Commiserate with me - I shouldn't buy a Lotus Elise, Update: But I just did.

[JulesMaximus]

Yep I'm sure.

This is the warning sticker, though I'm having trouble finding a picture of the actual sticker:

http://www.factorychryslerparts.com...ar-Warning--Warning-Bar/4329525/04708022.html

I'll take a picture when I get home.

I'm not saying that the windshield will provide adequate protection, just that the sport bar is there just to support the hard top and provides no safety function.

Viper GTS

I was referring only to your comment about the A-pillar (just disputing that it offers any protection). Guess I could have worded that better. 😉

I believe you about the sport bar.

 

[_Rick_]

Guess I ought to avoid flipping then 😀

 

[JulesMaximus]

Guess I ought to avoid flipping then 😀

:thumbsup: That's probably a good idea. :biggrin:

 

[_Rick_]

Took her out for a spin, and had her wiggle her butt a little bit... sadly, not much space each time, so I got out of it and she straightened right out, but I'm really interested in seeing how wayward she really gets, what with all the mid-engined snap-oversteer.

Also, took another snapshop, next to my company 1er. Yes the 1 is parked slightly higher. No, it's still ridiculous 😀

Also, no further leaking coolant from the expansion reservoir, still swapped the cap, just to be sure.
Now the HGF waiting game begins 😀

 

[_Rick_]

And 500 miles into ownership, the CEL comes up.
Apparently the S2's all support OBD2 though (S1s don't) and I just ordered a cheap BT adapter.

If it's the lambda/O2 sensor, I'm looking at removing the exhaust manifold, most likely. That sounds like it might be getting expensive. There are ways to replace it without removing the EM, but you're looking at breaking some plastic bits and pieces, and working big ring spanners into tight places, to remove the most likely welded in sensor from its socket.
Hopefully it was only the heat messing with the sensor, and the light clears up again - I'll keep you posted 😀

 

[_Rick_]

Plugged in the early-arriving OBD-adapter, got a P1037 (sensor 2<165mV) as expected, drove to the garage to see if they can swap in a new one, make an appointment, get back into the car, and the logged fault disappears. Apparently only a short-term short-circuit or malfunction. I'll still get the exchaust checked on Friday, to see if the wiring isn't compromised, before a long week-end trip into the Vosgues on Saturday.

Now I just have to figure out whether the OBD adapter goes into standby or if i have to unplug it every time. Got a cheapo EXZA adapter.

 

[_Rick_]

Garage update!

Now with video surveillance 🙂

Also took her out into the Vosges a few days ago, and scared a friend of mine (only went into one corner with locked wheels - downhill sections mess with your sense of braking) and drove through two tanks....

Great, sweaty, grown-up fun. Too bad that the Black Forest is so devoid of propetly fun roads, putting in several hours of driving just to get to the properly twisty bits makes any fun trip essentially a week-end outing.

Also, after I got back, every other car I've driven since feels so unwieldly, floaty, remote, the steering wheels are huge and .... I don't know, it's like writing with your left hand, or driving a car after an hour on the go-kart track. Especially power steering is driving me insane 😀

I dread the day I have to seriously shop for a minivan.

 

[_Rick_]

Well, let me reassess that last bit about the Black Forest:
The fun roads are very technical/bumpy and quite a bit away, but they do exist.

Had an end-of-season bash on Saturday and actually got some sore muscles today from all the wheel-wrestling 🙂
It's a lovely car, loud, rattly, smelly, loud, hot, cold, loud..but damn it feels hooked up and connected.
Got a few scares yesterday as well - a bit of mud on the road in the transition of braking and turning in made the rear step out on a technical bit, but she behaved very friendly (and I was going relatively slow already) and regained composure smoothly. Also had a deer jump ahead of the car in front of me, while admittedly following maybe a tad too closely - ended up stopped only a few feet behind the Beetle.

Braking performance is the one thing that I'd like to have a bit more of, but short of getting even stickier tires, I don't see that happening soon. Already, the tires are quite aggressive, as is suitable for the car.

Now she's going into 4 months (and a week!) of forced hibernation - Disconnected the battery, so hopefully no drama in spring. Quarter of a tank of fuel in there, which is a decent compromise between the fuel degrading over winter, and the tank corroding.

Sleep well, little princess.

 

[_Rick_]

So, an update after two years of ownership:
The coolant cap is still being difficult, but holds for now - just don't touch it when the engine is warm - impossible to fit it when the reservoir's plastic is warm and pliable...

Had a hit with a dog - luckily insurance covered - 2000 euros of labor for fixing and painting. And that's without taking a hit to the front clam, but instead just behind the driver door.
Services are still expensive, due to the labor associated with getting the floor off - at least the rattly floor was fixed the last time around. Also, apparently I was the first owner to replace brake fluid and spark plugs....

Just now the driver side window regulator started being a problem, the trunk lock stopped latching a few weeks ago, and I had both front indicators replaced, because one fell out, and the other was also loose. Pretty normal issue for these cars, with a plastic clip holding the assembly in place. Once the plastic ages, the vibration will get the better of it. Hopefully these will last a few years now


The yellow stripe is also getting lose around the engine cover. Might have to get that part re-wrapped eventually.

Put around 4k miles on her each year, which is probably more than any previous owner ever did. Still a lot of fun, and no major electrical or mechanical issues so far.
Next big maintenance issue coming up is likely a brake job next year, and some new tires. Might as well have the suspension alignment and bump stops/rubber boots checked out while the wheels are coming off.

I'm also considering removing the open air filter and going back to a more restricted intake - currently the setup is very much a hot air intake, which may sound cool (ffffffffft), but I suspect a cold air side-intake (there's some piping still in there) is more efficient once the engine bay has warmed up.

Oh, idiot me also chipped the paint off of both doors. The damn hinges have no intermediate stop and fall outward naturally, and that caught me out twice. The pointy end is made to just have the paint explode off it as well. Probably should install some subtle rubber bumpers there, so everyone can see that the driver is an idiot....

 

[Kaido]

1. Got updated pics?

2. Still in love with her after 2 years?

 

[_Rick_]

1. Got updated pics?

2. Still in love with her after 2 years?

Not much has changed, so new pics wouldn't show anything... I do have something though (hopefully it loads):

And yes, love is still absolute. I did buy a set of ear plugs, because otherwise autobahn-mileage is close to unbearable, but at all other times, sitting down in those seats is like falling into the embrace of a slightly older, very horny lover.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I still look at the classified ads for those every now and then. It is the most rewarding car I've ever had the pleasure to have driven by far.

 

[clok1966]

Cool to see an update 2 years later, as a car nut I think eveybody should get a DREAM CAR sometime in their life but know it will probably not live up to those dreams. I would never own one as an only car, but i live with snow, and i can tell you mid engine cars are no fun in it (yes i have one, not this brand though), hell no car with any real power is fun in snow. I own 2 rwd Horsepower monsters, put those huge road hugging tires and the front just pushes.. But there is no better feeling then having that Dream car and it living up to 90% of the dream.. I love most of mine, if you think buying one might be silly, I keep buying them, no plans of ever selling them so depreciation is not a concern. I just wish there where more places to open them up.. 75MPH speed limit is no fun if its straight, off ramps that are supposed to be 25 at 75 are fun though!

 

[agent00f]

I just wish there where more places to open them up.. 75MPH speed limit is no fun if its straight, off ramps that are supposed to be 25 at 75 are fun though!

This is basically true of any modern car. The bigger problem when pushing them hard isn't speed per se but heat buildup, ie sustaining it.

 

[_Rick_]

This is basically true of any modern car. The bigger problem when pushing them hard isn't speed per se but heat buildup, ie sustaining it.

Luckily this Elise is a car from the 70s built in the 00s. Though the only place you notice that, is in the OBDII port, the injection engine and the CD-player....
Everything else is technologically no different from 50 year old cars. And with a mere 120 horsepower, there's the advantage of being able to use all the car, most of the time. She does stay inside during the winter though, saving on tax and insurance to boot.

 

[agent00f]

Luckily this Elise is a car from the 70s built in the 00s. Though the only place you notice that, is in the OBDII port, the injection engine and the CD-player....
Everything else is technologically no different from 50 year old cars. And with a mere 120 horsepower, there's the advantage of being able to use all the car, most of the time. She does stay inside during the winter though, saving on tax and insurance to boot.

It might be decontented like an old car, but certainly otherwise more advanced than a seven. But the point stands that they don't make them like Elise anymore, the recent obsession with NVH and electric steering + control by wire makes anything new pretty numb by comparison. In the US at least it's getting hard to find manual trans. The cars are faster than ever tire and engine wise, but might as well be autonomous.

I think there's going to be an interesting phenomenon where "classic" cars will make a significant comeback with people who care about driving.

 

[_Rick_]

So, a quick financial insights update:
Went to the neighboring garage for the two-year obligatory tech inspection, and the inspector complained about the rear brakes, tires, front right upper ball joint had water ingress because of a broken boot, and the sun visor sticker on the windscreen didn't pass either.
Then it took the garage 3 weeks to tell me, they couldn't reliably source the replacements parts, so I ordered them online. Except for the brake disks (might as well go all in) nothing too expensive: 300 euros for tires, 150 euros for pads, oil filter and the ball joint, but almost 500 for brake disks.
Add almost a 100 euros for oil and recycling, and it doesn't sound too bad for a ~5-year maintenance, right?
Well, since I had to have two inspections, those cost me another 200 euros, and around 500 euros for labor to do the ball joint, tires and brakes front and rear.
Converting to USD, that puts me slightly above $2000.

And they probably have to readjust the parking brake, once the pads and disks have settled in...

On the plus side: they only charged me 39 dollars labor for an oil change - usually it's over a 100, since they have to take the bottom off...

And damn, I missed the little thing for the past four weeks!

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Man what a dream car, and really not bad to maintain! Glad you're loving it.

 

[freeskier93]

Man what a dream car, and really not bad to maintain! Glad you're loving it.

I don't know, think the OP night be a little lucky here. Lotus is not known for stellar quality. It the couple years we owned our Elise we had the shifter break off while driving, shift cable break, the plastic bits on the front were always breaking, if you looked at the paint wrong it would chip, and the engine grenaded from a failed oil pump.

 

[Yuriman]

I don't know, think the OP night be a little lucky here. Lotus is not known for stellar quality. It the couple years we owned our Elise we had the shifter break off while driving, shift cable break, the plastic bits on the front were always breaking, if you looked at the paint wrong it would chip, and the engine grenaded from a failed oil pump.

Some years had Toyota engines, and those at least weren't garbage. I believe they were tuned versions of the engine found in the Corolla?

 

[Viper GTS]

Let's be realistic here, even if you have to do a full engine replacement it's still cheaper to operate than most cars of that rarity/pure toy status.

Viper GTS

 

[_Rick_]

I don't know, think the OP night be a little lucky here. Lotus is not known for stellar quality. It the couple years we owned our Elise we had the shifter break off while driving, shift cable break, the plastic bits on the front were always breaking, if you looked at the paint wrong it would chip, and the engine grenaded from a failed oil pump.

Oh yeah, I did have two indicators fall out and replaced, dinged paint and fiber glass of both doors, because they only have full-open detents and no mid position (so you think they're static, but they wll fall open, with the slightest movement of the car - such as getting out 😀)
The engine so far has been quite reliable, only the coolant reservoir cap is challenging, since it -- and the replacements I obtained -- don't fit properly (the garage's pump-head for the coolant leak test does fit though...) and so when parking the car after a long drive on an incline on a hot summer day, I always expect the rear window to fog up, because of steam coming out of there.

The gearbox is prone to not fully engaging reverse as well, and third gear makes different noises than the other gears, when engine braking.

But because of the relatively high number of totalled cars from clam shell damage, I would hope that replacement parts for the engine are cheap. In general, most parts that are used, are 20 year old GM parts, so replacements are pretty cheap - unless it's one of the handmade bits, or the bloody paint.
Going to have to replace the yellow stripes soon, since they're starting to come off, but then I'm also the owner that's putting the most miles on that car, and the late teens are never a cheap period in a car's life cycle.

So yeah, I suspect a Miata might be cheaper, and probably an MR2/S2k as well - but they're not nearly as nice. The little Lotus makes people go crazy whereever it goes, because racecar 😀

(with For4/Twingo for scale 😀)

 

[rstrohkirch]

I agree, that's one sexy circle

 

[_Rick_]

So, one of the recurring issues is that she likes to stall out, recently. No CEL, so I don't think looking into OBD2 will get me miles ahead.
This happened when she was cold, earlier in the year, two or three times, and then after I had to jump start her last Tuesday, she went to work mostly behaved (she does do that thing, where she randomly revs the engine - maybe the starter re-engaging? Maybe something in the electronics), but stalled out a lot when idling - more so, the warmer she got. Also, she tried to idle at 500 rpm.
Will have to see, if that was just an intermittent thing, and starting her from scratch might reset some faulty memory value in the ECU, which might lead to the slow idle. Or maybe I got a bad signal from the MAF sensor, or some electronics elsewhere are mucking up a good signal. Still, no CEL is strange, as usually she's quite twitchy about values going out of spec intermittently, and a slow idle should be the result of some data inconsistency. Could also be the sensor on the crank reading fast, I guess.

Will check, if she runs next time out, otherwise I'm pretty sure I'll have to get her to a shop, where they can pull some voltages in a reasonable environment.

 

[pauldun170]

Torn intake boot?
Check for tears in the accordion part.
Then clean the maf sensor