2005 LOTUS ELISE start

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
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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
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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
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STARTING PROCEDURE & ENGINE BREAK-IN
WARNING:CARBON MONOXIDE - Be aware of the danger of carbon
monoxide! Never run the engine in an enclosed space. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, a deadly gas
which is particularly dangerous, as being colourless odour
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less and tasteless, its presence is very difficult to detect.
Before starting the engine, always check that the parking
brake is firmly applied, the transmission is in neutral, and as
an extra precaution, depress the clutch pedal. Switch off any
unnecessary electrical loads.
Starting a Cold or Warm Engine
The fuel injection and engine management system controls fuel delivery and engine settings under all normal operating conditions.
i) Insert the key into the steering lock/ignition switch and turn to
position ‘l’ to unlock the column. Before turning on the igni
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tion; if the security tell tale in the tachometer face is flashing, mobilise the engine by pressing once, and for a full second,
the larger of the two buttons on the transmitter fob.
ii) Turn the key to position ‘II’ to switch on the ignition, and pause
for a moment to allow the fuel system to prime.
iii) Depress the clutch pedal as a precaution, and without moving
the accelerator, press the ‘Start’ button at the left hand end of
the dashboard to engage the starter motor. Release the button
as soon as the engine starts. Allow a cold engine to idle for
10 seconds before driving off, but if ambient temperatures are below freezing, allow the engine and screen heating systems
to warm up for a few minutes before driving.
iv) If the engine fails to start within 15 seconds, stop cranking
and pause for 10 seconds before a second attempt.
v) If further efforts are unsuccessful, contact your dealer or seek
other expert help.
WARNING:
An unattended car with a running engine is potentially
hazardous. Turn off the engine before leaving the car.
Starting & Engine Break-In
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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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efforts are likely to reduce during the break-in process.After 600 miles (1,000 km) have been covered, full throttle
and/or maximum rpm may be used for short periods, but not
until the first ‘After Sales’ service has been carried out should
full car performance be exploited. Note that various operating parameters are continuously
monitored and recorded in the engine electronic controller. This
data may be downloaded by Lotus dealers on demand to assist
fault diagnosis and identify vehicle misuse.
Tires:
New tires also require a short ‘break-in’ period before
providing optimum grip.
Engine Special Features The engine of the Elise is designated V VTL-i for ‘Variable
Valve Timing and Lift - intelligent’. Using microprocessor control, the inlet camshaft timing is advanced or retarded according to
immediate operating conditions, and the lift of both inlet and
exhaust valves is increased at high engine speed. This technol
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ogy is used to provide high power output whilst retaining good
low speed response.
Starting & Engine Break-In
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OWNER MAINTENANCERemember that fuel consumption and wear and tear of the
car are affected considerably by the way the car is driven and maintained. Be sure to carry out the simple maintenance checks detailed below, and to have your car serviced regularly by your
Lotus dealer, in order to ensure maximum safety, reliability,
longevity and pleasure of ownership.
NOTICE: Failure to follow and comply with the Maintenance
Schedule may invalidate the terms of the warranty.
The Lotus Elise has been designed as a road going sports
car. It is recognised that owners may wish to use the car occa
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sionally on closed circuit tracks to experience the car’s full range of dynamic capabilities. However, use of the car in a competitive
manner, including timed runs or laps, is not endorsed by Lotus.
Using the car on the track may cause a greater degree of wear and tear on parts and such wear and tear on parts and compo
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nents will not be covered by your Limited Warranty.
WARNING: Any type of timed, competitive car use will invalidate
warranty and require appropriate levels of expert car prepa
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ration and servicing.
WARNING:
• Attempts at car servicing with inadequate knowledge, tools or equipment, could result in car damage as well as
endangering you, your passenger and other road users.
Consult your Lotus dealer in all cases of doubt.
• Beware of hot surfaces in the engine bay. You could be seriously burned if you touch a hot engine part.
• Take great care not to drop flammable liquids or objects onto a hot engine and start a fire.
• Ensure that only Lotus dealers or suitably qualified tech
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nicians work on the airbag system.
• Beware of rotating engine components; to avoid injury,
guard against entrapment of tools, body parts and loose
clothing.
• The front mounted electric fans can start up and cause injury even when the engine is not running. Keep tools,
hands and clothing well away.
Servicing & Maintenance
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a small amount of clean engine oil into the filter, screw onto its
spigot and tighten BY HAND sufficiently to make a secure seal,
typically 2/3 to 3/4 of a turn after the sealing faces have made
contact. Overtightening using a filter wrench may damage the
canister and/or complicate subsequent removal. Before refitting the undertray, start the engine and check for
oil leaks. Re-check the security of the filter, further tightening
by hand if necessary. Check the oil level (see above) when the
engine is fully warm.
Used Engine Oil NOTICE: PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: Do not pollute
drains, water courses or land with oil. Use only authorised waste
collection facilities, including civic amenity sites and garages providing facilities for disposal of used oil and used oil filters. If
in doubt, contact your local authority for advice on disposal.
Transmission Oil The transmission should be checked for oil leaks, for the cor
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rect oil level, and the oil renewed, at intervals specified in the
Maintenance Schedule.
To check the oil level:
- A garage lift or inspection pit must be used.
- Remove the engine bay undertray.
- Wipe clean the area around the socket headed level plug on
the front face of the transmission end casing.
Servicing & Maintenance
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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
Servicing & Maintenance
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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
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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.
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Batter y clamp
Electrical
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