2005 LOTUS ELISE change

HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONINGThe small size of the Elise together with the method of
construction and emphasis on lightweight, have resulted in heating and a.c. sytems which perform well under non-extreme
climatic conditions. In extreme temperatures and humidity the operational limits of the systems may be reached before the
desired temperature, or rate of temperature change inside the
car is achieved. The heating and ventilation controls comprise three rotary
switches to regulate; heater temperature, fan speed and air dis
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tribution. Push button switches are provided for air conditioning and air re-circulation.
Air Conditioning The left hand push button selects air conditioning, but the
following conditions must first be met before the system will
operate:
• The engine must be running;
• A fan speed must be selected;
• Ambient temperature must be above 3°C.
With a fully cold temperature setting, refrigerated air will be
supplied. For dehumidified warm air, select air conditioning in
conjunction with a warm temperature setting. The tell tale in the switch button will light up blue when the
circuit is active. Note that the a.c. will default to ‘off’ when the ignition is turned off.
Heating, Ventilation & A.C.
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INTERIOR CLIMATE CONTROLS

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stopping distance, a locked wheel provides little or no steering
force, such that with both front wheels locked, movement of the steering wheel has no effect on car direction. With the anti-lock
system, even panic braking results in controlled deceleration and the retention of steering response. ABS is especially ad
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vantageous when braking on slippery road surfaces and in bad driving conditions, but it is important to realise that the ABS
cannot increase the friction level at the road surface, but can only make optimum use of the grip available.
WARNING: When driving in adverse weather, or on poor road sur
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faces, always be alert to the possibility of slippery condi
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tions and make the necessary allowance for increased stop
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ping distances. Failure to do so may result in an accident in which you or others may be killed or seriously injured.
Normal braking, controlled by the pressure applied to the
brake pedal, occurs when the road conditions allow for decel
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eration to be achieved without danger of wheel lock. The relative
speeds of the four wheels are continuously monitored by the
ABS when the brakes are applied, and if one or more wheels begin to lock, the brake pressure to that wheel(s) is modulated
by the ABS to help keep the wheel rotating and provide the
maximum controlled braking force. The wheels may appear
to lock momentarily as the wheel speed rapidly changes, and some tire noise (intermittent screeching) may be heard which is normal and will vary with road and tire conditions. Note that the
ABS does not function at speeds below 5 mph (7 km/h). When the ABS is activated, the driver is will feel a ‘pulsing’
sensation at the brake pedal as the fluid pressure is modulated, and also by audible clicking sounds. These signals indicate to
the driver that maximum braking is occuring, and that driving style should be modified to suit the conditions.
The minimum stopping distance is achieved by applying the
brakes firmly and steadily, and allowing the ABS to modulate
hydraulic pressure. The driver should not attempt to emulate
this process by ‘pumping’ the brake pedal, as modulation at the pedal will treat all four wheels similarly, rather than the individual
wheel control allowed by the electronics. An ABS tell tale lamp in the instrument panel is provided
to warn of any problems in the system and to indicate that the
Driving Controls
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Gear LeverThe gear lever is spring biased towards the 3rd/4th gear plane,
and must be moved against light spring pressure to the left be
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fore selecting first or second gear, or against similar pressure to the right before selecting 5th or 6th speed.
Engaging Reverse Gear: With the car at a complete standstill
,
pause for a moment with the clutch pedal fully depressed before
moving the lever to the left, raising the lift collar beneath the
knob, and then further to the left over a spring detent before
finally pushing forwards to engage the gear.
When changing gear, it is essential that the transmission is
not abused by ‘power shifting’; the clutch pedal must be fully
depressed during each gear shift, and the throttle pedal eased
during upshifts.
NOTICE: Gearshifting without correct operation of the clutch and
throttle controls can result in severe damage to the transmission
and engine. Any damage caused by driving in this way will not be covered by the Limited Warranty.
Driving Controls
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GEAR CHANGE PATTERN

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NOTICE: The use of wide throttle openings and/or high rpm before the engine has reached normal running temperature will
result in premature wear, and should be avoided.
Idle Speed Engine idle speed is controlled electronically by the engine
management computer, and is normally about 850 rpm. A
raised idle speed is required under certain operating conditions
including the engine warm up phase, when the increased speed helps the catalytic converter to reach operating temperature, as
well as inhibiting engine stall. Idle speed will return to normal automatically when the engine has warmed sufficiently.
Engine Break-In Although the Elise powertrain is built to close tolerances
using modern technology, the progressive and sympathetic
breaking-in (or bedding-in) of a new engine and transmission
remains a major factor in attaining ef ficient operation with
smooth, durable and economic performance to last throughout
the life of the car.
NOTICE: Failure to comply with the following break-in provi
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sions could invalidate the terms of the car warranty:
It is important during the car’s early life to limit the workload on
the engine and thus control the heat generated within it, which is primarily a function of throttle opening and rpm. However, being
too sympathetic on the car will not allow the piston rings to bed in
satisfactorily, so a balance of spirited and gentle use is required.
For the first 600 miles (1,000 km), use no more than moderate
throttle openings (about half of the available accelerator pedal
travel) and do not run the engine continuously at engine speeds over 4,500 rpm. Occasional short bursts at wider throttle and
higher rpm will be beneficial, as will a constantly changing cruis
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ing speed and making full use of the gearbox. Do not allow the
engine to labour in too high a gear ratio, but change down and
let the engine operate in its natural power band. When changing gear, use only a light touch on the gear lever.
Forcing the change will cause unnecessary wear on the system components and result in higher shift efforts being required. Al
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low the brakes to bed-in by avoiding needless heavy braking for
the first 100 miles (160 km). Both gearchange and brake pedal
Starting & Engine Break-In
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Filler Cap: The fuel filler cap is located in the right hand rear
quarter panel, concealed beneath a spring loaded flap. To remove, pull open the flap and turn the cap anticlockwise.
As the cap is turned, any slight pressure differential between the tank and atmosphere will be released, and a brief hiss may be heard, which is completely normal. Note that the cap is tethered by a short strap to protect against loss.
To refit, place the cap into the filler neck and turn clockwise
until the ratchet mechanism clicks several times. Push the flap closed.
Filling Procedure:
Insert the pump nozzle fully into the neck, and
fill until the auto-shut off mechanism is triggered. Do not attempt to ‘brim’ the tank to the top of the filler neck, as expansion of the
fuel due to temperature change (cold underground fuel storage) may cause flooding of the fuel tank breather system charcoal
canister, or spillage of fuel. The useable fuel tank capacity is 10.6 U.S. gall. (40 litres).
ohs101a
FUEL FILLER FLAP & CAP
External Operations
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pressing firmly to ensure that the handle is fully seated. With-
draw the dipstick again to inspect the oil level, which should lie between the two dimples on the end of the stick. The oil level
should be maintained at the upper of these two marks in order
to provide optimum engine protection.
Topping Up
: If topping up is necessary, unscrew the oil filler cap
from the left hand end of the cam cover. Add a suitable quantity of the recommended engine oil (see ‘Recommended Lubricants’)
taking care not to spill any oil onto engine or electrical compo
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nents; use a funnel if necessary. The difference between high and low dipstick marks is equiv
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alent to 1.6 U.S. quarts (1.5 litre). Allow several minutes for the oil to drain through to the sump before re-checking the oil level.
Do NOT over fill, or lubrication will be degraded and consump
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tion increased as the oil becomes aerated. Refit the filler cap,
turning clockwise until secure.
Engine Oil Change The use of high quality oil, renewed at the specified intervals,
is the key to engine longevity and sustained performance. Ad
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here strictly to the engine oil and filter change intervals specified
in the Maintenance Schedule.
For access to the engine sump and filter, the engine bay
undertray must first be removed. This is most easily achieved
with the car raised on a garage hydraulic lift, or alternatively, parked over an inspection pit.
The drain plug is located at the rear of the sump, and should
be removed to drain the sump immediately after a run when
the oil is warm and the impurities are still held in suspension.
On cars fitted with front mounted oil coolers, it is not necessary routinely to attempt to drain the cooler circuit. Servicing & Maintenance
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exchangers from both frost damage, and metal corrosion. The
Elise is factory filled with a 50% concentration of Havoline XLC
Extended Life Coolant, which contains Organic Acid Technology
(OAT) based corrosion inhibitors to provide long coolant change intervals combined with freedom from environmentally damaging phosphates, silicates and nitrites.
NOTICE: No other type of coolant should be mixed with this
OAT coolant.
Havoline XLC may be identified by its orange colouration, and
by a label around the header tank filler neck. The 50% concen
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tration provides freezing protection down to - 40°F (- 40°C), and is recommended to be maintained throughout the life of the car.
Stronger concentrations should not be used. In an emergency, if an OAT coolant is not available, the
cooling system should be topped up using water only, but the reduction in freezing protection should be recognised, and the
concentration corrected promptly. In areas where the tap water is extremely hard (exceeding 250 parts per million), distilled, de-ionised or filtered rain water should be used for the water
content of the coolant mix. The effective level of ethylene glycol (anti-freeze) in the sys
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tem may be measured by your dealer using a hydrometer, but in order to ensure that the required level of corrosion protection is
maintained, the coolant should be renewed every 4 years. For coolant capacity, refer to ‘Recommended Lubricants‘
and ‘Technical Data’.
NOTICE: Using an incorrect coolant mixture may result in ex
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pensive damage to your engine and/or other car parts caused by overheating, freezing or corrosion effects. This damage would
not be covered by your new car warranty.
Coolant Drain /Refill Procedure The cooling system of the Lotus Elise has been carefully
optimised to allow the required cooling performance using the
minimum volume of coolant. This provides for high cooling sys
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tem efficiency, with quick engine warm up and interior heating. When refilling the cooling system, it is vital to ensure that
the correct bleeding procedure is followed, and that no air pockets remain. This operation should be entrusted to your
Lotus dealer.
Servicing & Maintenance
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WARNING:When lifting the battery out of, or into the car, be aware
of the considerable weight and take all appropriate precau
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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