2005 LOTUS ELISE light

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

button which glows amber when the lights are switched on.To lower a window, switch on the ignition and press the lower,
domed end of the switch in the relevant door. Release the switch
to stop window movement. To raise a window, press the upper, dished end of the switch.
Entry & Comfort
43

oh_croft_InD.indd 4320/05/2004 07:58:50ProCarManuals.com

WARNING:
• Do not push or tow the car unless the key is first used to unlock the column and is then left in the lock. With
-
drawing the key will cause the steering to lock.
• Never remove the key from the ignition switch or turn off the ignition while the car is moving. Withdrawing the key
will cause the steering to lock and may cause an accident
resulting in serious injury or death.
• To reduce the risk of theft, or danger to a child remaining in the car, always remove the key when leaving a parked
car.
Engine Start Button An engine start button is located at the left hand end of the
dashboard, alongside the lighting switches, and is backlit when
the ignition is turned on. The button is operative only with the ignition on, and engages
the engine starter motor for as long as the button is pressed. Release the button to stop engine cranking.
For the correct engine starting procedure, refer to later sec
-
tion ‘Starting Procedure’.
NOTICE: Pressing the start button when the engine is running may damage the starter mecha
ohs147Engine start button
Instruments & Switches
45

oh_croft_InD.indd 4520/05/2004 07:58:51ProCarManuals.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

Seat Belt Tell Tale
The red seat belt tell tale is provided as a reminder that both
driver and passenger should always wear the seat belts, no
matter how short the journey. The lamp will flash until the driv
-
er’s seat belt is fastened, accompanied for the first 8 seconds by a buzzer.
Brake Tell Tale
This tell tale will glow red with the ignition switched on
whenever the parking brake is applied. Driving the car with the brake not fully released will cause overheat damage to the rear
brakes. Each time the parking brake is released, check that the
tell tale is extinguished. With the parking brake released, if the tell tale should light
at any time after the six second check period, stop the car im
-
mediately, as the circuit has detected a dangerously low level of brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir, possibly caused
by a hydraulic leak in one of the separate front or rear brake
circuits. In the event of a leak there is a danger that air may enter the hydraulic system and cause spongy operation and
extended pedal travel. The divided brake circuit should ensure
that emergency braking remains, but the car should not be driven until the fault has been identified and rectified.
WARNING: If the tell tale remains lit when the parking brake has been
released, the footbrake may not be working properly. Stop
the car immediately it is safe to do so, and do not continue until the fault has been rectified. Continuing to drive could cause a crash and result in death or serious injury.
Oil Pressure Tell Tale
This red tell tale warns of low engine oil pressure. The lamp
will be lit whenever the ignition is on and the engine is stopped, but should go out as soon as the engine is started. If the lamp
fails to go out after engine start up, or comes on when the engine is running, stop the engine immediately and do not restart until
the cause has been investigated and rectified.
Instruments & Switches
47

oh_croft_InD.indd 4720/05/2004 07:58:52ProCarManuals.com

WARNING:Continuing to run the engine with the oil tell tale lit could
cause major engine damage or seizure, resulting in loss
of car control and a crash. You or others could be killed
or seriously injured.
Low Fuel Level Tell Tale
When only a single segment of the fuel gauge bar graph
remains, representing approximately 1.3 U.S. gall. (5 litres), this
amber tell tale will flash. Refuel at the next opportunity.
ABS Tell Tale
This amber tell tale should light for about four seconds follow-
ing ignition switch on, and then go out. If the lamp remains lit, or
comes on whilst driving, a fault in the anti-lock brake system is
indicated. The base brake system will continue to operate nor
-
mally, but without the anti-lock feature. The car can be driven but should be checked and repaired at the earliest opportunity.

High Beam Tell Tale
This lamp glows blue whenever the headlamp high beams
are operating.
Airbag Tell Tale
The airbag safety system has a self-diagnostic feature which
lights the red tell tale if a fault is detected. As a bulb and circuit
check, the tell tale will light for about six seconds following ig
-
nition switch on, and then go out. If the lamp remains lit, or comes on at any other time, a fault in the airbag system is indicated,
which should be rectified without delay.
WARNING: If the airbag tell tale is lit, the airbags may not inflate
correctly in a crash, or may inflate without warning. To
help avoid injury to you or others, have the airbag system repaired as soon as possible.
Battery Charging Tell Tale
This red tell tale will light whenever the ignition is on and the
engine is stopped. If it lights any time that the engine is running,
the battery is not being charged, which may be due to a broken
auxiliary drive belt, or an electrical fault. A broken drive belt
Instruments & Switches
48

oh_croft_InD.indd 4820/05/2004 07:58:52ProCarManuals.com

will also disable the engine coolant pump and result in rapid overheating; stop the engine as soon as it is safe to do so, and
summon assistance. If the drive belt is intact and the cooling
system unaffected, it may be possible in favourable daylight conditions, to drive a short distance to a repair facility, but do not, under any circumstances, allow the battery to become
completely discharged by continuing to drive.
Engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp
The engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is provided to
warn the driver that the engine management system has de
-
tected a fault which may result in increased noxious emissions from the exhaust. In order to minimise emissions and potential
engine damage, various operational limitations may automati
-
cally be applied. i) If the MIL lights continuously whilst driving, immediately reduce
speed and adopt a moderate driving style. Seek dealer advice
without delay and avoid all unnecessary journeys.
ii) If the MIL flashes, an engine misfire has been detected which is likely to cause overheat damage to the catalytic converter.
Slow down immediately and be prepared to stop.
- If the MIL then stops flashing, and is lit continuously, proceed with caution and seek dealer advice.
- If the MIL continues to flash, stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so, and switch off the engine. Seek dealer advice.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive the car with a flashing MIL may
cause overheat damage to the catalytic converter, possible en
-
gine damage, increased emissions, and impaired fuel economy and driveability.
In order to comply with emissions regulations, data regarding
activation of the MIL is recorded in the engine electronic control
-
ler, and may be downloaded by Lotus dealers.
Security/RPM Tell Tale The security tell tale is located at the top of the tachometer
display, and indicates the status of the immobiliser and alarm.
• Tell tale out; engine is mobilised, and the alarm is off.
• Tell tale flashing; engine is immobilised, or alarm is armed
and engine immobilised.
For full details of the car security system, refer to the earlier
section ‘Car Security’.
Instruments & Switches
49

oh_croft_InD.indd 4920/05/2004 07:58:52ProCarManuals.com

INSTRUMENTS
Speedometer This instrument displays road speed in MPH, with a second
-
ary scale in km/h.
Tachometer The t achometer indic ates engine speed in revolutions
p e r m i nu te. T h e e n g i n e m a n a g e m e nt sy s te m li m i t s t h e
m a x i m u m c o n t i n u o u s e n g i n e s p e e d t o 8 0 0 0 r p m o n c e

normal running temperature has been reached. Ver y shor t bursts up to 8500 rpm are allowed during maximum acceleration
through the lower gears. A 6000 rpm limit is imposed on a cold engine in order to
reduce possible damage from a harsh driving style.
NOTICE:
• The use of wide throttle openings and/or high rpm before
normal running temperature has been reached will result in
premature wear and should be avoided.
• Do not run the engine continuously at its maximum speed,
or allow overspeeding to occur on the overrun by downshift
-
ing prematurely, as the high engine loads imposed could

result in catastrophic failure.
A red tell tale lamp in the top of the tachometer face lights at
high rpm (dependent on gear engaged) to warn that maximum
Instruments & Switches
51
ohs127a
TachometerSecurity/ RPM tell taleSpeedometer

oh_croft_InD.indd 5120/05/2004 07:58:53ProCarManuals.com