2005 LOTUS ELISE check

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’).
Servicing & Maintenance
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Auxiliary Drive BeltA single, multi-rib type auxiliary belt is used to transmit drive
from the crankshaft to the alternator, water pump, and (if fitted)
air conditioning compressor. The belt is automatically tensioned,
and requires no periodic maintenance other than a visual check of its condition. If the belt exhibits any evidence of physical dam
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age, cracking, fraying, perishing, abrasion or contamination, it
should be renewed. In the case of contamination, the cause
must be identified and rectified, and each of the pulleys must be thoroughly degreased before the new belt is fitted. It is recommended that auxiliary belt replacement be en
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trusted to your Lotus dealer.
Sparking Plugs The Elise uses a direct ignition system with an individual
high tension coil mounted atop each of the four spark plugs and protected by a plastic cover, screw fixed to the engine.
WARNING: The voltages produced with this ignition system can
cause serious and potentially fatal injur y. Never touch
any ignition components when the engine is running or being cranked.
The spark plugs should be renewed in accordance with the
Maintenance Schedule, with the gaps set to 0.043 in. (1.1 mm).
This operation should be entrusted to your Lotus dealer.
Servicing & Maintenance
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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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Always use the size and type of tires recommended
in this handbook.
• Using incorrect tires or tires which are excessively worn or improperly inflated can cause a crash in
which you can be killed or seriously injured.
• Please note your car is not fitted with a low tire pressure tell tale lamp so it is especially important
that you regularly check the tire pressures.
When driving on wet roads, surface water is squeezed
out from between the tire and road. However excessive
speed or water depth can overwhelm the water clearing capability of the tread and lead to a condition called 'aq
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uaplaning' or ‘hydroplaning’, where the tire rides on a film of water and provides little or no grip on the road surface,
leading to a loss of control. This condition is more likely
to occur with worn tires having little depth of tread, or with incorrect tire pressures. Drivers should keep a vigilant check on tire wear and condition, and moderate their
speed in adverse weather conditions.
Tire Care Wear indicators are moulded into the bottom of the
tread grooves at intervals around the tire, indicated by small pointers on the outer tread blocks. The tires should
be replaced before being worn to this minimum legal
tread depth. The cold tire pressures should be checked every week,
or every 1,000 miles (1,700 km), whichever is the sooner,
and corrections made as necessary. See ‘Technical Data’
at the back of the handbook for tire pressures. For track
use, tire condition and pressures should be checked be
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fore each run. Under-inflation will cause excessive wear, rapid deterioration of the tire sidewalls and heavy steering,
whereas over-inflation results in a hard ride and increased susceptibility to tire damage. Both conditions will cause a degradation in the handling qualities. It is important that the tire pressures are adjusted only
when the Tires are cold (when the car has been standing for a minimum of 3 hours, or driven less than 1 mile), as the pressures may increase by 0.3 - 0.5 bar (4 - 8 lb/in²)
when the Tires are warmed to normal running temperature.
Tires & Wheels
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Use a good quality proprietary tire pressure gauge and always replace the tire valve dust cap to prevent the
ingress of dirt and moisture into the valve, which could cause leakage. Many fuel filling stations provide tire inflation facilities,
which specific usage instructions should be carefully fol
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lowed. For tire pressure information, refer to ‘Technical
Data’ or the Certification Label on the driver’s door jamb
(see page 121).
Replacement Tires When replacing tires, refer to the ‘Technical Data’ sec
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tion in this handbook, or consult your dealer to check the current Lotus specification and recommendations. Do not
use tires which differ from these specifications.
WARNING: Note that some tread patterns are directional, so
that the tire must be fitted onto the wheel with regard
to which side of the car the wheel is to be used. In
these cases, a direction of rotation arrow is included in the tire sidewall markings.
When balancing the wheel and tire assemblies, the
wheels should be located by the centre spigot hole - NOT by the wheel bolt holes. In order to maintain the correct
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Direction of rotation arrow
Tires & Wheels
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Directions for use of the aerosol: Before using, carefully read all the instructions on the canister, or on any literature
accompanying the product. The following instructions ap
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ply to the use of Holts Tireweld:
1. Remove the object causing the puncture, and position the wheel with the puncture site lowermost. Deflate tire
fully.
2. Shake the can vigorously. In cold conditions, warm the
can using the car's heater outlets, or by body warmth.
3. Screw the aerosol tube onto the tire valve, remove the cap, hold the can upright and press the button until the
tire is firmly inflated.
4. Immediately drive for 6 - 12 miles (10 - 20 km) (or to the tire repair facility if nearer) in a moderate manner and not exceeding 30 mph (45 km/h), to allow the sealant
to spread. Then check and adjust the tire pressure as necessary.
5. Have the tire professionally repaired or replaced at the earliest opportunity, and until such time, limit speed to
30 mph (45 km/h) with a moderate driving manner. Note that some tire repairers may make an additional charge
for cleaning the sealant off the tire before repair, and
that any subsequent repairs may not be guaranteed.
6. Renew the puncture repair aerosol.
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TIRE INFLATOR AEROSOL
Tires & Wheels
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ELECTRICAL
BATTERY
WARNING:
POISON/DANGER - CAUSES SEVERE BURNS KEEP OUT
OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
• Contains sulphuric acid - avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. If in contact with skin or eyes; flush with copious amounts of water. Remove contaminated clothing. Seek
immediate medical attention. If ingested; seek immediate
medical attention. Do not induce vomiting or give fluids
to drink.
• Batteries produce explosive gases. Keep sparks, flames and cigarettes away. Ventilate when charging or using in
enclosed space. Always shield eyes when working near
batteries.
RISK OF SHORT CIRCUIT AND FIRE
• Observe all warning notes on the battery.
• Disconnect the battery during all work on the electrical system.
• Do not lay tools or other metal objects on the battery as they could cause a short circuit across the battery
terminals.
Battery Access The ‘maintenance free’ battery is located at the left hand
front of the rear luggage compartment. No routine inspection or topping up of the electrolyte is required, but at inter vals
specified in the Maintenance Schedule, the battery terminals
should be checked for security and condition, and protected
with petroleum jelly. For access to the terminals, first unclip the battery cover
from the floor and ease the cover from around the left hand rear corner of the battery.
Disconnecting the Battery
WARNING: Failure to follow the correct battery disconnection pro
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cedure detailed below could result in serious burns.
Electrical
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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
-
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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