2005 LOTUS ELISE Owners Manual

Scheduled wheel alignment and balancing are not required.
However, if you notice unusual tire wear or the car pulling to one side or the other, the alignment may need to be reset. If
you notice the car or steering wheel vibrating when driving on a smooth road, the wheels may need to be re-balanced.
Wheel Replacement Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, badly corroded or
otherwise damaged. If the wheel bolts come loose after having been correctly fitted, the wheel and bolts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, have it replaced. See your Lotus dealer if any of these conditions should arise.
Ensure that only Lotus approved wheels and wheel bolts
are used.
WARNING:
• Using incorrect, or non-approved replacement wheels or wheel bolts could be dangerous. It could affect the brak
-
ing and handling of your car, or cause tire deflation, and result in a crash in which you or others could be killed
or seriously injured. Always use Lotus approved wheels
and wheel bolts.
• Putting a used wheel on your car is dangerous. It may have been subjected to a heavy impact and suffered
structural damage which cannot be seen. It could break
and cause a crash in which you and others could be killed
or seriously injured.
ohs114a
Coded wheelbolt
Coded tool
17mm socket, extension & torque wrench
Standard wheelbolt
Standard tool
Tires & Wheels
127

oh_croft_InD.indd 12720/05/2004 07:59:12ProCarManuals.com

NOTICE: Using incorrect wheel/tire equipment can also cause problems with wheel bearing life, brake cooling, speedo and
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, ground clearance and tire
clearance to the body.
WARNING: Dirt or corrosion on a wheel or hub mounting flange or
wheel bolts, can result in the wheel bolts coming loose.
The wheel could come off and cause a crash in which you and others could be killed or seriously injured. Thoroughly
clean these components or fit new Lotus approved replace
-
ments before fitting a wheel. Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or hub threads.
If you do, the bolts could come loose and the wheel could
come off, causing a crash in which you and others could be killed or seriously injured. Using incorrect wheel bolts, or the wrong tightening
torque could cause the bolts to come loose and the wheel to come off, resulting in a crash in which you and others could be killed or seriously injured. Use only the correct Lotus
approved wheel bolts tightened to 77 lbf.ft (105 Nm).
NOTICE: Improperly tightened wheel bolts, or dirt on the wheel
to hub mounting face can cause brake pulsation and judder, and damage the brake discs. To avoid expensive brake repairs,
ensure complete cleanliness on assembly and tighten the wheel
bolts in a diagonal sequence to the correct torque.
For advice and information on lifting the Elise, refer to ‘Lifting
Points’ on page 148Tires & Wheels
128

oh_croft_InD.indd 12820/05/2004 07:59:12ProCarManuals.com

ELECTRICAL
BATTERY
WARNING:
POISON/DANGER - CAUSES SEVERE BURNS KEEP OUT
OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
• Contains sulphuric acid - avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. If in contact with skin or eyes; flush with copious amounts of water. Remove contaminated clothing. Seek
immediate medical attention. If ingested; seek immediate
medical attention. Do not induce vomiting or give fluids
to drink.
• Batteries produce explosive gases. Keep sparks, flames and cigarettes away. Ventilate when charging or using in
enclosed space. Always shield eyes when working near
batteries.
RISK OF SHORT CIRCUIT AND FIRE
• Observe all warning notes on the battery.
• Disconnect the battery during all work on the electrical system.
• Do not lay tools or other metal objects on the battery as they could cause a short circuit across the battery
terminals.
Battery Access The ‘maintenance free’ battery is located at the left hand
front of the rear luggage compartment. No routine inspection or topping up of the electrolyte is required, but at inter vals
specified in the Maintenance Schedule, the battery terminals
should be checked for security and condition, and protected
with petroleum jelly. For access to the terminals, first unclip the battery cover
from the floor and ease the cover from around the left hand rear corner of the battery.
Disconnecting the Battery
WARNING: Failure to follow the correct battery disconnection pro
-
cedure detailed below could result in serious burns.
Electrical
129

oh_croft_InD.indd 12920/05/2004 07:59:13ProCarManuals.com

If the battery is to be disconnected, the following precautions
should be taken: i) Ensure that all electrical loads (e.g. lights) are switched off. If
the car is fitted with security coded audio equipment, check
that the code is available for entering after battery reconnec
-
tion.
ii) Wait for at least ten seconds after switching off the ig-
nition to allow the engine management system to adjust the

setting of some components ready for re-starting.
iii) Ensure the alarm is disarmed. If the battery is disconnected
when armed, the alarm will be triggered.
iv) Disconnect the
negative (earth; black; ‘-’) battery cable first,
and re-connect last.
WARNING:
If the battery positive terminal is inadvertently earthed
(e.g. when using a spanner) whilst the negative terminal
is still connected, the resultant short circuit with heavy sparking and current flow could cause serious burns.
To remove the battery, pull off the breather pipe (if applicable),
release the single screw securing the clamp bracket at the
base of the battery, and manoeuvre the battery from the base
retaining shoe.
ohs145
Batter y clamp
Electrical
130

oh_croft_InD.indd 13020/05/2004 07:59:13ProCarManuals.com

WARNING:When lifting the battery out of, or into the car, be aware
of the considerable weight and take all appropriate precau
-
tions to safeguard personal health. Injury can result from improperly lifting the battery.
Keep the battery upright, and protect from sharp knocks
and shocks.
Reconnecting the Battery
WARNING: Failure to follow the correct battery re- connection pro
-
cedure detailed above could result in serious burns.
Refit the battery, with its terminals outboard, by reversing the
above procedure. Remember to push on the breather pipe (if
applicable), and reconnect the battery cables as detailed below.
Refit the battery cover.
i) Check again that all electrical loads are switched off.
ii) Connect the positive battery cable first, followed by the neg
-
ative (earth) cable.
iii) After reconnection, a change in the engine performance
characteristics may be noted for a period whilst the computer
controlled engine management system ‘re-learns’ some of its
settings.
iv) If necessary, enter the security code into audio equipment.
Battery Charging Under conditions of normal daily use, it should not be nec
-
essary to use external battery charging equipment. In a low usage regime, however, it is important to maintain the charge
state of the battery using a trickle charger, or an automatic bat
-
tery management conditioner such as that available through Lotus Dealers. Starting difficulties may be encountered after an
unattended period of 3 weeks. A battery conditioner is able to continuously monitor battery charge state and switch on and off automatically in order to maintain the battery in a fully charged
state without danger of damage through overcharging.
If the battery becomes discharged to the extent that the
car cannot be started, the recommended course of action is
to fit a substitute battery whilst the original battery is trickle
Electrical
131

oh_croft_InD.indd 13120/05/2004 07:59:13ProCarManuals.com

charged. If, in an emergency, the car has to be ‘jump’ started,
the subsequent conditions of car use may not allow for sufficient alternator charging of the battery to achieve a fully charged
state. The battery should be trickle charged until 12.8 volts is recorded, which process may take 24 hours or longer. Putting
the battery into service at a lower state of charge will reduce
the time period for which the car can be parked. A battery left
in a fully discharged state for a prolonged period, may not be recoverable to its original condition.
WARNING:
• Hydrogen gas generated by the battery could cause an explosion, resulting in severe personal injuries.
• Charge battery in a well ventilated area.
• Never charge a frozen battery. It may explode because of gas trapped in the ice. Allow a frozen battery to thaw
out first.
• If you get electrolyte, which is an acid, in your eyes or on your skin, immediately rinse with cold water for several minutes and call a doctor.
Unless you are using an automatic batter y management
conditioner, the battery should be removed from the car for
recharging, to a well ventilated area to avoid a build up of fumes
in the luggage compartment and to prevent damage to the car's
electrical system. Observe the safety precautions listed above
when removing the battery and take care to avoid sharp knocks
or shocks, keeping the battery as upright as possible. Beware
of the considerable weight of a battery, and take necessary precautions against personal injury. Check that the electrolyte level is between the upper and
lower markers on the battery case, and if necessary add dis
-
tilled water. The recommended bench charge rate is 4 amps.
When the battery is fully charged (12.8 volts), allow the battery
to stand for an hour before refitting to the car and reconnecting
the leads - see above.
Electrical
132

oh_croft_InD.indd 13220/05/2004 07:59:13ProCarManuals.com

‘Jump’ StartingIf the battery becomes discharged to the extent that the en
-
gine cannot be started, proprietary good quality ‘jumper cables’ may be used to connect with the battery of a second car in order
to provide the energy necessary for starting.
WARNING: It is most important that the correct procedure is fol
-
lowed in order to avoid damage to either car’s electrical system, and most importantly, to minimise the danger of a
spark induced battery explosion. Check that the slave car
also has a NEGATIVE EARTH electrical system.
i) With the engine of the slave car running at a fast idle, use one jumper cable (red) to connect the positive (+) terminal of
one battery to the positive terminal of the other battery. Take
care during this process to avoid inadvertently earthing a free end of this cable to the metal body or chassis of either car.
ii) Connect one end of the other jumper cable (black) to the negative (-) terminal of the discharged battery.
iii) A spark will occur when the other end of this cable (the final connection) is connected to an earth on the slave car. This
connection should therefore be made to a point away from
the battery, and away from any fuel vapour area or moving
parts. An engine hanger bracket is often ideal.
iv) Start the car in the usual way, and run at a fast idle.
ohs14c
JUMP STARTING
Electrical
133

oh_croft_InD.indd 13320/05/2004 07:59:14ProCarManuals.com

v) A spark will occur at the first disconnection of a jumper cable, so it is essential that the first disconnection is made from the
slave car earth. Both batteries (especially the
discharged one) will be ‘gassing’ heavily at this time, and if the first disconnection is made at a battery terminal, there is
a danger that the hydrogen gas may be ignited by the spark
with a resultant explosion.
vi) Have the cause of the flat battery investigated and rectified,
and trickle charge the battery as detailed above.
WARNING:
• Risk of damage and serious personal injury due to

shortcircuit.
• Use only jumper cables of adequate cross-section, fitted
with completely insulated alligator clamps. The cables must be long enough to allow that neither cars nor cables
touch each other.
• Follow all warnings and instructions of the jumper cable
manufacturer.
• When connnecting the jumper cables, keep them away
from engine moving parts.
• The two cars must not contact each other, or current could flow as soon as the positive terminals are connected.
• When the first clamp on each cable is connected, the other clamp on that cable must be held carefully to make sure it does not come into contact with either another cable
clamp or either car.
• Ensure that tools or metal watches or jewellery do not contact the battery terminals or live car parts.
NOTICE:

• Improper jumper cable connection can damage the alternator
and other electrical components.
• Do not attempt to push or tow start the car, as damage to the
catalytic converter or other parts could be caused.
Electrical Accessories Owners should note that the only approved extras and modi
-
fications are those which are specified by Lotus and carried out by Lotus or by an authorised dealer. Neither Lotus Cars Ltd. or
Lotus Cars Inc. accept any liability whatsoever for defects which arise from extras or modifications which are not approved by
Lotus Cars Ltd.
Electrical
134

oh_croft_InD.indd 13420/05/2004 07:59:14ProCarManuals.com