2005 LOTUS ELISE check

belt, even with airbags. Sit as far back from the steering
wheel as is comfortable, whilst ensuring that full control can be maintained.
• Airbags plus lap-shoulder seat belts offer the best protection for adults, but not for young children and

infants. Neither the car ’s seat belt system nor its

airbag system is designed for them. Young children and

infants need the protection that a child restraint system can

provide. See later section on ‘Child Restraints’.
• If an object is between a person and an airbag, the bag
might not inflate properly or it might force the object into
that person causing death or serious injury. The path of an inflating airbag must be kept clear. Don’t put anything between an occupant and an airbag, and don’t attach or
put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any
passenger dashboard air bag covering.
• Do not lean against the inside of the doors; always hold the steering wheel by the outer rim; never rest your hands
on the airbag panel.
• Never transport heavy objects on or in front of the pas
-
senger seat.
• Give your passenger all of the information in this sec
-
tion.
• Do not attempt to de-activate the airbags, or make any other changes to the wiring or components of the airbag
system. Do not undertake any wiring for electrical ac
-
cessory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the airbag system, or
cause its unintended deployment.
• Adjust the driver’s seat to ensure that your chest is at
least 10 inches (250mm) from the steering wheel.
• If the airbag trim cover on the passenger side of the dash
-
board is accidently knocked off, the passenger airbag will
not operate correctly. Improper protection could result
in death or serious injury to a passenger in a crash. Do
not attempt to refit or repair the trim cover, but have the
fault rectified immediately by your dealer.
Airbag Tell Tale There is an airbag warning light (‘tell tale’) on the instrument
panel which shows the airbag symbol. The system checks the
following airbag electrical circuits for malfunction:
Seating & Safety Restraints
23

oh_croft_InD.indd 2320/05/2004 07:58:45ProCarManuals.com

• Drivers airbag circuit;
• Passenger airbag circuit;
• Seatbelts pre-tensioner circuit;
• Internal componentry of the sensor and diagnostic module.
As a bulb and circuit check, the tell tale will light briefly when
the ignition is switched on, and then go out. If the lamp lights at any other time, a fault in the airbag system is indicated, which
should be rectified without delay by your Lotus dealer.
WARNING: If the airbag tell tale does not light up as the ignition is
turned on, or remains lit for more than a few seconds, have
the fault rectified immediately by your dealer. Ignoring the
tell tale can result in serious injury or death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Airbag Deployment If a crash or collision causes the airbags to inflate, you may
see what looks like smoke, but is actually powder from the airbag
surface used to aid smooth deployment. Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of the car if possible as soon as it is safe to do so. After airbag deployment, the airbags, seat belt tensioners
and electronic control unit must be replaced by a Lotus dealer
or other suitably qualified organisation. Component parts of the airbag system are located in various
sites around the car. Any technician working on the car should be advised that the car is fitted with airbags to allow suitable
precautions to be taken.
WARNING:
• For up to 20 seconds after the ignition has been turned off and the battery disconnected, an airbag can still

inflate if improper servicing occurs. You can be injured
if you are close to an airbag when it inflates.
• Airbag system components should be serviced only by an authorised Lotus dealer. Do not work on the airbag
system yourself.
• The disposal of used airbag units is subject to stringent
Seating & Safety Restraints
24

oh_croft_InD.indd 2420/05/2004 07:58:45ProCarManuals.com

Behaviour: It is essential that the behaviour of any child trav-
elling in the car is such that they remain correctly seated and belted, and it is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that
this occurs.
The following wording has been included to comply with
National Highway Traffic Safety Authority requirements,
however;
WARNING: Lotus str ongly recommen ds that you do not fit any type
of child seat into the Elise due to the risk of death or seri
-
ous injury if the c hild is too close to the dashboard when
the airbag inflates.
Procedure for Proper Fitment of For ward- Facing Child
Seat
A utomatic Locking Retractor: The safety belt for the passen-
ger’s seat is equipped with an automatic locking retractor that
must be used for securing a forward-facing child restraint sy
s-
tem. When activated , this retractor allows you to securely fas
-
ten the child restraint system.
Activating the Automatic Retracto r:
1. Pull the passenger seat safety belt completely
out . At this
point, the locking mechanism is activated.
2.
P lace the forward-facing child seat in the passenger seat,
using the safety belt to secure the child seat,
fo llowing the
instructions that come with the child seat
.
3. Insert the safety tongu e into the buckle and make sure that
it is properl y latched.
4. Allow the safety belt to retract until it is tight on the child seat.
You may further tighten the belt by pulling on it to allow more of
it to retract. Check to make sure the child seat is secured, and
that the belt is snug and will not pull out.
Releasing the safety bel t and child seat:
1. Unbuckle the safety belt. 2. Remove the child seat.
3. Make sure that the belt has fully retracted. At this point the
automatic locking feature is disengaged.
Seating & Safety Restraints
27

oh_croft_InD.indd 2720/05/2004 07:58:46ProCarManuals.com

Arming the AlarmRemove the ignition key, close (and lock) both doors, and
check that the engine cover and front body access panels are
secure. The roof may be either closed or open. Press once, and for a full second, the larger of the two buttons on the trans
-
mitter fob (on cars with central door locking, this action will automatically lock both doors - see later). This command will
be acknowledged by:
- 2 flashes of the hazard warning lamps;
- Continuous flashing of the security tell tale.
Check that these indications occur. If not, press the button a
second time, as the first press may have only switched off the passive immobilisation (see above). Note that if the system is armed when a door or engine cover/
front access panel is not fully closed or if the interior lamp is in the ‘off’ position, a continuous buzz will be heard as warning. If still open after expiry of the arming period, (see below)
the alarm will be armed with that switch group (both doors, or
front/rear access lids) excluded from the circuit.
After arming the system, the engine is immediately immo
-
bilised, but a period of approximately 45 seconds must elapse
before all functions and sensors become fully active. After
this time, the alarm will be triggered by any of the following actions:
- Interruption of the car battery power supply.
- Energising the ignition circuit (‘hot wiring’).
- Opening a door;
- Opening the engine cover or a front access panel.
- Movement detected within the cabin.
When the alarm is triggered, the hazard warning lamps will
flash and the electronic wailing siren will sound for a period of approximately 30 seconds before closing down and resetting, ready for any further triggering input. If a trigger is continuously
present, the alarm will repeat after a short delay, and continue
in this sequence for about 10 cycles. To silence the siren when triggered, press once, and for a full
second, the larger button on the transmitter fob. This will not affect the status of the alarm which will remain armed.
Keys & Car Security Alarm
32

oh_croft_InD.indd 3220/05/2004 07:58:47ProCarManuals.com

the doors will be ‘deadlocked’ meaning that the interior door release handles will not open the doors. In order to get
out of the car in an emergency when the doors are locked
see the section below ‘to unlock from inside’.
To unlock from inside: To unlock both doors from inside, press the left hand side of
the rocker switch on the front of the gear lever shroud, or raise
the sill button on each door. Note that in the event of a car col
-
lision which causes the safety inertia switch to be tripped, the doors will automatically be unlocked.
Pull the release handle at the front of the door and push open.
Shut the door from outside by using firm hand pressure towards the rear of the door.
WARNING: Before closing a door take care to ensure that no persons
or objects will be trapped to avoid injury or damage.
To lock from outside: To lock the car from outside, remove the ignition key, close
both doors and check that the engine cover and front body ac
-
cess panels are secure. Arm the security alarm by pressing once,
for a full second, the larger of the two buttons on the transmitter
fob. This action will both arm the alarm and electrically lock the driver’s and passenger’s doors.
ohs122
ohs140
Entry & Comfort
38
Interior CDL
switchDoor sill button

oh_croft_InD.indd 3820/05/2004 07:58:49ProCarManuals.com

ohs149
NightDay
‘Lights On’ Buzzer
A ‘lights on’ reminder buzzer will sound if the lights are on, the
ignition is switched off, and the driver’s door is then opened.
Interior Rear View Mirror The mirror can be dimmed to reduce headlamp glare from
following cars by turning the lever on the underside of the mirror
towards the left. Turn towards the right for daytime use.
Door Mirrors Rear view mirrors are fitted on both driver’s and passenger’s
doors, and may be adjusted manually by direct manipulation of
the mirror housing. Note that the passenger side mirror glass is convex to provide a wider field of vision. A spring detent mechanism allows the complete mirror to
swing forwards or backwards on accidental contact to reduce
possible damage.
WARNING: The passenger side convex mirror makes objects seem
smaller and farther away than when viewed through a flat
mirror. Take care to judge distances and speeds correctly.
If you move into a lane on your right when the car behind is
too close, you could cause a collision and a crash. Check
your interior mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Entry & Comfort
40
MIRROR DIMMER

oh_croft_InD.indd 4020/05/2004 07:58:49ProCarManuals.com

Door WindowsIn frosty or icy weather conditions, the windows may become
frozen to the weatherstrip seals. Use a windscreen de-icer spray
to free the glass before operating the windows.
WARNING:
• Before closing a window, always check that no persons or objects will be trapped; incautious window operation
could be dangerous, especially to children. Ensure that any passenger is also made aware of this danger.
• To guard against incautious electric window operation, do not leave small children unattended in the car with
the ignition key in position.
• Do not leave children or animals in a parked car with the roof and windows closed, in hot weather conditions as
they may suffocate and/or experience heat exhaustion.
Manual Winders: Each door window may be raised or lowered by the winder
handle near the front of the door.
Electric Windows: On cars so equipped, switches for the electric window op
-
eration are mounted in the front of the door trim panels, and are operative only with the ignition switched on. To help locate the
switches in the dark, an illuminated dot is provided in the ‘up’
Entry & Comfort
42
ohs124
Illuminated
dot
Window up
Window down

oh_croft_InD.indd 4220/05/2004 07:58:50ProCarManuals.com

Passive Ilisation: The start button will operate only when the
security tell tale in the tachometer face is out. If the tell tale is
flashing, the engine is immobilised; Press once,
and for a full second, the larger of the two buttons on the trans
-
mitter fob. The security tell tale will be extinguished. For further
information see ‘Car Security Alarm’.
WARNING ‘TELL TALE’ LAMPS A block of tell tale lamps is incorporated into the instrument
cluster to provide you with important information concerning the
operation of your Elise.
Bulb Check In order to check that the warning systems are operative, all
the tell tale lamps (except the ‘security’ tell tale; see Car Se
-
curity Alarm section) should light for about 6 seconds following ignition switch on. If any lamp should fail to light, it is possible
that the bulb or warning circuit may be faulty; see your dealer
without delay.
Turn Tell Tale
When the left hand or right hand turn indicators are operating,
this green tell tale flashes in unison. A clicking sound may also be heard. If the tell tale fails to light, or flashes at an unusual or
irregular rate, check the operation of the turn indicator lamps
immediately.
m252a
Instruments & Switches
46
TELL TALE LAMPS

oh_croft_InD.indd 4620/05/2004 07:58:51ProCarManuals.com