. 1st I'd ever seen in person. Yummy.

Jul 2, 2002 - 13:09 - From: Bill
Title: Where to download M100 service notes?
Message: There used to be an on-line copy of the M100 services notes. Can't find on google any more. Anyone know where the URL used to be? Have M100 radiator with fan not operative, need to locate the Temperature sender and associated electrical circuits to test. Thanks.

Jul 2, 2002 - 13:15 - From: bill
Title: found it
Message: http://www.charliex.net/Lotus/EN/es.html  Couldn't find it through a search engine, strange.

Jul 2, 2002 - 17:10 - From: Dave Simkin
Title: For your information
Message: From the website www.nhtsa.com in the list headed popular information 6th item from the bottom headed "recalls" is the following information: title heading: IF I HAD A DEFECT REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE BEFORE A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, AM I LEGALLY ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER? answer: NO. Under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301, manufacturers are required only to correct at no charge those defects which exist at the time of the recall. The law makes no provision for compensation to motorists who experienced the problem before the recall and had corrections made at their own expense. In addition, the manufacturer is not responsible for damages caused by the defect, so we encourage owners to have the recall work done as quickly as possible. However , in some instances, manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to absorb such costs, and provided refunds to consumers who had defects previously corrected for "goodwill" purposes -- providing that consumers have been able to present documentation to prove that the earlier repairs remedied the defect in question. Title heading: ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS ON MY RIGHT TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REMEDIED AT NO CHARGE? Answer: Yes. A limitation pertains to the age of the vehicle. In order to be eligible for remedy at no cost, the vehicle cannot be more than 8years old on the date the defect or non-compliance is determined. Under the law, the age of the vehicle is calculated from the date of sale to the first purchaser. For example, if a defect is found in 2002 and a recall ordered manufacturers are required to make the correction available at no charge only to cars purchased new in 1994 through 2002. However consumers should realize that even though manufacturers are NOT obligated to remedy safety defects in older cars, a safety problem may still exist. If you receive notification of a defect on a vehicle older than eight years, take the responsibility to have your car repaired at your own expense. Eliminate any unnecessary risks. These statements were taken directly from nhtsa website and in no way reflect our policy on the matter Dave

Jul 3, 2002 - 01:03 - From: Kris
Title: Dave S and Who, Where, What
Message: First let me say that to my knowledge, I have never met or spoken to Dave S. I am on my 3rd Lotus (2 from Lou Mirable in Long Beach, 1 private owner) My father bought his Jag XJS from Bauer and I was not impressed with the way Bauer or Jag handle the tranny recall he went through. Sadly, I never paid any attention to any recalls with my Esprits...if there were any. I have not noticed any fuel cell problems with my Elan, or had it tested yet. I love Lotus Cars and all of their endevors in racing. I’m not ticked off or offended by Dave S. Oh..I’m not a lawyer either. Biases stated up front then, I have to say that the posting with NHTSA FAQs was a bad PR move. These are the things lawyers tell you to say...”We don’t owe you anything so be grateful for whatever you get!” Typically..in fine print (at the end) he says it “in no way reflect our policy on the matter”. NHTSA will not force Lotus to fix all of our cars for free and Dave S. is letting us know this. We are therefor subject to Lotus’ “GOOD WILL” and that will be a cost/benefit PR driven move. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY LOTUS is our best chance at winning in that c/b analysis. It is in our best interest to have and know 1) A single specific definition of the problem, 2) How long tanks have been replaced for this problem, 3) Is this clearly a U.S. problem or as Mr. S alludes, a problem elsewhere ("...we have experienced a lot more tank replacements than the whole of the rest of the world."), 4) Are there difference in fuel cells of the various European models, U.S. model, Japanese model and Kias. All these questions may have been answered, but I’ve never seen them in the same place. Knowledge is power. Let’s also remember that Lotus was owned by GM (no recall novice) at the time and the current Lotus wouldn’t want to have to deal with “selling a defective product” to deep pocketed Kia (did we make back our investment yet?). It’s also doubtful that we could get a class action suit (too few petitioners) accepted. Doug, I’m new and I like this board. I hope the fuel cell page starts with your posting what and where the problem was with the tank you had replaced. Many thanks to all here for your advice... O2 sensor, Plugs, Wires, Oil, Heater valve, & CTS all replaced, Throttle cable adjusted...zoom zoom, I’m having fun...damn...didn’t get to the CAS seals done yet...

Jul 4, 2002 - 09:00 - From: Paul
Title: AC 134a conversion results
Message: My AC was not working for a long time. I took it to the dealer who tested it and found and replaced a leaking condenser. Receiver dryer was not replaced - good thing since dealer was having a hard time locating one. They obtained and installed a 134a conversion kit from Lotus USA. The results have been a working system with a lot of cold air. Here are the results using a Fisher Scientific quartz digital calibrated thermometer. Outside air temperature 100 degrees F. Dew point 73. All measurements were taken at about 2500 rpm after driving for a while. Max fan setting. Top up, windows closed. Recirc mode, thermometer probe inserted in middle dash vent temp 38, interior steady state temp 71 and dropping slowly. Dash vent in normal AC mode (not recirc) 48, interior temp 76 and dropping slowly. This compares favorably with my other 134a cars. I suppose if it would have been possible to locate an AC place that would do repairs using freon 12, the output would have been somewhat better. However, I was very comfortable with the 134a system on a very hot and humid day.

Jul 4, 2002 - 14:04 - From: philip
Title: Strange brake problem
Message: I have a strange problem with my brakes. After driving for 15 to 20 miles the brakes gradually apply themselves! The pedal goes very hard and the car slows down. If I continue driving I have to apply more accelerator just to keep moving. On stopping, all four wheels are too hot to touch! Any ideas?

Jul 5, 2002 - 10:35 - From: Rick
Title: Strange brake problem
Message: Philip, it sounds to me as though your brakes are binding (sticking "on") from the start, and as the heat generated by this causes the fluid and the disks to expand, the braking force is increased. The solution is probably as simple as cleaning your brake callipers and changing the fluid.

Jul 5, 2002 - 18:55 - From: Lotus Nut
Title: warranty claim invalid
Message: Matthew Welsh Location: Florida, USA VIN (last 5): 27777 "Matheny Jaguar/Lotus states on receipt "Install new gas tank, old one split on side". I personally paid $607.63 to have this work done on 12/14/2001. " Nice of you to confirm it in writing but "split on side" pretty much confirms that you had damage NOT consistent with other users. Guess you'll have to take it on the chin. Justice indeed

Jul 6, 2002 - 09:20 - From: Heywood Jablomy
Title: Lotus Nut:
Message: Imagine what life would be like, if only you had enough oxygen when you were born...

Jul 6, 2002 - 17:38 - From: MarkGW
Title: UK Elan S2 Roofs!
Message: Hi all, I was tempted a while ago by an Elan S2 at a local dealer. I'm trying to find something as enjoyable as my mk1 MX-5, but faster, better at cruising, with more space and practicality. I went along to look at it, but as the salesman was away the manager gave me the keys and told me to have a look. It has been raining constantly for virtually 3 weeks. As my partner opened the passenger door, she was covered by a couple of pints of water rolling off the sill. There was mould on the glovebox and seat sides, and the carpets resembled a swamp; so to cut the story, I didn't buy it. :) Which is a shame, because the extra speed, FWD security, and legendary handling are pretty much what I'm after; with the big bonus being that there's still popup headlights and a soft top! ;) However, they've now chopped the price a bit, and if I could get them to do something with the roof or replace it myself I'm tempted again. So does anyone know if there's any method to make an Elan S2 *genuinely* rainproof?? I'm in the armed forces; I move around so much there's no guarantee of a garage being available when I first pitch up somewhere. How much are new/aftermarket hoods, and do they improve things? Thanks in advance for anyone's help :)

Jul 8, 2002 - 01:19 - From: Mark
Title: seat belt latch
Message: the latching mechanism (the female end with the red plastic insert) on one of the seat belt stalks has completely disintegrated. anyone replaced one of these and know what other GM cars it might interchange with?

Jul 8, 2002 - 05:25 - From: Dimitris
Title: The day After a track day
Message: Hi guys, yesterday I participated in a track day event for the first time, and it was a really great experience!!! Unfortunately I had a bad moment at my last lap, when I tried to have fun before a turn. I made my baby oversteer with the usual procedure, and threw the tail out, but just when I tried to turn the wheel all the opposite way, so that I could make the turn, the ignition STOPPED!!!. I did not have any throttle and I started swinging round. After I stopped, I tried to turn on the ignition again, but it wouldn't start. After about 10 secs it started and let myself make my last 100 meters. Any idea why did this happen??? Another thing is that when I finished my trial rounds, I noticed the fuel level indicator was stuck at high end. When I switch off it goes down slowly and when I switch on it also goes up slowly like it should, but it always shows max. Any loose ground wires? Where might these be? Thank you all.

Jul 8, 2002 - 08:59 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: parts
Message: Here is a quote from Bill (Isuzuperformance): "Anything listed in the catalog as unavailable is gone, anything with a price is still available." Basically, it was just a question of volume and we can't compete on that level against Pontiac & Chevy. I added up my Isuzuperformance receipts and they came up to $2083! In addition, the total cost of my nitrous package including Dyno tuning was over $2200. Always throw away your receipts, that way you can blissfully ignore reality! On a much more minor note, the Rawl-nuts (part # SPA075W6074F) that Lotus charges $5.12 for are available from NAPA for 3 @ $4.99. They are part number 665-2370 and come with a brass threaded insert just like the Lotus part. You must special order (there is no charge for this) them as they are metric and NAPA only stocks SAE sizes "on the shelf". These are used to attach the Boost Gauge Transducer and also the 5 center-bottom-rear-bumper bolts to the car. When I removed my Boost Gauge Transducer one of the original fasteners mentioned above disintegrated; understandable for an 11-year-old rubber part.

Jul 8, 2002 - 09:26 - From: Dave M.
Title: first impressions
Message: Well...after a few 3:00 am work "nights", the car is rolling. It was a great sign that she fired on the first crank after 7 months! After all the work (and removing the EGT "network", the coolant lines to TB, and the BSV) the car idles just like stock. Frankly, I wasn't expecting that (I thought the missing EGT might kick the engine light), but what a nice surprise. I did not reinstall the MBC yet due to the additional flow of the new turbo. I knew at 14-15 psi I wouldn't have enough fuel. It appears the wastegate is adjusted for 6 psi, so it's a bit slow right now. I will test the new AutoMeter gauge with my air compressor to verify the accuracy before I tweak the boost. The turbo conversion from BHP comes with a turnbuckle adjustment on the wastegate actuating arm (like Tony V. used for his MBC), so I'll go for maybe 10 psi. For now, lag seems to be increased, but that could be due to the adjustment of the wastegate as much it is the new turbo. Smooth power with the new turbo, though. It seems there are no peaks as with the stock - likely due to the increased flow. It should as fine at higher boost levels, too. Now for the "Holy Crap" mod: the brakes. To say braking power is slightly improved is to say Ashley Judd is slightly hot. After taking a full day to bed the pads in, I worked them a bit last night. Wow! I feel like I could do a motorcycle "stoppie" (lift the rear wheel(s) under braking). It starts to lock up even at moderate pedal pressure. The tires are definitely limiting me now. I'll reserve full comments until they see the track, but I don't expect any issues based on their first real run. Next step will be to get all the gauges working (EGT, oil pressure, and a basic A/F meter). Once I can make sure the car is fine at 10 psi, or whatever the A/F says is OK, I'll get my EE buddy to help with the fuel computer and fuel cut eliminator install, put it the new injectors, install a ball-and-spring MBC (in conjunction with the adjustable arm), and then tuning to get to ~25 psi shall begin. Part II to come...I just want to drive for now! Man, have I missed the car. Sorry for the long post, but I'm just a little geeked...

Jul 8, 2002 - 10:57 - From: Doug
Title: various
Message: Guys, looks like I didn't miss much being gone over the 4-day weekend holiday! Dimitris, your symptoms of the fuel gauge sound like what I had with a broken fuel float indicator. Needed a new assembly for the inside of the fuel tank for about $450 or so. If you are lucky it could be a ground wire, but if the fuel pump is still working = car still runs then it is less likely. You can open up the floor of the rear top/bonnet storage compartment and have a look at the wires going to the fuel tank under the silver access panel, but don't mess with the tank/fuel unless you really know what you are doing! Anyway I always take this area down and save the 1-2 hours labor charge at the dealer. Matthew, thanks for the part number of the rubber thingies, I'm looking for the nearest NAPA right now. Dave, congrats on getting your beast running again--that's about the reaction I had to Brian's front brake upgrade when I drove his car.

Jul 8, 2002 - 12:33 - From: Dimitris
Title: Fuel Gauge etc
Message: Cheers Doug, thanks for your answer. I hope it would be something else!!! What about the cut off? Thanks again.

Jul 8, 2002 - 12:37 - From: James Flack
Title: Exhaust Upgrade
Message: Can anyone recommend an exhaust upgrade solution. My back box has now fully blown and I want to replace it with a SS sports box instead of the stock Lotus one. I'd rather replace the back box alone but may consider doing the whole system depending on the price. I spoke to a guy at Paul Matty about their system but was told I'd need an ECU upgrade (£400+) to avoid overboost problems?? Have run out of options and would appreciate any ideas. Cheers.

Jul 8, 2002 - 13:33 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: James, exhaust
Message: SJ Sportscars offers a "sport' muffler in SS. It is an EXACT duplicate of the original except that the muffler is of 'straight-thru' design rather than using internal baffles as the original did. I ordered their SS front pipe and was very impressed with the quality. It was superior to the stock piece. Anyway, that's one idea.

Jul 8, 2002 - 13:40 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Exhaust feedback
Message: Now that Bill's IsuzuPerformance no longer offers an exhaust, is there anyone out there who knows what the availability of the Paul Matty system really is (ie, have you RECEIVED one), and what do you think of it? I ask not for myself, as I already have 2 exhaust systems for my car! Bill's and a SS Euro system. I am still working at getting an additional silencer fitted to Bill's system.

Jul 8, 2002 - 15:18 - From: Duncan Lamb
Title: Exhaust
Message: I've just picked up my Elan today having had the full SS Sports Exhaust from SJ Sportscars fitted. The mechanics had a few problems in fitting it, but tell me that it's a lot less restrictive than the stock exhaust, and indeed has a straight-through design for the rear box. First impressions: well, it sounds great, you can really hear the engine gurgling, the engine seems a lot more responsive when "flooring it" from standing, but most interestingly I haven't adjusted the MBC since the exhaust was fitted and it is currently only boosting at a fraction of the 0.95 bar that I had it reaching previously. Even so, acceleration is noticeably more potent than before. Can't wait to tweak the MBC in the morning! Best part about it though is that the whole new system, including carriage to London was less than £200! If your exhaust is on it's way out, the SJ Sports version is well worth trying.

Jul 8, 2002 - 15:20 - From: Ed
Title: Dimitris...
Message: Your cut off problem at the end of the day may be nothing... Since your fuel gauge is not functioning properly I don't know if you can say for certain how much fuel you had left in your tank at that point, but that would be my first guess. Most cars with non-racing fuel setups will have a tendency to find themselves starved for fuel under high G maneuvers with low levels of fuel in the tank. You swing it sideways and the remaining gas gets sloshed against the side of the tank and the pump is momentarily unable to pull more gas. At best you get bad a stutter, worst case is the engine dies. And as is the case in any fuel injected system that is ran dry, it can take a bit to reprime it. If you had plenty of gas, I'd probably be looking for loose connections somewhere.

Jul 8, 2002 - 15:59 - From: Doug
Title: Owners' Reviews
Message: Duncan, sounds like a good system and a steal of a price!! I may need to get one for a spare! As I no longer have time to collect and edit reviews, can you all please add your opinions to this board AND to the much underused "Owners' Review" section of the site. Add as much info and feedback/experience as you can. There are so many upgrades all around nowadays we could all more readily access this way . . .

Jul 8, 2002 - 16:10 - From: Dave M.
Title: Dimitris
Message: Sorry I didn't see your question earlier...I'm with Ed and would suggest you starved the fuel pump. I had a similar experience on-track - and that was with 1/4 tank indicated (so things really slosh around). Have you had problems (other than the gauge) since?

Jul 8, 2002 - 16:37 - From: Mike
Title: Lowering kit
Message: Hi Guys, wandered if anyone can help with information on lowering my SE Elan 91. I have tried my local performance shops in London but they are unable to help. I want to lower the car as much as I can get away with and for the best price I can. Many thanks

Jul 8, 2002 - 17:20 - From: Charles
Title: Headlight Motor Rebuild Kit
Message: Everyone, I am in need of rebuilding my headlight motors. I once found a posting here that told how to do it, and what parts, but I cannot find it now. If anyone knows of the article, or the type of kit that I need, please let me know. I don't want to spend 300 dollars when the motors are fine, but the gears are shot. Charles

Jul 8, 2002 - 21:01 - From: Mark
Title: dimitris
Message: my fuel gauge repeatedly gets stuck on full, and then comes unstuck, after various track and autocross sessions. its completely unpredictable as to whether it will happen during a particular session tho. last week the gauge became unstuck on the track after 3 months of showing full through 2 track days and numerous autocross events. After running out of gas twice, I've become particularly attentive on how many miles the car gets on a tank of gas.

Jul 9, 2002 - 00:05 - From: Dave M.
Title: pictures
Message: For those who may be interested, I've posted the most recent batch of pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/themeyersfamily Check both Lotus folders. The "General" folder shows the final brake pictures and "new turbo" shows the finished (for the time being) engine. Also in there are shots of the EGT probe location, and a re-routing I did of the oil separator breather (it used to connect just after the airbox in the piece leading to the turbo). You'll notice no turbo heat shield. I need to trim the bottom edge slightly to fit with the new turbo. For a test of your Elan engine bay knowledge, in the final engine shot, see if you can tell what stock pieces are missing. ;)

Jul 9, 2002 - 03:34 - From: Philbo
Title: Paul Matty Exhaust
Message: I *have* the Paul Matty exhaust fitted. The bad: it retains the standard downpipe, so it's not 2.5" all the way from the headers. The good: It looks the absolute dog's, is very well made, and it sounds very nice: very fruity without being raspy or even too loud. The even better: my car has the BBR kit and used to boost to around .8. Now it goes to 1.0+ with no other changes. I meant to get a dyno run to compare before and after, but I was ill for the booked date and haven't had a chance to rebook. But I'll be going back soon for a full derestriction/tune and air/fuel mix optimisation, and then a Unichip installed. Stay tuned, but the Paul Matty exhaust is *definitely* performance-enhancing.

Jul 9, 2002 - 04:10 - From: robert collins
Title: Going beyond 1.0+ bar
Message: Philbo - beware! the standard MAP sensor only has a range of -1 to +1 bar, so if you're planning to boost in excess of +1 bar, it'll be outside the range of the sensor...When you get the Unichip ECU, you could fit a 3-bar MAP sensor for about £60. It's a straight swap and works over the range from -1 to +2 bar, so you could have the Unichip properly calibrated all the way up to the absolute maximum pressure the turbo can deliver. Also, you'd then no longer need your BBR kit and could flog it to offset the cost of the Unichip ;-)....Rob.

Jul 9, 2002 - 04:22 - From: Dimitris
Title: Cut Off and Fuel Gauge, cont
Message: Hi again, thanks for your answers. About the cut off, I had only 80 Kms on my counter, so it was definitely not a low fuel problem. Would that be an ECU cut problem, because I previously boosted the turbo at .8 or so (I once saw the gauge showing 1 bar)??? It was a high g, as much as a high boost situation!!! About the fuel gauge, the gauge is still indicating max. Are there any pictures of the cables that I should check? As I recall, there are a couple of pairs on and under the fuel tank cover. Which ones are the right ones?

Jul 9, 2002 - 08:47 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: lowering Elan
Message: Mike, I would very much caution against lowering the Elan. I think it is one of those cars that is already as close to ground as it can be. I had a Maserati which was lowered 1 inch and should not have been. Scraping your oil-pan on a concrete road is not a good thing, trust me!

Jul 9, 2002 - 08:48 - From: Dave M.
Title: boost items
Message: Those wanting to go to a 3 bar MAP sensor should understand that the stock injectors are supposedly leaving their "safe zone" for fuel delivery (80% duty cycle) once you get above 1.0 bar. Proper tuning for a Unichip shouldn't be an issue though, as all factors would be monitored. That would make for a very quick stock equipment Elan! I'd still do a basic A/F meter to be safe, though. Never can be too safe at elevated boost. AutoSpeed.com's shop has a real trick DIY kit for around $10. Dimitris, I wouldn't think the fuel cut protection would cause a stall as it doesn't starve the pump, it just shuts down the injectors. Anytime I've hit it, the car just stutters rather sharply, but runs on. Maybe a combination of high boost and high Gs could've caused a glitch, though.

Jul 9, 2002 - 10:25 - From: robert collins
Title: DIY mixture meter / Fuel Cut eliminator
Message: DIY mixture meters won't work on UK Elan SE's as we don't have the oxygen sensor.... DaveM - a couple of posts ago you mentioned fuel-cut eliminators. I have collected a few interesting circuit diagrams including one which actually raises the cut-out point by an adjustable amount. Mail me if you want more info. Rob.

Jul 9, 2002 - 13:29 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Corporate decisions
Message: Dave Simkin on July 3... "Matthew I'm not from the 'south' but believe me when I say my word is good. I will call you on Monday after reviewing the information you sent me.".... Well I never did hear from him so I called today, and was told simply the matter (gas tank) was under review and he would get back to me, no definitive time table. The FIRST time I talked to Dave I too believed him, but each subsequent time he has not followed through or changed his story, my faith in him/Lotus continues to erode. I wish the rest of you the best of luck, but I do not feel that Lotus has MY interests at heart, but theirs.

Jul 9, 2002 - 14:07 - From: Dave Pio
Title: Problem removing Non-US Front Engine/Aircon Radiator
Message: Hi all Having a nightmare removing Non-US Front Engine + Aircon Radiator, as they need repair. After taking off front bumper, followed Lotus Service Manual Instructions to the letter (removed all required nuts and bolts etc) but the lower sub frame under the 2 radiators will not budge an Inch. I'm afraid I might brake lower sub-frame if I force it to much? Also took of side chargecooler duct, but does not help much. I'm considering removing the front body all together tomorrow, but if any one out there overcame those problems before, I would be more than grateful for your advice. Thanks in advance everybody Dave

Jul 9, 2002 - 14:42 - From: Mike
Title: Lowering the Elan!
Message: Thanks for the advice Matthew and I have taken your tip on-board! Maybe a different set of wheels to fill the arches maybe the better option although I already know what comes with this territory what with speed reading and all that! Cheers mate anyway. Mike

Jul 9, 2002 - 14:53 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: free part
Message: I have a Stan's Headers Brand 2 1/2" high-flow catalytic converter just like the one pictured at http://www.isuzuperformance.com/bills/engexhcat.html  for $341 (except it does not have the flanges on the ends, it is a slip-fit to accept 2 1/2" pipe). It came with the Bill's Isuzuperformance exhaust I received last year, but I never used it and it has just been sitting in a box, still brand new. If anyone on this board I recognize as a long-term "contributor" plans to build their own 2 1/2" exhaust, or if you can get a long-term "contributor" to vouch for you, you can have it for whatever it will cost to ship to you (will send COD). My one codicil is that I better damn sure not see this end up on EBAY; it is meant for one of you who actually intends to use it.

Jul 9, 2002 - 16:02 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: catalytic converter
Message: Just so you know, Ed Hand has stepped up and claimed the catalytic converter. I'm glad one of you had a use for it.

Jul 9, 2002 - 16:04 - From: Laurence Kettle
Title: Boost Solenoid Valve Operation
Message: I have started experimenting with a Rob C type MBC arrangement which works fine (so far up to 0.7) but having disconnected my boost solenoid valve am trying to work out if it was working anyway. I have established that there is a power supply to the valve as soon as you turn on the ignition but I can't blow through the valve ports when power is on or off. My car seemed to boost and perform well before but only up to a good 0.5 on the gauge and I assumed it just reads low. Rob tells me he thinks the boost valve is normally closed with no power (which would make sense as a failure condition). If that's the case, then as power seems to come on immediately with ignition I would assume it stays open (and bleeding) until you get towards 0.65 bar when it de-energises and starts to cycle on and of rapidly to control the pre-set max boost. If this is correct I am wondering if my gauge is not so far out and perhaps if you don't have a correctly operating boost solenoid valve (or an MBC) the wastegate actuator is quite likely to limit boost somewhere below 0.65 bar anyway? Does anyone know for sure the correct operating mode of this solenoid valve and am I correct in thinking that mine must have failed anyway? Many Thanks Laurence

Jul 9, 2002 - 16:41 - From: Doug
Title: boost
Message: Laurence, the details are within the engine management boost section of the Elan manual which I recommend you read. Anyway, off hand, the wastegate itself is set below 0.65 by design (0.4 or so I think) and only with the BSV bleeding boost do you get up to 0.65, but this is only under certain parameters. The BSV is closed in normal state and gets the signal to open under throttle AND RPM conditions as seen by the ECU! Thus, under 3000RPM or so the BSV is never opened AND without enough TPS (throttle position sensor) it will not energize either. This is the crux of how it works--the specifics are in the manual . . .

Jul 9, 2002 - 18:26 - From: Philbo
Title: Overboosting
Message: Rob C, I am very aware of the issues going over ~.95 bar in the Elan, hence the requirement to get the Unichip installed to get an optimum mix at all stages. I've been told to expect some torque gains rather than massive bhp. Full A/F testing will be done on the dyno run and will adjust the solenoid to optimise the lambda, although the Unichip will somewhat make that redundant. Will report back on ultimate progress as and when - will be interesting to see what a maxed out standard turbo can do! If it's too excessive may have to pull back the boost a bit or think about new injectors...then maybe a new compressor or a full on turbo conversion...mmm...new shocks oops my wallet just caught fire...

Jul 10, 2002 - 03:08 - From: Glen
Title: PAS
Message: Anyone got any idea what would cause a sudden loss of power steering?

Jul 10, 2002 - 05:13 - From: Laurence
Title: Boost Solenoid Valve Operation
Message: Thanks Doug - took a look at the manual - now I understand, seems like it's not just controlled by a 12 volt power supply - a bit more sophisticated - I guess mine probably does work then, otherwise I wouldn't even get to 0.5 (unless the wastegate actuator spring is tired)! Laurence

Jul 10, 2002 - 08:24 - From: Chris
Title: UK Elan S2 Roofs!
Message: Mark, I'm afraid the S2 roof is as good as it gets. The S1 roofs are notorious for leaking and you often find they are replaced for the S2 versions which I believe is an improved design. You may still be able to improve it's water resistance...check the seals as they may be damaged. I've also used a liquid waterproofer on my S1 roof (Fabsil) which seems to help. Don't let the water put you off... The elan is a fantastic car - Chris

Jul 10, 2002 - 09:08 - From: Dave M.
Title: lack of boost
Message: Doug/Laurence, thanks for the piece on the BSV. I've been scratching my head about "stock" boost I'm seeing since the install. I completely forgot about the .4 bar thing until you brought it up. And I can vouch for that number. After removing the BSV the new turbo hits just under 6 psi and stays there (.4 bar = 5.88 psi). It does not move off that spot either, so the porting of the wastegate opening in the O2 housing seems to work well. Kyle @ BHP thought it would help control boost creep as it helps with wastegate exhaust flow (just a thought for those having creep issues). Looks like the old MBC will come back out for a few weeks until I can finish the rest. Must...control...need for...power. I'm really itching as I encountered a cheese-boy in a new Corvette last night. At 6 psi I wouldn't challenge most modded Hondas, but at 4x that, I'll play with Mr. Vette. ;)

Jul 10, 2002 - 09:42 - From: Paul Munden
Title: New Windscreen
Message: Anyone any idea how much it would be to get a new windscreen fitted as some little bugger had just booted a football through mine, Cheers Paul.

Jul 10, 2002 - 15:33 - From: Guillermo
Title: windscreen
Message: I got my third now (don't ask), waited 1 year for it and it did cost about 1000 EUR. It was only available through Autoglass, 2 month ago there were 3 customers waiting for one and availability was very poor. So better start looking who really has one available.

Jul 10, 2002 - 17:44 - From: Robert Collins
Title: overboosting / MAP sensor
Message: Philbo... what I was thinking was that, if you're boosting much higher than 1 bar, the standard MAP sensor can't measure it, so you'd have to put a conservatively rich fuel calibration into the Unichip. IE if you're boosting to 1.2 bar (say) the MAP sensor only indicates 1.0 bar, because that's as high as it can measure. So the Unichip has to be calibrated to deliver "1.2 bar's worth" of fuel regardless of whether your actual boost pressure is 1.0, 1.1 or 1.2 bar.....I'm assuming the Unichip ECU is one of these fully-configurable ECUs like the Emerald system. If so, the 3-bar MAP sensor helps you get round the problem because it can measure the higher boost pressure range. You could then properly calibrate the Unichip ECU to give accurate fuelling at any boost pressure up to the turbo's maximum output. It would also stand you in good stead for future turbo upgrades....Rob.

Jul 11, 2002 - 01:11 - From: George
Title: Boost Creep
Message: Guys, I don't know if you remember what I've posted a couple of months back. I have found one of the solutions to the common boost creep problem. The problem/solution is in our blow off valve. If you start to encounter boost creep, then start adjusting the sensitivity level of the BOV. The key is, decrease the sensitivity, so you retain a little more compression within the turbo housing. That way, the turbo spins are somewhat regulated. You can decrease the sensitivity of the BOV to the max, then increase the sensitivity in increments till your desired level. Hope this helps. Take Care, George

Jul 11, 2002 - 03:54 - From: Kris
Title: Dave M. pictures
Message: Looks like I came in at the last episode. What was the actual turbo change you made and what differences have you noticed? That horn only was only useful with the top up anyway. With it down, it's just more fun to yell!

Jul 11, 2002 - 09:13 - From: Dave M.
Title: turbo change
Message: Kris, I've installed a Garrett T3 unit that utilizes the stock IHI turbine housing. The stock housing is machined to accept the larger T3 wheel (see the larger exhaust hole in the pics) and then mated to the T3 compressor side (using the 3/4" thick "spacer" you'll see in a few of the shots). I haven't noticed any difference yet as I'm slowly upping the boost to be careful (I still am using stock injectors). I set it to 10 psi last night, and the car seems to have it's old zip again (when I had the stock turbo MBC-set at ~14psi) as there's lots more air flow now. I won't go to a higher psi until I get the A/F meter made/installed. Soon I will install the new fuel computer and injectors and then can really use the boost the T3 is capable of. My goal is 20 psi by the end of summer. HP should be in the high 200's at that level. It'll be a slow, hopefully safe process to get there, though!

Jul 11, 2002 - 09:15 - From: Dave M.
Title: oops
Message: Forgot to give credit to the creator of the little monster hybrid turbo: http://home.pipeline.com/%7Eblackhole/index.html  Kyle's a really nice guy to work with.

Jul 11, 2002 - 17:21 - From: Grant
Title: Brake pad pins/spoiler lip
Message: Does anyone know where to get replacement Front Brake Pad Pins? The section on this site labeled “Changing your brake pads (and rotors)” notes part # A100J6085S. However, my local Lotus dealer noted a different part # A100J6051S at $50 per side. This sounds a little expensive to me unless this is an upgraded part. Also, I have just ordered a new front rubber spoiler lip and retainer strips from the dealer. When the parts arrive, I plan to make templates of the retainer strips. So if anyone is in need, let me know and I can trace one for you so you can make your own. Otherwise you are looking at $48 each for the right and left and $19 for the center. OUCH!

Jul 11, 2002 - 18:45 - From: Kris
Title: Brakes
Message: Hey Grant...I've started looking for brake pads myself. I think I'm going with EBC pads. Lots of good words on this board and in the site about them. Same for a couple of English sites I visited too. You can get them for under $70.00 for both wheels. I don't have any experience with this site but for a price quote go to http://www.tirerack.com . I checked out the On Line Parts List link above for more. Pep Boys quoted me $18.00 a wheel for pads which are supposed to be the same (go to the common replacement parts list under the repairs section) as the original GM parts Lotus rebadges.

Jul 11, 2002 - 19:44 - From: Grant
Title: Brakes
Message: Kris, yeah I recently installed EBC GreenStuff pads and this weekend I will be installing EBC Turbo Grooved Discs Part# TGD291 L/R. You can also get these at TireRack but you have to give them the part number cause they insist on looking everything up by Make/Model. Also, I may have found the Pin set at http://www.expressautoparts.com . It might be Wagner Part# F126649 or F126649S.

Jul 11, 2002 - 21:10 - From: Doug
Title: front brake pin/spring kit
Message: Grant, that part number is directly from the bag the parts came in--I think I got it from JAE. You can crosscheck the online parts manual if you like. It was only about $10 from Lotus.

Jul 11, 2002 - 22:19 - From: Kris
Title: Brake Pins
Message: Geesh Grant....I think I must be dyslexic...I read your posting like 3 time and didn't see the word pin. Did you notice a major difference with the EBC pads? I was thinking about doing the rotors too. Figured I'd try doing them at the same time to save any install agro.

Jul 12, 2002 - 06:22 - From: Grant
Title: Brake pins/CarFax.com
Message: Thanks Doug, I'll check with JAE. It's getting late here, or more like early. I've been up trying to install the EBC rotors. Many hours of witch were spent drilling that nasty bolt that holds the rotor in place. The hex head stripped out like butter. So on to the drilling... It was going great until my bit snapped inside the bolt. Now I find myself drilling out the broken bit from the bolt. UUGH! Wish me luck. P.S. if anyone wants a CARFAX.com report on their Elan send me your VIN and I will send you a report.

Jul 12, 2002 - 15:08 - From: Dave M.
Title: Go Lotus!
Message: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2002320232,00.html 

Jul 12, 2002 - 16:17 - From: Laurence
Title: Removing Rotors
Message: A tip for anyone facing Grant's problem - to get the retaining screws out if the hex socket gives up. Obviously try rust releasing fluid first but if that fails. I got mine out by drilling a small hole near the outside edge of the head then drove it around and out using a centre punch and hammer - it works a treat. I read another tip on this site recently which was to cut a slot in screw/bolt heads using a tiny cutting wheel from a Dremel set. Laurence

Jul 12, 2002 - 16:33 - From: Laurence
Title: Scrap Yard
Message: Guys, if you are really stuck for obsolete parts there is a scrap yard in the UK that has 4 SE (no S2) cars (one LHD). They are not very well treated - accident damaged and in a bad way, also out in the open with no hoods so the insides are ruined. They have been well raided for body parts/Windows lights etc. However. there are some engines, electrics, suspension and steering parts left (no inside door escutcheons - I also wanted some). Be warned prices are not cheap - roughly half the cost of new parts. You need to describe the part you want in detail and tell them where to find it on the car. The web site is www.douglasvalley.co.uk  Laurence

Jul 13, 2002 - 01:54 - From: Dave M.
Title: electrical assistance
Message: As I have been installing the new gauges, I noticed the leads for gauge illumination are not getting power (actually, no lights in the dash are getting any power). I went so far as to hook up the old gauges and still nothing. OK, so diagnostic time. After printing the schematic from the electric manual, I started checking. The fuse for lighting is OK and getting power. The Hazard and AC switches are OK and receiving power. It appears the problem could be the potentiometer to control the gauge brightness or the "rheostat module". I checked the leads going into the pot, but nothing seemed hot. Does anyone have any ideas? If you are familiar with electrical schematics, could you please see http://www.charliex.net/Lotus/EN/p128.tif  and tell me what color wires I should be looking for between the pot and the rheostat module (and what the "module" is). Also, which leads should be hot and where does power come from in this page? Thanks much!

Jul 13, 2002 - 16:39 - From: Doug
Title: Hardtop
Message: Done some car traveling lately and noticed a few hardtops on roadsters which got me thinking about the Elan. Now that I live in a town with a 'Winter' and "real" rain (old was 4"/year--now 40"/year average) I remember someone was going to let us know more if NTC is ever going to make some lids for the Elan?? Since I might re-spray my car in the next year or two I figure I need that much lead time to get the hardtop sorted out!

Jul 13, 2002 - 17:17 - From: John
Title: Running very hot.
Message: Just had B+C maintenance on Elan. Granted it is summertime, but now it seems the fans come on soon after engine is started. Needle goes quickly to the top, and fans seem to run all the time now. If I come to stop, needle drops down to the 3/4 line on temp. However when I start to accelerate the needle seems to peg again. If I develop a cruising speed, it seems to drop a tad. I don't see any leaks anywhere. Before this maintenance, it seemed to never go past 1/2 point on gauge, and would rarely if ever hit 3/4 mark.

Jul 13, 2002 - 17:19 - From: Doug
Title: runnin hot
Message: John, could be low coolant (check reservoir) or a faulty thermostat (easily changed see write-up); or maybe they messed something up--I sure would take it right back to the mechanic and say "what'd you do to mess it up?!"

Jul 14, 2002 - 09:19 - From: Laurence
Title: Electrical Assistance
Message: Dave, I have a 1990 SE and can tell you that when I got it the Rheostat Module had been removed and a link wire put across two terminals to bypass this circuit and make the instrument lights work. A replacement Rheostsat module is about £150 from Lotus in the UK so that is probably why a wire was used. I have actually just tried plugging in a second-hand module (from a scrapped car) and the lights work with it but still won't dim. I guess it's faulty as I got the pot on the dash tested and that was OK. Anyway if your car has the same wiring as mine (I think an S2 might be different as the instrument lights come on with the ignition), instructions to hot wire the instrument lights are as follows. Fit two male spade connectors to about 1.5" of wire. The rheostat module is fitted right below the Indicator flasher module in the panel of relays fitted under the dash (on a right hand car this is between the steering wheel and side of the car and facing the front of the car). Lay on your back in the footwell and shine a torch up under the dash. Unplug the Rheostsat - it's a bright green cube - from the middle of the right hand row. You then insert the link wire spades into the middle left and middle bottom sockets (as you are looking at them - there comfortably lying on your back in the footwell trying to hold a torch and put a hand up under the dash at the same time). These should correspond to terminals 6 & 8 on the Rheostat. Might be worth a try ! Laurence

Jul 14, 2002 - 20:47 - From: rudz
Title: window regulator repair
Message: hi guys, i need some help with my window regulator repair & so far, all the cursing & swearing hasn't helped. i've already taken it out of the door panel. the little plastic slider that goes up & down the window lift channel is broken. this plastic thing is the same piece that holds the 2 ends of the cable from the motor. this is where i'm stuck. has anybody had any experience or advice on how to pull the cables back to slot into its place in that plastic thing. i think it definitely needs to have some tension in it while slotting it in. short of sending it to a racket re-stringing shop to pull the cable for me, i'm out of ideas !i'm just short of an inch to get the cable in. there must be a way to get this fixed if LOTUS actually sells this plastic part by itself for replacement ! thanx, any advice appreciated.

Jul 14, 2002 - 21:49 - From: John
Title: Re: Running Very Hot
Message: Doug you da man again! Thermostat it was.

Jul 14, 2002 - 22:06 - From: sagaponack
Title: Gearbox Fiasco
Message: My local repair guy says that I need a new gearbox and that it will cost $7000 US. Sounds ridiculous. I have a U.S. '91 Elan with 35K miles. At a stop sign, the car started grinding in all gears but second and the shifter linkage felt limp. I had to drive home in second gear. Where is the best place to get a new gearbox?

Jul 14, 2002 - 22:28 - From: Doug
Title: gear problems
Message: The odds say in general you will be 100+ times more likely to have a gear cable failure than a full-out gearbox failure. (1) find a good mechanic--not whoever that was that just wanted your money, (2) have someone row the shifter through the gears with the engine off while you look at the rear of the gearbox (under, deeper, and a bit more central to the coolant reservoir) to see if the cables are moving with ALL shifter movements--if not then you just diagnosed it as a cable problem which likely needs new cables (do both while there) as has been discussed and written-up on the site a lot. Let us know . . .

Jul 15, 2002 - 04:14 - From: mike
Title: GRANT'S PROBLEM
Message: There is a very simple way of releasing tight screws from the rotors. With a suitably sized drift,give the head of the screw a whack with the hammer,which will effectively compress the threads without damaging them. It rarely needs to be repeated and will release even rusted screws. You just need to break the tiny amount of crud holding the little beggar.

Jul 15, 2002 - 04:32 - From: Laurence
Title: Elan Model
Message: A while ago Bill asked a question about a model of an Elan - don't know if he still visits this board now but just in case. A company called SMTS hand make Elan M100 models to order from white metal (very heavy!). I saw their catalogue briefly on Saturday at Goodwood. They are quite small, like a Corgi model, I guess the scale would be about 1/36. Standard colours red or blue but you can have a custom colour/custom modifications for extra cost. The model reference no is RL21. They are expensive around UK £70. A UK dealer is Sholto Modelli E.mail sholto@tinyworld.co.uk Regards Laurence

Jul 15, 2002 - 04:49 - From: Laurence
Title: Lotus Model again
Message: I just noticed SMTS have a web site at www.smtsmodels.co.uk where you can order direct. They also supply it as a kit for £25.50 plus VAT (in UK) - Laurence

Jul 15, 2002 - 11:05 - From: Mark
Title: wrecked elans
Message: anyone know of a wrecking yard in the US that has M100s in stock?

Jul 15, 2002 - 12:32 - From: James Potter
Title: Engine warning light
Message: I've had an elan for 3 weeks now, and it is absolutely amazing to drive, which is why I bought it (in addition to the fact that I have wanted one since I was 15). However, its not so great stopping, and i've had a couple of other irritations. To the point. 2 times I have raced up through the gears to about 6.5 - 7 thousand revs, and then had the engine warning light come on at about 5000 revs in 5th. This was a bit worrying, but I was not unduly concerned. However, having parked after the first time it happened, I returned to the road and after accelerating up through to second found that I had smoke coming from somewhere near the alternator belt accopanied by a very loud squeek/scratching noise. Having been towed home, my local garage could find nothing wrong. The warning light/ smoke incident may not be related. I have a feeling that the smoke may have more two do with sitting in a near (but not quite) stationary queue for 18 minutes. Can anyone forward a diagnosis? Great website and message board... Thanks James

Jul 15, 2002 - 12:34 - From: Ash
Title: Exhausting!
Message: Hello! any of you any ideas which exhast strap to use on the rear silencer? - I've already had to give up so far! (in 4 years mind), any suitable ideas welcomed! Cheers Ash

Jul 15, 2002 - 13:13 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Ash, exhaust strap
Message: SJ Sportscars offers a cheaper generic alternative to the Lotus rubber exhaust hanger. There are 2 types listed as being used in the entire exhaust system, but upon inspection they are close enough in design as to be interchangeable, so if you look at any rubber exhaust hanger you can see under the car it will be the type you want for the muffler as well (the one above the muffler is very hard to see until you have in fact, removed the muffler... by the way, you just slide the muffler FORWARD to remove it.

Jul 15, 2002 - 15:59 - From: Doug
Title: James' woes
Message: Welcome James, since you are not yet on the Owners' List (hint-hint) I'll assume your car is stock. I have the superchip so cannot remember perfectly, but others can vouch that the engine light should not come on even if you hit the rev limiter up there. You definitely need to do the home paper clip engine light code check and report back to us (see CAS write-up for engine light check). If you overboost (won't happen with stock set-up) then I can imagine this is causing your light and problems. Interesting that I noticed 5000 in 5th should be a pretty good clip! If you have a faulty CAS this could cause these symptoms too, but would limit your RPMs after the light came on. Now about the sound that sounds strange? Could have been the gremlin caught in the belt?! Can't figure that out without more info/detail on the smoke /sound source.

Jul 15, 2002 - 16:48 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Ash
Message: Ash, if you are looking for just the metal strap that goes around the rear silencer you can buy that separately from Lotus, and perhaps from other places. It is simply a strap made to fit a 5" x 8" muffler. The only thing unique is the piece on top that slips into the rubber exhaust hanger, which is included in the Lotus piece.

Jul 16, 2002 - 15:18 - From: Ed Miller
Title: James's Woes
Message: James, do you have the stock boost or have you installed an MBC. If you have an MBC, then you might have reached the overboost at 5k RPM. This is the case sometimes for me, when I don't re-adjust the MBC for the current atmospheric conditions. Sounds complicated but actually after a start driving I gently accelerate in first gear, then try WOT in 2nd gear to check for where the MBC gives max boost, and observe the boost gauge. If it gets close to .96, I relax a bit, and I know that it could overboost, so I adjust the MBC clockwise as appropriate. Generally this could be a quarter of turn. Hope this helps.

Jul 16, 2002 - 21:03 - From: rudz
Title: window regulator
Message: i'm sure some of us have had the unfortunate experience of encountering some problems with the regulator. i had another one of those last weekend. i found out that the reason why the cable ends won't go into its slot in the new plastic slider is due to the fact that the cables have overlapped/crossed within the motor. when the slider broke, the cables lost their tension & this allowed the cables within the motor to slack & overlap. this might either cause a jam or in my case, excessive tension & will not allow the slider to travel its full length. i ended up having to take the motor apart & try to run the cables right. this is easier said than done. interestingly, as i was taking apart another regulator motor which seemed to work fine but not having enough power to lift the glass, i've found that there is a lot of these little pieces of black crumblings. it reminded me of the debris you find in our headlamp motors when the gears have been ground to a powdery state. these black stuff in the window motor is not quite as fine, though. apparently, these black stuff was actually some sort of rubber washer without which the gears are not able to engage to transfer the drive from the motor to the wheels that turn the cables. if you're still with me this far, the big question is ....since we have found the replacement bush kit for the headlamp motor, has anybody found a kit to replace this for the regulator motor ? i'm sure we could all save quite a bit from these repairs & especially now when i heard the supply of these regulators have ran out ....cheers, rudz

Jul 16, 2002 - 21:24 - From: Ed Miller
Title: window regulator
Message: My car has been very realiable except for the power windows. I have spend several hours (3 times) trying to fix my power windows. Once it was a broken plastic C clip. Once I discovered this problem, I ordered a whole bag of C clips, for future uses. Now I have the largest supply of C clips in Southern California. The second time, I had same window that stop working. I ferared the worst, anticipating a regulator motor. As it turned out, when I had my new wheels installed, the buffoon (sp) that lifted my car had the door slightly opened when on the lift and put a little tension on the door. The door then twisted ever so slightly and then the power windows wouldn't go up. This was due to the adjustment bolts moving slightly. Third time was a binding problem, due to lack of lubrication. I have serached the Internet and have found several places that sell universal power window kits, and think that this might actually work for the Elan. When my regulator motor goes south, I will certainly be looking for these kits.

Jul 16, 2002 - 21:27 - From: Ed Miller
Title: Elan v. Esprit
Message: Hey Doug, you probably were thinking that I wouldn't be inteested in my Elan anymore ....think again.

Jul 17, 2002 - 04:18 - From: Steven Matthijssen
Title: radiator bypass pipe
Message: A few days ago i spotted some coolant leakage on my elan. As it was at the left hand side my first thought was the waterpump. However, it turned out to be the radiator bypass pipe which runs from left to right behind the exhaust manifold. It's a hell of a job to reach the thing. I presume that they started with that pipe and built the car around it, (as with a lot of parts with the Elan). You have to remove the exhaust manifold. First remove some heatshields, then the big pot under the turbo, for which you have to remove the under subframe. Take out the studs of the manifold. Some tubes and hoses should be disconnected and then finally you can remove the manifold and turbo. The pipe slides in a tube that comes from the big pipe from the waterpump to the radiator and is sealed with an O ring. The O ring and the end of the pipe were more or less gone. I'm waiting for the parts now and hope to reinstall everything next week.

Jul 17, 2002 - 08:25 - From: Dave M.
Title: fuel pump rewire
Message: I've heard that the power lead to the fuel pump is very small and can actually limit performance after upgrades. This is also the case with some Isuzus. Has anyone done a rewire to allow more current to the pump? If so, could you do a quick write-up for the site? I assume it's a pretty easy job due to the location of the pump and battery, but as Steven found with the coolant line, sometimes things aren't so easy! I can feel for you Steven, I had all the same bits apart with the turbo mods. What a packaging job the engineers did to get everything in there! The mechanics likely aren't as impressed...

Jul 17, 2002 - 09:45 - From: Matt Pritchard
Title: Problems getting started!
Message: Hi all, I'm looking for a bit of mechanical advice for my SE Turbo. Haven't driven her for a couple of weeks and found when I did, the battery was way low. (not enough to turn the engine) Not uncommon as it seems to drain when left for a while. Anyway, I jumped it and drove her for about an hour to recharge - no probs restarting again. Came to use her later that day and it had a chronic misfire going on. Kangarooing all ovr the place and couldn't have been firing on more than 2 cylinders. (No check engine light tho.) Tried the next day, but the battery had dropped to 10V again so wouldn't kick the engine in. Tried jumping it to no avail. Did the manual paperclip check - no codes stored. Have installed new spark plugs in the last 6 months, with no previous probs; Also upgraded to Magnecor leads with no probs. I'm pretty sure petrol is getting to the engine as it smells like its coming straight out the exhaust. So I'm stumped as to what it can be and how to solve it myself without a Lotus Dealer Bill! - All help most appreciated. Matt

Jul 17, 2002 - 12:52 - From: Doug
Title: Matt's woes
Message: Matt, the usual culprit in the battery drain is a faulty trunk/boot light switch that leaves the light on and drains the battery. You can check this by leaving a videocamera running in the boot when you close it or convincing your small friend to climb in and tell you if the light goes out. Regardless, you can disconnect the switch in the meantime. When the battery gets too weak the ECU will reset and this could be the cause of your misfiring--perhaps you fouled the plugs or something not severe. I suggest you fix the drain and then decide if there really is another problem. You can reset the ECU again by disconnecting the battery for a minute or two. Then start her up and drive for a while so it can get all the parameters set up. Just my hunch . . .

Jul 17, 2002 - 17:51 - From: Jay Thomas
Title: spare wheel
Message: does anyone know if the spare wheel on the Elan is from any other car or is it a Lotus part, as mine worse for wear.

Jul 17, 2002 - 20:13 - From: rudz
Title: boot light switch
Message: i've noticed that you can actually check if the light goes off by "almost" closing the boot lid. if you peep thru the gap (by squatting behind the rear regn plate) just before the boot lid completely shuts, you can actually see when the boot light goes off. it should go off just a couple of millimetres before the boot lid completely shuts. if you place an additional source of light eg torchlight in the boot, you can detect this better as you can see the boot light going off but your torch still there to illuminate enough for you to still see thru the gap. hope this helps....rudz

Jul 17, 2002 - 23:47 - From: Grant
Title: Dash illumination knob
Message: Has anyone removed the dash illumination knob(dimmer knob)? It doesn't seem to want to pull straight off.. so I am wondering if there is a screw behind the sticker that displays the light bulb icon. I hate to remove the sticker, only to find no screw behind. Grant

Jul 18, 2002 - 09:23 - From: laurence
Title: Dash Illumination knob
Message: Grant, if you'll pardon the expression, if you pull your knob hard enough it will come off! No need to remove the sticker. For info, there is an earlier message above about the dash lighting if you have not already seen it. Laurence

Jul 18, 2002 - 10:18 - From: Dave M.
Title: V-AFC install
Message: Call this electrical assistance part II - I need some more help reading the ECU leads schematic this time. Please check http:/www.charliex.net/Lotus/EN/p107.tif and let me know if I've got the right leads for the following: Throttle signal - C13, Pressure signal - C11, RPM signal - B5? I've also heard to source this from the lead coming straight from the coil to the tach. I'll get that schematic later and check. Also, does anyone know where to access the lead that opens the intake butterflies. They open at ~5,000 rpm, so I assume it's a coil or tach related lead. Finally, would splicing a lead at D7 (for the O2 meter lead) to run an A/F meter be the right thing? Thanks much!

Jul 18, 2002 - 10:27 - From: Dave M.
Title: boot light / Isuzu electronics
Message: Matt, I had the same electrical drain (as a lot of us have). I just unplugged the trunk light and have never had a problem since. One interesting thing on electronics: I compared our ECU schematic to the 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS's. They appear identical, pin location-for-pin location. I'll be checking colors of wires this weekend to see if they match, but for those considering the Helm manual, it's another plus. It seems the only difference is the fuel mapping between the Lotus and the Isuzu (and maybe not even that). Might be a cheaper option if anyone needs a new ECU or wants to tweak/play with one.

Jul 19, 2002 - 07:55 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: wind blocker
Message: Don't know if this item has been brought up before, but I stumbled upon it & it says it will fit our car... http://www.windbaffle.com/carsitfits.htm

Jul 19, 2002 - 15:36 - From: Tony V
Title: Windblocker
Message: I have never tried them on the Elan..but I have on other cars...and they just don't seem to work..at least not that I could feel.

Jul 19, 2002 - 16:27 - From: Matt Pritchard
Title: Starting woes continued
Message: Many thanks for the replies guys. Removed the clips for the boot/trunk light. (Thought i'd already done that but never mind.) recharged the battery overnight. I've checked the spark from the plugs and they are all fine. There is petrol flowing, but the engine fails to start. My best 'amateur' guess is to do with the timing, but would that just go completely, without warning? Or is there something I'm missing completely? (if you'll pardon the pun!) Cheers guys

Jul 19, 2002 - 18:03 - From: Grant
Title: Dash Illumination knob
Message: Thanks Laurence. The knob came with a little coaxing with a pair of pliers. I just put a paper towel around it first to avoid damaging it.

Jul 20, 2002 - 00:50 - From: Tony V
Title: Starting woes
Message: I am not an "electronic" guy at all...the only car that does not have a dist. that I have ever worked on is the Elan...Have you checked the CAS...there is a bolt that tightens to hold the CAS in place (which also sets the timing..)..as well as two connectors on the CAS..I would start by checking there..There is also the CAS itself...may be that went belly up... This is really the extent of my expertise with the electronics in an Elan

Jul 20, 2002 - 03:24 - From: Ray
Title: Horn Problems
Message: My car's due for its MOT and the horn intermittently doesn't work. Its a non airbag UK model. I've traced the fault to a short orange cable (4") that runs from a spade crimp at the horn button, down through the centre of the steering wheel where it looks like there is a crimp connector. This connector seems to be loose because when I move the wire I loose my voltage at the button. Do I need to remove the centre nut under the steering wheel button to remove the steering wheel to get access to the loose crimp? If so is there any thing else to be aware of as I don't want to create my self any other problems?

Jul 20, 2002 - 17:06 - From: chris moy
Title: drooping facia
Message: has anyone out there got a solution to my facia drooping and not fitting around the top edge where it meets with the soft feel dash surround.i guess it could be sunlight causing the problem but can it be cured?i have checked the tightness of all the fixings and they are all ok.

Jul 20, 2002 - 18:37 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: taming Bill's exhaust
Message: Got my Elan back today with a 12" racing muffler mounted where the exhaust runs east/west just in front of the rear suspension. I don't notice any degradation in boost, but that "angry hornet" sound, what I would call almost a buzzing noise, is gone, even at 90+ mph. The car is much more pleasurable to drive now. So see, Bill's exhaust can be tamed. The guy did an excellent job and welded in a mandrel bend going back towards the main muffler. The welds are all of "show" quality too, not that crap you get down at your local muffler shop when they weld with the exhaust on the car using an acetalene torch. He is now working on putting an entire 2 1/2" custom exhaust with mandrel bends, a flex-joint and a resonator + muffler & tip on my Capri. Based on the quality of work he's already done I'm sure it will turn out great.

Jul 20, 2002 - 21:17 - From: Kris
Title: drooping facia
Message: hey chris....don't do what the moron stereo installer did to mine...he superglued the two together and c-clamped it till it was dry. said he thought he was doing me a favor. just hope i don't have to get in there soon! also it looked more like my facia stayed where it was and the dash moved up after too much heat. don't know if that makes sense, but my facia still looks almost new. good luck.

Jul 21, 2002 - 01:47 - From: Dave M.
Title: TPS
Message: The Apex'i install is almost done. It was actually quite easy. I just need to tie into the tach lead coming from the coil to get RPMs and I'm set! One thing I did find FYI: when I was testing the unit, I first set it to "throttle position". I floor the gas and the unit shows ~72%. Huh?!? I think I posted a note a while back about how the Throttle Position Sensor was "rotated" so the right edge was up. Well, I think this orientation was preventing the unit from showing a full 5V (or whatever max voltage is at WOT) to the ECU. After a little adjusting (or rather, rotating), I was able to get 0-98% on the Apex'i. I'm not sure what % the ECU considers WOT, but this may have prevented the car from going to the pre-set maps under "closed loop" mode. If you're concerned at all, check ECU pin C13 (blue wire w/red stripes) with a voltmeter. Just turn the ignition to on (no need to start) and push the gas pedal or move the arm at the TB. I'll drive the car tomorrow to see if it made any difference.

Jul 21, 2002 - 03:14 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Ferrari F360 wind blocker
Message: How many Elan owners would be seriously interested in buying a wind blocker / removable hardtop, conceptually styled similar to the Elise / Ferrari in the roll hoop area, with a removable panel(s)forming the hardtop feature? I would guess costs to be around $1k. I envisage junking the whole soft top assembly and be able to stash the new roof panels in the trunk. The roll hoop wind blocker could be an add-on to the rear roof cover, or a new roof cover integral with the roll bars & wind blocker? Follow the link to see the 'F360 idea'. Let us know what you all think... http://www.online-supercars.com/supercars/images/big/ferrari_f360_spider-3.htm

Jul 21, 2002 - 09:59 - From: rudz
Title: coolant drain/bleed plug
Message: got a little bit carried away this weekend & went the whole hog...replaced a coolant hose and decided to do a radiator flush, topped up with fresh new coolant, bled the system, tightened the drain/bleed plug and you guessed it, sheared the damn plastic plug ! i swore i took everybody's caution & only used finger-tight force but it still broke anyway. on hindsight, i shouldn't have bothered with bleeding the system by removing that plug ! excuse the pun, but i really screwed it this time! plug is in semi-tightened position with a slight leak when engine is running. any body wants to offer any advice on getting out of this situation ?

Jul 21, 2002 - 11:35 - From: Ed Miller
Title: Ferrari F360 wind blocker
Message: Brian, this idea is wonderful! I for one would love to see this. What the Elan lacks in modern look is something behind the driver's seat to provide the feeling of being enclosed in the car. I have a windblocker designed for the Miata and it helps, but look is not all that attractive.

Jul 21, 2002 - 22:05 - From: Tony V
Title: coolant drain plug problem
Message: Cant you just back it out...and get a new plug...You can always drill it...insert an easy out...and then put in a brass or plastic plug. In a pinch...I would get some sort of sealant...Permatex or some sort of variety of same...and just plug it up. I would even use POR putty.or PC& epoxy....as long as It was juts putting it on the plug...you are going to replace that anyways...but at least you can drive the car..

Jul 22, 2002 - 04:59 - From: Laurence
Title: Ferrari F360 wind blocker
Message: Brian, I understand that if you were unfortunate enough to roll the Elan (even slowly) the Windscreen can flatten. So if you are talking about roll bar hoops that provided proper roll over protection then it would be a big advantage in my my book. Laurence

Jul 22, 2002 - 06:13 - From: Thomas
Title: flat battery, boot light and micro switch
Message: Hello can anybody help me, I had a flat battery this morning and I don't know the reason yet. There a two choices yet, the boot light was on (as proposed by somebody else) or the battery is bad. My question, if the boot light was on, could it drain the battery overnight (more than 10 hours)?? I don't think the battery is bad as I already had a flat battery some weeks ago, but didn't worry as the car was standing at the airport for two weeks and a battery check showed later that the battery and alternator should be okay. After the flat battery this morning, I had a quick look at the micro switch that operates the boot light. This switch is located at the right boot lid joint, it can be tested by pressing the button and the boot light can be deactivated by pulling the left cable to this switch. But everything looked good and finally I had to walk to work :-( but I will invest the poblem later. But probably have to buy a new battery or a battery carger, and both can be expensive. Does anybody have any further ideas??

Jul 22, 2002 - 10:02 - From: LAURENCE
Title: flat battery,
Message: I have a problem with my Elan in the Winter when it's not used much. I also suspect the constant LED's for the alarm and immobiliser don't help any. When the car is in the garage I now trickle charge the battery with a 300mV charger from Draper called Battery Master, you leave it on all the time you're not using the car and don't need to disconnect the battery. A lot of classic car owners use these or similar products, they work fine. Laurence

Jul 22, 2002 - 12:04 - From: Loren
Title: Thomas: Flat Battery
Message: If a battery check and alternator check is OK, perhaps the cableing between the battery/starter/alternator has a high impedance. In solving my starting problem I found that the battery junction block behind the dash was intermittent causing low battery charge as well as hard/no starting. Remember that the M100 battery cable has no direct connection to the starter or the alternator but has to go thru the "maxi-fuse" block behind the dash. That connection proved to be loose and the cable connector covered with solder flux. Difficult to get to as well.

Jul 22, 2002 - 16:06 - From: Lotus Warrior
Title: Flat battery, no electrons flowing, no neurons active
Message: "Remember that the M100 battery cable has no direct connection to the starter or the alternator but has to go thru the "maxi-fuse" block behind the dash" Bzzzt wrong. Well if thats the case I guess you ought to change it so your car is wired as per the wiring diagram. F082T0327J for a massive 20 quid would let you know this.(that's a Lotus part number for the uninitiated pirates among you, remember them, the people that would support your car if only you bought little things like a set of manuals and ceased to rip off their copyright) Big Hint: The ONLY things that are wired to the battery ARE the alternator and the starter motor, big red wirey things that go nowhere near the maxi fuse box.

Jul 22, 2002 - 18:33 - From: Dicky Ticker
Title: Battery Charger
Message: Laurence, should that be 300mA?? Don't think you'd get tooo much into your bat. with 300mV ;-)

Jul 22, 2002 - 21:16 - From: randy
Title: windblocker
Message: Brian, I would need to see one first before I would drop a grand, but in theory I am most interested. Can you do a photoshop treatment and post it?

Jul 22, 2002 - 21:30 - From: Doug
Title: Elan treatments
Message: Brian, I second Randy's feelings. You should talk to Ed M. as he is planning to investigate/work on a 340R style roll-bar for the Elan and maybe you can integrate designs with him!? Unfortunately Lotus never made a single upgrade part (not even one) for the Elan so we will have to continue doing all the work ourselves with no support.

Jul 22, 2002 - 22:17 - From: Scott
Title: windblocker / roof / mods
Message: I think we are talking about two things here. One would be a rollbar assembly, incorporating a windscreen. The other is changing from the current soft top/convertible to an Elise style targa. (if anyone ever saw the KIA 2nd generation concept of the Elan, it was exactly that). So, lets not fool ourselves. It has to be one or the other, but not both. BTW, the Ferrari Brian referred to is a convertible, not a targa. My only concern with going targa is since he Elan is so small, it would end up having a Honda Del Sol look to it. Just my 2 cents. -Scott

Jul 23, 2002 - 08:37 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Lotus Warrior
Message: I don't know if you are right about the starter or alternator wiring, but I do know that you are a rude individual. Those of us who use this board rely on each other for information, and whether another person states something that is right or wrong they are only trying to help. Keep that in mind before you trash another human being. Also for your information, I bought all 4 Lotus manuals directly from the dealer for a sum exceeding $600 USD. Sorry that the facts stand in the way of you branding us as pirates.

Jul 23, 2002 - 08:41 - From: Laurence
Title: Charger
Message: Thanks for pointing that out Dicky, you are quite right 300mA and 12Volts ! Laurence

Jul 23, 2002 - 10:12 - From: Larry
Title: Headlight pod motor
Message: My left headlight pod does not raise as it should. The motor turns freely, but cannot raise the pod. I assume that there is a plastic gear in the motor housing that has stripped. Can the headlight motor be rebuilt - at least what I expect to be a gear assembly? Are parts available?

Jul 23, 2002 - 10:42 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Larry, headlight motor
Message: Larry, I rebuilt one (it was the right not the left). There are 3 plastic "rollers" inside the motor housing that just break down over time and turn into a fine white powder/paste (paste bcuz it combines with the grease). If you replace these rollers it should fix the problem as it did for me. See the picture of the rollers in Andy Yim's writeup. I was able to find this same package (they come in a package of 3, which is how many you will need). The rollers can be obtained at automotive electrical shops and are apparently also used in the electric window mechanisms of Chrysler products.

Jul 23, 2002 - 10:44 - From: Dave M.
Title: laugh for the day
Message: For those putting off a turbo or nitrous kit...here's your answer! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1845660184 Add it to your car, or exercise your gerbil!

Jul 23, 2002 - 10:47 - From: Yves C
Title: Alternator
Message: Hi all. I agree with Matthew. I hate to see the negative stuff on the board. Anyway, my business is to see if anyone knows if our alternator is an Isuzu part or not. If so that should make it easy to rebuild. Or is it someone else’s i.e. GM or Bosch. If anyone knows can you please post it up for us. Mine has just gone bad and I would like to know before I take it someplace to be rebuilt. They see a Lotus and $$. But if I know it is an Isuzu and tell them this it would help calm their fear of working on a Lotus. Thanks in advance for any help. Hi Doug. The car is good other than the alternator right now. She has over 215k miles on the clock!

Jul 23, 2002 - 11:12 - From: Loren
Title: Yves C (alternator)
Message: Rebuilds are standard for this alternator. I've had it done twice, once when troubleshooting the bad battery cable connection to the maxifuse post, and second when the rebuild bearing begain to hum. My remove and replace procedure is on this site. Practical experience is hard to beat and if I can be of any more help please ask. Loren

Jul 23, 2002 - 15:12 - From: Joshua Lawrence
Title: Alternator/drain
Message: Yes, I recently purchased a replacement at Autozone. It wasn't bad at all, only about $90 I believe for a new unit with (I think) a lifetime warranty. The reason I replaced it is because it decided to spontaneously combust, making me most unhappy. I had been having a problem with battery drain; I would put the charger on, it would be fine, the next day, dead again. Very annoying to say the least. Anyway, I was doing some work, and I began catching brief whiffs of that "hope you never smell it" type odor I have come to quickly identify with burning electronics. I couldn't track it down & gave up. A few more minutes though and I had smoke rising from behind the engine! Well, this made it a little easier to track down, and I could now see it was coming from the alternator (which was now extremely hot to the touch)! So I yanked the battery leads and set about the pleasant task or removing it while thinking many unhappy thoughts :) Anyway, I still have no idea why it did this, but it also destroyed the battery....I guess it must have shorted internally somehow. This all happened with the key in the "on" position, it wasn't running or anything...weird. So, yes it can be rebuilt or replaced easily, and yes, it could be your problem. The regulator is located inside a cover on the back and can be replaced separately, BTW. Joshua Lawrence

Jul 23, 2002 - 15:16 - From: Joshua Lawrence
Title: Central locking/interior lights
Message: Just a quick question for other US Elan owners or anyone else who might know... On my Elan, The interior lights only come on when the driver's side door is open. If the passenger's side is opened, the do not come on, is this correct? Also, does the central locking apply to both sides? In other words, should locking the passenger's side cause the driver's to lock also? Or is only the reverse true? TIA! Joshua Lawrence

Jul 23, 2002 - 15:51 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Central locking/interior lights
Message: On my car, the central locking works on either door, and the interior lights come on regardless of which door is open. On my other car (the Capri) central locking only works from the driver's side as there is no electric motor in the driver's door, so it can't possibly be operated from the passenger's side.

Jul 23, 2002 - 17:05 - From: Doug
Title: experience
Message: Joshua, if you can sum up any experience/tips about replacing the alternator with part numbers, etc it would be most helpful and I can add it to Loren's write-up! My Elan locks are like Matthew's. Sounds like yours could be the "micro switch" in the door. It senses if the door is open or shut. The part is deep within the door though, so be sure the ladies and children are not around if you go in there.

Jul 23, 2002 - 22:39 - From: rudz
Title: headlamp motor
Message: larry, just to add to what Matthew said, the headlamp motor can be re-built & the write-up is on this site. contact Chris Newhouse of Ray's Electric in Houston,TX for the kit...have fun

Jul 23, 2002 - 23:58 - From: Andy Y
Title: Headlight Mtr/Alternator
Message: The headlight motor (cush drives) can be obtained by contacting Chris @ Ray's Auto Electric in Houston (713) 661-8189. They're also specialists in alternator/starter rebuilds and mods(hi current alts), so if you can spare the downtime(shipping), consider refurbishing your stock units. You can also try sourcing a local rebiulder, but it's hard to find people who use high quality parts(bearings,diodes,brushes,etc) and do immaculate work in this industry. As for my feelings on the Autozone alternative, it's acceptable if you plan on selling the car or don't mind doing the job twice...Sure, the part has a lifetime warranty, but not the labor! As a wise man once asked me: "Right now, what do you have more of: More time or money?" Judging by my write-up 2 yrs ago, I had more time, but now I am old and have neither! Anyways, I always have time to respond to fellow members, so just ask. Andy

Jul 24, 2002 - 15:17 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Alternators, watch out!
Message: I got a rebuilt from Pep Boys for a Z-car I used to own and after 3 hours of putting it in it didn't even work. Took it back & they gave me another one which worked for 2 weeks. I asked for my money back and spent the extra $100 for a rebuilt from the Nissan dealer. It worked fine for the next 2 years I owned the car. I will never buy another rebuilt alternator from a "discount" supplier. Especially an alternator as difficult to get to as the one on the Elan.

Jul 25, 2002 - 03:58 - From: rudz
Title: window regulator repair kit ??
Message: been trying to fix my window regulator. motor is working but window not moving. took apart & found out that the reason why the window won't travel up/down is that the drive from the motor unit cannot transfer to the cables that move the window up/down bcos....of a crushed black rubber washer/disc ! i was just wondering if any of you have bought a repair kit for this & replaced it. just like the headlamp motor repair kit that saves us from having to buy the entire motor unit, we could potentially save quite a bit from this too ! or if anybody knows of a source or shop where they might sell this sort of repair kits for power windows, please let me know. thanx

Jul 25, 2002 - 04:01 - From: Dimitris
Title: Fuel Tank Infos
Message: Hi Guys. I'm writing this post here, because all non US owners should read it. I'm also suffering from gas smells and I asked David Simkin about what should I do with it a month ago (I live in Greece, so it would be difficult to act appropriately). He advised me to contact Lotus Head Office, England, After Sales Dept. I did contact After Sales Dept., Lotus Eng a week ago and they said that there is a certified problem in US '91, 92' cars and is being taking care of, but it is a federal problem (US cars only) and no other country cars are recognized as defected. So the official statement of Lotus Eng, is that no Warranty is provided to any non US car that is experiencing Fuel Tank leakage problems....... And the man's last words were: "But you should visit our authorized dealer to change the tank, in the name of your safety"... No comments...

Jul 25, 2002 - 05:59 - From: Guillermo
Title: Ray/Horn problem
Message: I had exactly that problem on Friday ! The pin that is pushed by a small spring did came out. I couldn't remove the steering wheel so I drove to my dealer (was in Germany that days). He had a lot of trouble getting it off (60 min !!) . And that was because the nut of the steering wheel was turned/fixed with too much Nm/force/... manual says "use 5 Nm for fixing wheel". That is a slight fixing force !! Not as hard as you can. Just a small tip. The pin that didn't come out: we had to make the plastic in which the pins slides a bit smaller (resting diameter), so the plastic was not pressed together that hard when re-inserted, and the pin slided again. Sorry for my bad english, hope it is understandable. BTW: I sold my car for a good price, couldn't resist as I have to pay back a huge credit for my house and present economic background doesn't help either. I seems he (a German) sold it to some friends in Portugal. But I will keep present ! And if matters get better I will buy ohne again.

Jul 25, 2002 - 06:11 - From: Guillermo
Title: Elan parts
Message: Hi again, I once mentioned it here, but it is again, mainly interesting for EUROPEAN guys: an ex-Lotus dealer in Liechtenstein (very very small country between Switzerland and Austria) offered me his all his Lotus parts, tools and other stuff. They include maninly Elan parts, but also Eclat, Esprint and Excel parts. In the tools is an TECH 1 kit with cartridge and cable. He payed for all 37.000 CHF (swiss francs) and offered me them for 10.000 CHF. I checked the prices of some parts and found that he payed more than we would pay today, nonetheless the package is still well below prices from SJ or Paul Matty. Problem for was the big chunk in non-Elan parts, which has to be bought together. If someone is interested I will forward parts list and adress.

Jul 25, 2002 - 09:34 - From: paul
Title: Codes 41 & 42
Message: Does anone have experience with check engine light coming on only (and always) at over 6500 rpm with codes 41 & 42? Engine cuts out a little and shifts to ignition module timing mode and power drops off, but engine continues to run. Shut off engine, restart, light goes out, and all runs well until 6500 rpm. Codes 41 & 42 are stored. Connections and wires all look good, but this failure mode does not seem "intermitent". It always happens the same way. The only component that seems common to both codes is the ECM - yikes, big bucks. I suppose I can just stay below 6500 rpm - how boring.

Jul 25, 2002 - 11:28 - From: Doug
Title: Code 41
Message: Paul, it is likely your CAS -- see http://www.lotuselancentral.com/cas.htm !! You can check the connections, etc, but start looking for a new one.

Jul 25, 2002 - 14:23 - From: F Ouest
Title: window regulator repair kit
Message: There is a company out there that will rebuild your window regulator to better than new standards. Not got a url to hand right now but a search should find it.

Jul 25, 2002 - 14:27 - From: Joshua Lawrence
Title: alternator/locks/lights
Message: I'll try to find the info on the replacement I obtained; I know I have the information around here somewhere. Thanks for the info on the central/locking & interior lights guys, I think you are right and I have a failed switch on the passengers side. On the "discount parts" issue, I certainly understand what you guys are saying. However, I have been purchasing all of my parts at Autozone for several years now, and after maintaining 3 XR4Ti's during those years it has come to be a LOT of parts. I have always been satisfied with the results, with the exception of some "rebuilt" brake calipers I got once. Personally, i kind of enjoy this kind of work, but not the the extent that I like to do jobs 2 or 3 times (though for the difference in cost, I could afford to); fortunatly I haven't had to so far. Quality control seems to be a problem with a lot of manufacturers; not just "discount" places. On the other hand, I must say I WOULD have more confidence in an OEM part. YMMV of course! --Joshua Lawrence

Jul 26, 2002 - 04:12 - From: Kris
Title: Catastrophic Pad Failure
Message: Yikes...has this happenned to anyone else? Hit the brakes hard after being cut off by some joker on a cell phone. Got a jerk to the left, then everything seemed ok. Cruised for a while then turned the music back up. 1/2 hour later I'm getting off the freeway and I hear the lovely sound of metal dragging on metal. pulled over and my right rotor looks scored. Nursed my baby home and pulled the right wheel...looke at the brakes and the outside pad looked like a chunck came of and embeded itse crosswise. most of the pad was history and the leadig edge of the pad metal base was rubbing the rotor. Ran down to NAPA for a set of pads (they actually stock 2 quality levels) and did a quick temporary replacement ($25). So I'm looking at 4 old pads now and none of them are worn down the same? I thought I read that the inner pads wear faster, but my outers were more worn. Since I may need a new rotor (hopefully just a turn), I was wondering if it was worth the expense for the EBC Rotors if the stock calipers aren't that great to begin with. Any adivce or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks

Jul 26, 2002 - 06:37 - From: rudz
Title: brake performance improvements
Message: kris, now's the time to go for the change ! of course, make sure that your calipers are working well in the first place. i have stock calipers with ATE rotors & EBC greenstuffs & it sure did improve braking performance. now, it can actually lock up ! it's definitely a discernible difference with just a change of pads & rotors.....rudz

Jul 26, 2002 - 10:06 - From: Chris B
Title: Idle increase when I pump brakes
Message: Hi Everyone, I recently purchased a M100, in April as a matter-of-fact. I'm not that familiar with the brake pedal pressures, but it generally feels mushing. Just bled them today and they are still mushy. Plus I noticed when sitting at idle, the engine rpm increases when I pump the brakes. Tried looking for a vaccuum leak near the brakes booster but can't find one. Any insights anyone? Chris

Jul 26, 2002 - 11:34 - From: Doug
Title: brake woes
Message: Kris, sounds like your old pads must have been pretty thin and some chunk delaminated from the metal backing. Depending on how much you use your Elan and your driving style you could consider the full blown "real" upgrade kit or you could do the EBC parts, but you might even want to get the calipers 'rebuilt' if you are going to keep them as it will improve the pad performance! The problem is that the piston can get sticky and the floating slider too, and the pad retaining pins get a touch bent and then it won't work right. Definitely worth ordering a pad retaining pin set (see brake write-up for the part number). I wonder what Lotus Warrior would say about Lotus's wonderful support of its masterful Elan GM brakes?! Seems in the US there was even a class action lawsuit against GM about these calipers resulting in a recall, but did Lotus ever tell us we should get our calipers checked and serviced? Well, at least they made us a factory upgrade--Oh, that's right, they have never done squat for the Elan or its owners!!

Jul 26, 2002 - 12:43 - From: John
Title: Wierd M100 electrical fault
Message: M100 1990 S1. Engine fans were working, suddenly stopped working. Replaced the temp. sendor on thermo housing. Swapped relay with mainbeam relay, seems OK. Grounding the wire on sensor starts fans correctly. Any clues? Circuit diagram is unclear what electronics lie between the sender and the relay, if any. I seem to be missing something. Thanks for suggestions. Need to save a nice engine :)

Jul 26, 2002 - 13:18 - From: Steve P
Title: Brake Warning
Message: Just to say that from recent personal experience and what everyone seems to be experiencing DON'T drive the Elan if you think you've got a braking problem. I nearly lost myself and the car recently! The car shoot off towards a ditch under hard braking - one of the front calipers had locked!!!! Needless to say I've now renewed both front calipers. The system does not age well - all I had noticed before hand was a slight brake balance irregularity at the MOT test. The car had still passed, and was braking fine under 'normal' use. Please take care :-)

Jul 26, 2002 - 17:33 - From: Laurence
Title: Brake Warning
Message: I second Steve's warning, the same thing happened to me a while back. Another owner who posted the other day on the UK site was not so lucky when it happened to him. He span off the road and is is now facing a big repair job! Seems that if your're still on original calipers that are 10 or 11 years old it really is time to re-build or replace! Laurence

Jul 27, 2002 - 12:44 - From: Mike
Title: Electical Gremlins
Message: Two problems, one resolved, one not. I disconnected the boot light and there is no more battery drain (I had been managing this with a trickle charge since I purchased the car). I had previously put tape on the boot lid hinge to make sure the light went out. This did not solve the problem. It appears the light connector still drew current, so the disconnect was the answer. Second problem is an intermittent interuption in the electrical power supply. While driving, the radio will very briefly cut off/on and the tach needle jumps off the scale or freezes at 0 RPM. After 30 seconds or so, the problem will cease. This has happened 4 or 5 times over the last 2,000 miles and once the motor briefly skipped. Today, in trying to restart the car after a brief run, no electical power at all. Turned the key off and then it fired up when turned on the second time. This episode was a total electrical system shut off, as the radio stations had to be reset. Any ideas would be appreciated, such as where to check connections that could be loose.

Jul 28, 2002 - 01:37 - From: Dave M.
Title: electrical and brakes
Message: Mike, sounds like a loose connection (or buildup) maybe at the battery or fuse box behind the gauges with everything going off like that. As for the brakes, Chris, it sounds like a bad vacuum line. I believe there is only one. Follow it from the master cylinder (behind the coolant overflow) to the intake. Kris, I'd try new pads first if your rotors can be salvaged. They will make more difference than the rotors. You can always do rotors later. I also chime in on the caliper rebuild. After seeing what a difference the new kit made and how much my old set was chewing through pads, something had to have been amiss.

Jul 28, 2002 - 12:00 - From: Matt Pritchard
Title: update on the starting problems
Message: Many thanks to all those that have made suggestions... but the thing is still refusing to play! I've disconnected the boot (trunk) light and replaced the battery. I've regapped all the spark plugs, but note that they do have quite a heavy carbon deposit on them, despite doing no more than 1000 miles and being under six months old. As it is having problems starting and also seems to be misfiring when ticking over and increasing revs, it could be a rich fuel/air mixture or problems with the injector system. I've narrowed it down, based on the details on the NGK website to being 1) fuel mixture too rich, 2) Over-retarded ingnition timing, 3) Compression loss due to imperfect cylinder-piston seal or valve seating (I'm hoping to god it ain't this one). So has anyone with a little more mechanical know-how any insights into this and how i can go about rectifyng it? It's really getting me down now. How would i go about checking and adjusting the fuel/air mixture. The symptoms are that it is having trouble starting and even when it is going is an extremely lumpy tick over and when increasing revs (best guess is that it's misfiring). The weird thing is that 3 hours before all these things started to happen it was working fine.Most infuriating. All suggestions appreciated. Matt

Jul 28, 2002 - 16:06 - From: Mike W.
Title: Mike's Electrical Gremlins
Message: Mike, in addition to Dave's suggestion re battery and fuse box a possible problem could be an erratic ignition switch.

Jul 28, 2002 - 23:50 - From: Don Ferrario
Title: upgrade exhaust system
Message: I finally decided to spend the money and try Stan's exhaust system from Isuzuperformance - and now it appears they don't sell it anymore! Are "Stan" and "Bill@Isuzuperformance" the same company, or is there some way to contact Stan's directly? Or is there another alternative exhaust system that would be equal or better?

Jul 29, 2002 - 02:04 - From: Dimitris
Title: Brake System Upgrade
Message: Hi All. I recently heard that there's a known upgrade for our S2 brake system without changing it to 4 or 6 piston calipers. It seems that the brakes (calipers and disks/pads) from Opel Calibra (GM company) fit into our wheels perfectly. It is a good improvement without the cost of a 4/6 piston caliper set. Does anybody knows more on this? Any GM part numbers or at least which Calibra can give our Elan its brakes??? Thanks.

Jul 29, 2002 - 06:57 - From: Steven Matthijssen
Title: gold plated radiator bypass pipe
Message: I received the spare parts last week and put everything together. Car is running fine again. Only thing is the price tag on the bypass pipe EUR 225 (ex VAT)!!!!! for a piece of pipe of approx. 30 cm. If you have this repair done by dealer it would cost you including labour approx. EUR 2000,-

Jul 29, 2002 - 07:50 - From: James P
Title: Engine warning light in a UK S2
Message: Thanks to both Doug and Ed for their help on my engine warning light problem at revs of over 4000. No more smoke problems (I think it was a (un)sticky clutch). Having done a little more research and spoken to Tony Garrod at Morland Jones in London, i am thinking that the CAS is source of the engine light problem. If this is the case I am thinking of going to Morland Jones to get it sorted. Has anyone used them before, and if not where is the best value/knowledgable garage in London? One more problem with the Gemini alarm. It keeps on going off with the boot lid sensor being indicated as the cause. The boot is shut securely. Anyone got any ideas - because its anyoying the hell out of the rest of my street at 3.30 in the morning!? James Cheers James

Jul 29, 2002 - 09:03 - From: Dave M.
Title: rich mixture and exhaust
Message: Matt, you could have a garage check your mixture with a specialized O2 probe, you could buy a pre-made gauge and connect it to your O2 sensor (not super accurate - but would tell you if it was running rich) to check, or if you're handy with a soldering iron see the third item down at http://www.autospeed.com/cgi-bin/browse.cgi?category=579& This would be the cheapest way to check, and you could monitor your car in the future. Are you getting "popping" of the exhaust when you let off the gas? Don, Stans is different from Bill Luton. Bill merely contracted with Stans to build exhausts for our cars. See http://www.stans-headers.com/ Let us know if you contact them. I'm interested in an exhaust maybe this winter and would like as many options as possible.

Jul 29, 2002 - 16:29 - From: Phil
Title: Brake system upgrade
Message: Dimitris. Keeping the original calipers, I recommend you don't bother trying to find GM parts to fit, just replace the front discs with EBC Turbo Groove and also fit their Greenstuff front pads. This mod cost me about £230 fitted by Paul Matty here in UK. www.ebcbrakes.com is their web address, UK source is www.powerstop.co.uk. Their referance for the disc is 291 and for the pads just say that they are for an Elan M100. With DOT 5 brake fluid they work great on fast road and normal track days.

Jul 29, 2002 - 17:22 - From: Dave M.
Title: Elan for sale FYI
Message: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1846858234

Jul 30, 2002 - 00:55 - From: Bill Sun
Title: Ferrari F360 windblocker
Message: Brian, if you ever do get this made, you can definitely count on me to be the first one to be in line.

Jul 30, 2002 - 01:07 - From: Brian MDB
Title: Windblocker
Message: Thanks for the feedback on the windblocker, I will have to get my crayons out and get something sketched-out, please be patient!...

Jul 30, 2002 - 05:38 - From: Dimitris
Title: Brake System Upgrade cont
Message: Cheers Phil, thanks for the advice. The thing is that the Calibra's breaks (disks and pads) are bigger than our standard ones and so are the calipers (I think that they are just 2-piston as well). So they must break much better than ours. I tried our stock in a track day and I was much disappointed. They were ok at the first round, but I had to break more than 20 meters earlier in the next ones. And the feeling was awful. The calipers are brand new stock (just 2000 Kms at the track day), the pads are new stock (200 Kms) and the disks are upgraded (drilled and grooved). So I don't really know if the EBC would work fine in a track day. OK, I rarely do track days, but when I go there, I want to feel safe. And the 4/6 piston calipers are too expensive for me... :(

Jul 30, 2002 - 09:10 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Options
Message: Dave, your E-Bay Elan has antilock brakes. Kind of like the scene in the Disney movie "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" where the driver puts up the ELECTRIC top on the Elan M100! (that movie is available at Blockbuster in the Family section... car appears at 1:11 on the tape)

Jul 30, 2002 - 09:15 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: exhaust
Message: I picked up my Capri yesterday with the new full custom exhaust. It was $804 USD, which should be comparable to what one would pay to have a first-rate custom exhaust put on their Elan. (p.s. - it now hits the boost cut - easily fixed though.) This is no "muffler shop" exhaust we are talking about either. It is 2 1/2" mandrel-bent pipe from the turbo back with 2 brushed stainless resonators and a mirror-polished stainless muffler. The piping is thick-walled and painted with 2400F flat-gray paint. All welds were done off the car and are first-rate. The contours in which it follows the car are also tighter than on the Elan, but one might expect that for an exhaust that was completely made for YOUR car. Craftsmanship is not dead, it just is not free.

Jul 30, 2002 - 11:55 - From: Ed
Title: Anti-lock brakes
Message: They probably took the car for a ride and stood on the brakes real hard. It didn't lock up and therefore "must have anti-lock brakes". Still, currently 10K for a low mileage car. Be worth looking at if you were in the market.

Jul 30, 2002 - 13:41 - From: keith g
Title: Recall, your voices have been heard
Message: Half of New Minis Sold in U.S. Recalled Tuesday, July 30, 2002 DETROIT — About half of the fashionable new Mini Cooper compact cars that have been sold in the United States will be recalled to fix a transmission problem, federal safety regulators said Tuesday. BMW AG , the maker of the Mini, was also hit with the eighth recall of its X5 luxury sport utility vehicle, this time for loose brake pedals. The Mini, a retro-styled revival of the British classic, has been a hit in the United States with more than 6,000 sold since March. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that on 3,531 Mini Coopers with manual transmissions, the cable connecting the shift lever to the transmission could detach, leaving the transmission in the last gear selected and increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will inspect the cable and install a retaining clip if necessary. The recall is the first for the model. BMW will also recall 34,860 X5 SUVs from the 2000 model year to inspect the brake pedal pivot arm. NHTSA said the pivot arm could become loose and eventually separate from its bracket, making the brakes inoperable. BMW wasn't the only luxury automaker hit with recalls Tuesday. NHTSA said 2,085 Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars built between 1998 and May of this year would be recalled to fix a problem with the braking system that could allow air into the brake lines. Rolls-Royce and Bentley are owned by Volkswagen AG , but BMW will take over the Rolls-Royce name and production in January. Among the other recalls NHTSA announced Tuesday: -- DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler arm will recall 88,000 1996 Chrysler Sebring cars to replace a throttle cable that can stick. -- Honda Motor Co. Ltd. will replace the passenger air bag modules in 403 2001 Acura Integra and Honda Insight cars that could fail to deploy in a collision. -- Lotus dealers will be ordered to replace leak-prone fuel tanks on 546 1991 Lotus Elan sports cars.

Jul 30, 2002 - 13:56 - From: phil
Title: Brake system upgrade
Message: Dimitris, since you have already uprated your standard discs why not now fit high friction pads and high temperature DOT 5.1 fluid? It will cost you under £50 in parts and you will see a big improvement. Visit www.informatica.zen.co.uk/elan/HiSpecBrakes.htm where another Phil has put some info about the friction ratings of Greenstuff etc vs stock pads. My experience matches his comments, the greens do greatly improve braking, wear rapidly on the track (but not so much that you can wear out a new set in one day) and work very well on the road even from cold.

Jul 30, 2002 - 18:49 - From: Doug
Title: Elan Recall
Message: Keith is right! I checked the NHTSA website and it confirms the Elan recall! It only took about 3 or 4 years but it is about time--at least they realized it is cheaper to fix the defective tanks than pay even a single lawsuit from the defect, and the best part is no one had to be hurt or worse by the tank leak! Cheers to Lotus.

Jul 30, 2002 - 18:54 - From: Don Ferrario
Title: Stan's M100 exhaust system
Message: Dan Miller and I have been talking to Bill at Isuzuperformance, and Stan who assembles the exhaust system that Bill previously offered. As far as I can see, this is the only bolt-on performance exhaust system that anyone currently offers for our cars. Of course, since Bill no longer offers it, I guess the word "currently" is incorrect. After many conversations and emails, the following is a synopsis of the result.

As we already knew, Bill is out of the Isuzu/M100 parts business. I talked to Bill at length about this. The cost to engineer custom performance parts for our cars, divided by the few number of possible sales, makes the resulting part cost more than most people want to pay. The result, of course, is few sales.

Manufacturing the exhaust system is more complicated than I would have guessed. Bill manufactures the flanges, and other hard parts, then has to ship them to Stan, who makes the pipes and attaches the other pieces. The catalytic converter is quite expensive. Bill tested several different catalytic converters, before finding one that did not set a fault code in the car's computer. Bill worked with several different M100's to get the fit as close as possible. Every M100 had the attaching points in a slightly different spot, as far as relative dimensions go. Typical Lotus - no two cars are ever the same. That means when you get your exhaust system, don't be surprised if some minor "fitting" is necessary.

There are no exhaust systems currently in stock. Bill and Stan are willing to make a run if we buy 10 sets. They will only ship the 10 to one person. They will not collect money from 10 people, and send to 10 addresses. The price for the 10 sets is $8,000, plus shipping (about $500 in US, they go on a pallett by truck).

So, option #1 is that 10 of us send money to one person. Remember that person will need to have a building to receive the pallett, break up the shipment, and re-send everything. With re-shipping, they will be about $900/each. Since Bill only sold 8 of these in the last 2 years, I doubt there are 10 of us ready and waiting, but that option is available.

OPTION #2: If I am willing to "inventory" some of these systems, Bill work work with me on the price in a small way. I do mean *small*. If 5 people are willing to pre-buy at the same price above, I will inventory the remaining 5 sets. For those of you who don't know me, I am an auto dealer (not Lotus). See www.ferrario.com. Again, the 5 pre-buys would need to be pre-paid, the cost will be about $900 including US shipping. I can do overseas at whatever the cost is.

Because I will have a financial investment and risk, those who buy later will pay more. I can't invest $4000 and hold them around for nothing. After the initial buy, sales from my inventory will be $100 higher. Those 5 will be the last ones ever made, as Bill has made it clear that he does not wish to do this again, and the tooling will be destroyed after our deal is done. He doesn't have the room to store it.

So... the ball is in our court. We can put our money up, or shut up.

Jul 30, 2002 - 19:56 - From: Mars
Title: Elan Recall
Message: Great to hear that Lotus will fix those leaky fuel tanks at their cost. Congratulations to all who have lobbied so hard for this recall. I have a 1994 Elan which is fine, however, if I do face the same problem, the precedence has now been set. I have followed this issue (& others) with interest and noted the comments placed by Lotus Nut & Lotus Wanker..oops...Warrior with great disgust. WELL DONE & what a FANTASTIC site this is.

Jul 31, 2002 - 01:18 - From: Dimitris
Title: Brake System Upgrade / Elan recalls
Message: Hi Guys. Phil, thanks again for the brake stuff. It seems that I'll try to find EBC pads here, in Greece, and see what happens :) ... About the recall, I am really glad to hear this. I hope that after 5 years (if I still own this car) Lotus will accept a recall in other countries than USA...

Jul 31, 2002 - 03:52 - From: Philbo
Title: Exhausts
Message: Hi Don, I appreciate what you are offering and the efforts you have made. However, it is not true to say that there are no performance exhaust alternatives for the Elan - there are at least 3 that I know of, although they are all based in the UK at least 2 would ship to the states. Option 1 is the SJSportscars system. I don't know much about this but I know a few people have it. Option 2 is the Paul Matty Sportscars system. I have this exhaust, it is a 2.5" S/S system from the downpipe with a straight through exhaust and is definitely performance-enhancing. I hope to provide some exact bhp figures soon. It costs £400 fitted in the UK. Compared with Bill's system it possibly suffers in the comparison as it retains the original headers and downpipe, but for whatever reason it may not suffer in the bhp stakes, we will see. Finally I had a quote prepared by Hayward and Scott in the UK, who are expert custom exhaust producers for race cars. They would take the car off your hands for a few weeks and produce a custom S/S system AND headers. This is a by-hand custom job and I'm sure would be of the very best quality. I was quoted around £400 for the exhaust system and silencer, and £400 for the headers. Because they only fit to cars in their workshop, they wouldn't be able to ship to the US. However the SJSportscars and Paul Matty options seem to be viable for the US market, for about the same or less than Bill's ex-system after shipping.

Jul 31, 2002 - 06:19 - From: George
Title: Exaust
Message: Well, I don't know if anyone will be interested. My mechanic guy/friend is offering custom exaust systems for our Elans and other cars. He is located in the N. Cal Bay Area. I believe the price for the custom job is between $550-$750. Since he is not interested in making a production run... He will be building the exaust systems on custom basis. If anyone is interested in getting an exaust system, let me know. I'll bring my car in so he can us my car as a model and build one. Just a thought.

Jul 31, 2002 - 08:48 - From: Dave M.
Title: exhaust
Message: I am interested in getting an exhaust later this year and am curious of the options you all have mentioned (thanks, BTW to Don and George for the offers you've made). I know there are some pictures of the uninstalled systems floating around, but could those of you with a Stan's, Phil with your Paul Matty system, or anyone with another setup please get a picture of the rear of your car. I'm curious to see what the exhaust looks like as it exits. Yes, it may seem trivial, and I know I could have another tip fitted, but I'd rather go with what comes on the system. If you send the photos to me, I'll put them together in a form Doug can easily post so others can compare. Phil, does the Paul Matty system have a cat (I'm guessing no), or does it merely have straight pipe back from the downpipe? Also, what do you consider the "downpipe". On a US car I call the downpipe the piece between the pre-cat and the cat. Does the UK car have the same length pipe? I estimate the US piece is about 20-25" long. I just want to make sure the PM system would fit a US car with minimal hassle. Thanks!

Jul 31, 2002 - 09:08 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Don, exhaust
Message: The guy who modified Bill's exhaust on my Lotus and completely replaced the exhaust on my Capri stated that the only difficult part to make for the Elan exhaust is the pre-cat replacement. If we could get Stan's Headers to make a run of that one part then any competent exhaust fabricator can build the rest of the system for any of us easily. Don, since you are already in discussions with them can you inquire as to the cost of this one piece? I would order one just to have a spare on hand, even though I already have Bill's exhaust. Manufacturing this one part might be the best way to go, as none of our Elan's tolerences differ where this piece fits to the J-pipe. Also, all those in the UK who already have OTHER performance exhausts would benefit greatly from the addition of this piece to their exhaust system. So both on a need and cost basis, there probably will be a greater demand for this piece than for Stan's entire M100 exhaust... (ps - there are no fitment differences between US & UK exhausts. The UK piece is merely a US pre-cat with no internal media)

Jul 31, 2002 - 09:13 - From: Curly
Title: Waste Gate
Message: Hi peeps, I need a new waste gate, the rod is in a pretty bad way with rust etc and is causing a lack of boost. Does this mean I have to buy a new turbo?? If so, Oooof

Jul 31, 2002 - 10:01 - From: Alan McNicol
Title: Exhausts
Message: Just a word on the current performance exhaust discussion. I spoke to Paul Matty Sportscars about an exhaust a while back. They will only fit the performance system if you have an MBC (to prevent ECU cutting the engine on slight overboost). I'm happy with standard boost so I went for their standard 2" stainless steel offering. Although not sold as a performance exhaust it certainly helped my car - sounds great, performance is up and fuel consumption down. I suppose this is down to fact that it has straight through silencer (that's a muffler to you Yanks) and my old exhaust had been 'modified' a little to much to make it fit over the front suspension and was pretty constricted - Alan.

Jul 31, 2002 - 13:02 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: fuel tank recall
Message: This recall is not the great deal you might think it is. If your tank is currently leaking and must be replaced, then it will be done free of charge. If however, you took it upon yourself and have already had it done Lotus will only reimburse you the cost of the tank (the part itself), which is far less than half the cost of replacement. I spoke with Dave Simkin about this today. Such is the extent of Lotus's concern towards their customers. This is merely a move on their part to avoid lawsuits in the future, not because of any concern for your well being.

Jul 31, 2002 - 15:04 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: NHTSA weighs in
Message: I called NHTSA at (888)327-4236 and spoke to a gentleman named Lazarro about the Lotus recall. He said the manufacturer must provide all work covered under the recall for free, whether the work had been performed prior to the recall or not. He said once a recall has been issued, it is no longer up to the manufacturer, it is now a Federal matter, and it would be a Federal offence for the manufacturer not to provide you with a free remedy within a reasonable period of time. He also said that you must wait until you receive your recall notice from the manufacturer (in the case of this recall, that will be another couple of weeks) before taking any action. He said if you do not receive a recall notice from the manufacturer that is a Federal offence as well. So, either Dave Simkin or Lazarro is wrong; but if I were a betting man, my money would be on Lazarro, as he does this sort of thing every day.

Jul 31, 2002 - 15:10 - From: Phil
Title: FRONT BRAKE UPGRADE
Message: Dimitris. If you can't get the EBC Greenstuff in Greece I believe that SJ Sportcars in the UK will ship export. You can telephone them on +44 1363 777790, website is www.sjsportscars.co.uk. They take credit cards and the part number for a Greenstuff front set is SJ100J0011

Jul 31, 2002 - 16:05 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: tank update
Message: Well guess what ladies & gentlemen? The truth of the matter (this from Robert, operator #50 for NHTSA) is that even if you paid to have your gas tank replaced 1 day before a recall was issued the manufacturer does NOT have to reimburse you for it. Yet if you have it done after the recall is issued, the manufacturer MUST pay for it 100%. This is a loophole in the law that Lotus is taking full advantage of. I urge each one of you who has paid to have this work done to call Andy Johnson at (800)245-6887 to complain about this. He will be in the office on Monday. For my part, I am going to dispatch letters off to Car & Driver, Road & Track, Motor Trend, Automobile & Autoweek in the hopes that one of them will print it in their magazine, so that all new potential Elise owners will know what kind of company they'll be dealing with; and even more importantly, make those potential buyers aware of the flaws they can expect should they decide to purchase a Lotus. It just does not make good financial sense to do wrong by your customers.

Jul 31, 2002 - 16:10 - From: Doug
Title: Pre-cat / Wastegate rod
Message: Guys, the exhaust info is very good, if you know it well then submit it to the Online Parts page so others can see all the info and you will not have to re-post it again! I'm waiting for Bill Sun to chime in here about the pre-cat eliminators he is in the process of developing, which all could benefit from . . . Curly, welcome and add yourself to the Owners Listing! Others have had this problem in the past and usually (1) fitting a clamp wrench to the rod, (2) spraying it with a lot of rust-penetrator (cool engine), and (3) a lot of elbow grease will break up the crud and get it to work right again. At worst you would need it overhauled or rebuilt but not a new one as it is a simple mechanism piece. No one to my knowledge has needed this but the labor would be big to get it all out and back in!!

Jul 31, 2002 - 16:32 - From: Matthew Welsh
Title: Arnie, not Andy
Message: The name of the gentleman at Lotus USA is Arnie, not Andy (Johnson). No disrespect intended, just a simple mistake on my part. Heck, I did pretty good getting it that close!

Jul 31, 2002 - 17:17 - From: Don Ferrario
Title: exhaust
Message: Philibo: Please tell us about SJ's exhaust system, and the un-installed cost of a complete system including a catalytic converter. Most of us here in the US have regular emissions testing, and no repair shop is going to install a system without. It's not worth their risking trouble with the law. If the cost is similar to the Paul Matty system, it sounds like the cost is similar to the proposal from Bill's Isuzu.

It does seem like eliminating the pre-cat with a smooth transition is one of the most important changes a good exhaust would make. I currently have my pre-cat gutted out, but that makes for quite a turbulent pressure point when it squeezes back down to the 2" down-pipe. My understanding is that most of the alternatives previously done use the original pre-cat pipe (gutted). Is anyone using a bolt-on system (other than Stan's Headers) that changes everything right from the exhaust manifold?

For me and I suspect others, we just don't have the option of going to a local custom exhaust builder, who would have the knowledge to properly design such a system. Yes, a local muffler shop could build you something, but it probably would be a step backwards from the original equipment setup.

Dave M: Photos of the system are still online at http://www.lotuselancentral.com/exhaust.htm. Not sure who did the writeup, but maybe that person could take a photo of his installed system, to show us the tip?

Matthew: Yes, I thought of just getting the down pipe which eliminates the pre-cat, but Bill's Isuzu was not interested in selling such. For us in the US that need a catalytic converter, just the down-pipe wouldn't be much use anyway, because you would still have to replace the converter. The original has flanges. Bill's catalytic converter uses flared pipes and clamps. By the time you bought his down-pipe and the matching converter from him or elsewhere, you'd probably spend about as much. I suspect the converter alone is at least $300. It isn't the el-cheapo kind you buy at the NAPA store for 80 bucks.

I'm still interested in alternatives that involve a complete system from the manifold back, that don't involve shipping my car to California or England! ;-)

Jul 31, 2002 - 17:22 - From: Concerned Lotus Owner
Title: 2003 Scenario
Message: Lotus Cars have decided not to sell any more cars in US after Matthew Welsh, an owner of an 11 year old car, decided the manufacturer has to pay for any part on his car that fails for any reason for ever and a day. Prospective owners of the Elise that some people have been awaiting in the US since 1996 are said to be furious. The further alienation of M100 owners from the Lotus clan is complete. The bad publicity caused by the deranged outburst of Matthew Welsh have caused the sales of Lotus cars worldwide to drop and Lotus have had to lay off another few hundred loyal staff. In the unemployment blackspot of Norwich the prospects for those now out of a job are not good. You're out by a few measly dollars ($673.63 to be precise, less than the cost of a service at an authorised Lotus dealer) and you seem to want to destroy the company. Imagine if someone decided to bad mouth "DTR Software" I bet you'd be up in arms. I'm sure all the staff in Hethel wish you'd never even bought the car in the first place. Tell you what I'll buy the thing off you for what you paid, add on 10 percent, and crush it to stop your sodding whining. In other words. FFS put a bleeding sock in it tosspot, the board is full of enough drivel as it is, most of it fuelled by yourself.

Jul 31, 2002 - 17:23 - From: Phil
Title: Leaking fuel tanks
Message: Matthew, remember that if Lotus go belly up because they can't sell new cars we will all find it increasingly difficult to get parts to keep our cars on the road. I understand your anger, but I don't think the Lotus attitude to their customers is any different to what we see in the UK from the premium brands like Mercedes and BMW on cars that are 10 years old, and their pockets are certainly a lot deeper than Lotus. Once a car is years out of the warranty period, most manufacturers act the same way.

Jul 31, 2002 - 20:12 - From: George
Title: Exhaust
Message: Well, I agree with Don on the thought of exhaust. It just happened that my exhaust has been modified by my friend and for those who've driven my car can vouch on this (Mark, Sheva?). My car has literally almost a flat power curve. The acceleration is strong from lower rpm all the way up to redline. The common issue of turbo cars: Low torque at lower rpms has pretty much been eliminated. Recently, the guys just put on a nitrous system on a new Viper GTS while upgrading the monster's exhaust as well... I think that car is turning around 600hp right now... The crazy owner is also putting in a supercharger, which will bump the car's power to around 720 at the wheels.... Sorry to wander off the subject... ;-) Anyway, I think it doesn't matter how you cut the pie, a custom built exhaust with a high-flow cat and high quality fitted parts will definitely be more performance beneficial than my measly modified stock exhaust (which is pretty damn good)!