2005 LOTUS ELISE service

Cooling SystemThe engine cooling system uses a header tank to ensure that
the system remains completely filled, and also to accommodate
expansion of the coolant with increasing engine temperature.
The tank is mounted at the left hand side of the engine bay, and is fitted with a 108 kPa (15 psi) pressure cap to raise the boiling point of the coolant to over 120°C (250°F).
WARNING:
• Do NOT attempt to remove the pressure cap or air bleed plug from the header tank when the engine is warm
as serious scalding could result from boiling water

and/or steam.
• Coolant is hazardous to your health and may be fatal

if swallowed.
• Keep coolant out of reach of children.
• Coolant is hazardous to animals and may be fatal if

swallowed. Clean up spilled coolant and do not leave in
open containers.
The level of coolant in the translucent header tank will rise
as the engine warms up, and fall as it cools down, and under
normal circumstances it should not be necessary to add any
coolant to the system between services. If overfilled, the excess
coolant will be ejected when the engine is warm. If under filled, overheating may result.
Servicing & Maintenance
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Air bleed plugCoolant header tank cap

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As a precaution, every week when the engine is completely
COLD, and without disturbing the filler cap, check that the level of coolant in the translucent tank is between the ‘FULL’
and ‘LOW’ marks moulded on the front of the tank. If topping
up is required, wait until the coolant has fully cooled before
turning the cap a quarter turn counterclockwise and allowing any remaining pressure to escape. Only then may the cap be
completely unscrewed. In order to maintain protection from freezing damage and
metal corrosion, use only an approved coolant mixture (see below) to top up the tank to the ‘FULL’ mark. Refit the cap, and
turn clockwise until the leg on the cap locates in the slot at the
front of the tank.
NOTICE: If the cap is removed when the engine is warm, the coolant may boil and a small coolant loss may occur. The com
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pletely cold header tank level should be checked at the first subsequent opportunity.
Cooling Fans
: Two cooling fans are fitted below the radiator in
the air intake duct. The fans are energised at high coolant tem
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peratures, or when the air conditioning (if fitted) is selected. The
fans will also run if certain types of engine fault are detected, and
may operate during a 20 minute period following ignition switch off to prevent ‘hot soak’ boiling. An electric coolant circulation pump may also be heard running during this period.
WARNING: Keep hands, tools and clothing away from the radiator
cooling fan area, as personal injury could result from the
fans starting up without warning.
At service intervals, the air duct and matrices of the engine
cooling radiator, a.c. condenser and oil coolers, should be
checked externally for clogging by insects, leaves or other debris,
and if necessary, a water jet used to clear the finning. Take care not to damage or distort the delicate finning of the radiator or
the cooling performance will be degraded.
Anti-Freeze/Corrosion Inhibitor It is most important that the correct coolant specification is
used in order to inhibit boiling and protect the engine and heat
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Brake Fluid ReservoirUnder normal circumstances, there is no requirement for
routine 'topping up' of the brake master cylinder reservoir. A
visual safety check is all that is required. Every week, check the level of fluid in the brake fluid reservoir
located in the driver’s side of the front services compartment, beneath the access panel: Without disturbing the filler cap,
check that the level lies between the 'MA X' and 'MIN' marks moulded on the translucent reservoir body. As the brake pads
wear, the level will drop gradually from the 'MA X' mark towards the 'MIN', but if the level drops rapidly over a short period, have
your Lotus dealer investigate without delay. If the level is found
to be below the 'MIN’ mark, it is likely there has been some fluid loss, and that air will have entered the hydraulic system. The car
should not be driven until the fault has been investigated and rectified. Note that a single reservoir is used to supply both of
the independent hydraulic circuits for the front and rear brakes, and also serves the hydraulic clutch release circuit. If any fluid is to be added, first clean the surrounding area
to guard against dirt ingress before unscrewing the reservoir cap.
NOTICE: Spilled brake fluid can seriously damage the car’s paintwork and some plastic compoments, for example, the side
marker lamps. Take suitable precautions to protect the paintwork
from contamination, and in case of spillage, rinse the affected area with water immediately: DO NOT WIPE.
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BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR CAP
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Use only a non-mineral type DOT 4 brake fluid from a sealed
container marked with a yellow and black (non-mineral) symbol.
Do not use DOT 5 silicone fluid, or any fluid which has been
exposed to the atmosphere for more than a brief period, or
any fluid suspected of being wet, dirty or contaminated. Do not over fill, and replace the cap securely. Brake fluid, being hygroscopic, absorbs water from the atmos
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phere over a period of time, resulting in a lowering of the boiling
point of the fluid, and corrosion of the hydraulic system. For
optimum safety and brake performance, the brake fluid should be renewed every twelve months by your Lotus Dealer.
WARNING:
• Brake fluid is hazardous to health and may be fatal if swallowed. Keep out of children’s reach.
• Using the wrong type of brake fluid can damage brake system components and result in brake failure causing a
crash in which you and others could be killed or seriously
injured. See ‘Recommended Lubricants’.
Brake Pads The thickness of the brake pad lining material should be
checked at every service, and under no circumstances be al
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lowed to fall below 0.1 inch (2.5 mm). If the brakes are in very frequent or arduous use, as when driving in mountainous terrain,
or on race circuits, it is recommended that they be examined
more frequently. The pads should be renewed if of insufficient
thickness to ensure safe braking until the next scheduled service.
Note that in order to ensure that brake pads with the correct
material specification are used, only genuine Lotus replacement parts should be fitted, and in the interests of safety, pad renewal
should be entrusted to your Lotus dealer.
WARNING: Using incorrect brake pads, or pads below 0.1 inch
(2.5mm) thickness, may cause a crash in which you or
others could be killed or seriously injured. With a new car, or new brake system components, maxi
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mum braking efficiency will be achieved if, for the first few
hundred miles, needless heavy braking is avoided, and the
brake pads and discs are allowed to ‘bed in’ fully before
being used to their full potential (see also ‘Footbrake’).
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Brake Pipes & HosesAt the recommended service intervals, the brake pipes and
flexible hoses should be carefully examined for signs of dam
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age, corrosion or perishing, especially in territories where salt is used on the road surface in the winter months.
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NOTICE:
• On cars used on a race track or in a competitive manner,
special vigilance is required due to the severity of tire operating conditions, with careful inspections carried
out between sessions.
• Take care when parking to avoid tire contact with high
or sharp edged kerbs. Such mistreatment can cause
internal damage to the tire structure and this may not be readily apparent. The wheel rims may also be distorted or damaged by careless parking, and result in wheel
imbalance or loss of tire pressure. Similar damage may also be caused by potholes, rocks or other highway
debris.
WARNING:
• Damage to wheels and tires may cause an accident in which you or others may be killed or seriously
injured. If the wheels or tires have been damaged,
have them replaced.
• Safety considerations should always be paramount when assessing tire condition and serviceability, and the tires replaced if any doubt exists, or if the
legal tread depth limits are approached.
• Poorly maintained and improperly used tires are dangerous.
• Overloading your tires can cause overheating as a result of too much friction. You could have a blow
out and a serious accident in which you could be killed or seriously injured. See ‘Tire Placard La
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bel’.
• Underinflated tires pose the same danger as over loaded tires. The resulting accident could cause serious injury, or death. Check all tires frequently
and maintain at the recommended pressure. Tire
pressures should be checked only when the tires
are cold.
• Overinflated tires are more likely to be cut, punc- tured or broken by a sudden impact - such as hitting a pothole. Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
• Installing improper tires on your car can affect handling and stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be killed or seriously injured.

Tires & Wheels
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ding.
Tire Chains In extreme weather conditions, Lotus approves the fit
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ment of Pewag Neon X3 - NX373 snow chains, used only in conjunction with winter Tires (see above) and fitted only on the rear wheels. Close attention should be paid
to the fitting and tensioning instructions supplied with the chains, and the chains should be removed as soon as
road conditions allow.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section
width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system de
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veloped by the United States National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, which grades Tires by treadwear, traction and temperature performance (This applies only
to cars sold in the United States). The grades are moulded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car Tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow
Tires, space-saver or temporary use spare Tires, Tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production Tires. While the Tires available on Lotus cars may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform to federal safety requirements.
Treadwear The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1.5) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of Tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices, and differences in road
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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
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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
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