2005 LOTUS ELISE ECO mode

INTRODUCTIONC o n g r a t u l a t i o n s o n y o u r p u r c h a s e o f a L o t u s E l i s e .

Welcome to the Lotus family. The Elise has been designed for the discerning driver, and aims to provide fun motoring from a
lightweight, distinctively styled and efficient package. This handbook has been written for the owner/driver and
should be read before using the car, and then stored in the car for ready reference, remaining with the car throughout any
subsequent changes of ownership. The content includes
important safety information to protect you from injur y,

explanations and instructions for operating the driving controls, owner maintenance requirements, technical specifications, and
an explanation of the warranty. It is not intended to provide all
the technical information required for servicing, and should any adjustment become necessary, owners are urged to contact
their Lotus dealer. It is a requirement of the warranty, and the
responsibility of the owner/driver, to ensure that servicing of the
car is carried out at the correct intervals. An alphabetical index is provided at the back of this book to
help you find information about any particular feature or topic. The information and specifications included in this publica
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tion were correct at the time of approval for printing. Lotus has a policy of continuous product improvement, and reserves the
right to discontinue or change specification, design or equipment
at any time without notice and without incurring any obligation
whatsoever. You are urged to keep in regular contact with your Lotus dealer to ensure that you may be kept informed of any
technical developments which may improve the specification, performance or safety of your car. This handbook covers all Elise models for the North American
market, and may include descriptions of equipment and features
which are not fitted on your particular car.
Your Lotus is intended to be used safely, in a manner

appropr iate to the dr iving c onditions and whilst obeying

local laws. Any alteration or misuse of the car, or ignoring the

instructions in this handbook could result in an accident causing
severe or fatal injury.
Introduction
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Safety InformationTo help you make informed decisions about safety, important
safety information is provided in forms including:
• Safety labels on the car
• Safety messages in this handbook are shown as follows:
WARNING: The hazard and instructions to avoid the hazard are
given. If you do not take these instructions you and /or
others can be KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Messages prefac ed by
‘NOTICE’ are intended to help
y o u a v o i d d a m a g e t o y o u r c a r, o t h e r p r o p e r t y o r t h e

environment.
Important Safety Precautions You’ll find many safety recommendations throughout this sec
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tion, and throughout this manual. The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt A seat belt is your best protection in accidents (including colli
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sions). Airbags supplement seat belts, but airbags are designed
to inflate only in a moderate to severe frontal collision. So even
though your car is equipped with airbags, make sure you and
your passenger always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 18).
Your Car is Not Recommended for Child Passengers Since all children are safest in the back seat of a car, and
your car does not have a back seat, we strongly recommend that you do not carry a child passenger. Children should be
carried in the Elise only if they are large enough to be able to
use the standard seat belt (see page 26). You should never
carry an infant in a rear-facing child seat in this car because
the Elise has a passenger airbag which cannot be switched off or disabled (see page 26).
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or
fatal injuries to occupants who sit too close to them, or are not
Safety Information
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Airbag Safety SystemYour car has airbags. One airbag for the driver, and
another for the passenger.
The car is also equipped with shoulder and lap belts. Airbags
are supplementary restraints to the seat belts. In the event of a moderate to severe frontal collision, airbags
provide occupant protection additional to that provided by the lap
and diagonal seat belts. Both driver and passenger must wear
the seat belts at all times, whether or not an air bag is provided, in order to minimise the risk of severe injury or death, no matter how short the journey. An occupant who is properly restrained by a seat belt, will be in the best position for full effectiveness
of the airbag in the event of airbag deployment. The airbag system is designed to inflate when the car is
involved in a frontal, or near frontal collision, and the force of
impact is sufficient to warrant additional occupant protection.
The driver's airbag is housed in the centre of the steering wheel, and that for the passenger in the dashboard. When triggered by
an electronic crash sensor, each air bag inflates in a fraction of
a second to provide protection for the occupant’s upper body,
and then deflates very rapidly to minimise any obstruction to
the driver. Some parts of the system are designed to operate only once,
and need replacing after air bag inflation with new components, before being ready for another deployment.
Remember that the seat belts, when correctly worn, provide
Seating & Safety Restraints
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AIRBAG INFLATED
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the primary crash protection to the occupants, especially in collisions below the actuation threshold of the airbag system, and during types of accident which do not cause airbag deploy
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ment. Therefore, both driver and passenger must always wear
seat belts (in most states, and all Canadian provinces, the law
requires the use of seat belts). See the earlier pages on ‘Seat
Belts’.
WARNING:
• You can be killed or seriously injured in a crash if you aren’t wearing your seat belt - even with airbags. Wearing
your seat belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things inside the car or being ejected from it.
Airbags are designed to work with seat belts, but don’t replace them. Airbags are designed to deploy only in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes.
They aren’t designed to inflate at all in rollover, rear or low-speed frontal crashes, or in many types of side im
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pacts. Both driver and passenger should wear a seat belt properly to minimise the risk of severe injury or death in
the event of a crash.
• Airbags inflate with great force, in a fraction of a second. If you’re too close to an inflating airbag, as you would
be if you were leaning forward, you could be killed or seriously injured. Seat belts help keep you in the correct
position before and during a crash. Always wear your seat
Seating & Safety Restraints
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AIRBAG DEFLATED
AFTER DEPLOYMENT

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Child Restraints
WARNING:
Lotus strongly recommends that children are not car
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ried in the Elise due to the risk of death or serious injury if the child is too close to the dashboard when the airbag
inflates.

Accident statistics show that children are safer when properly
restrained in the back seats of cars, an option unavailable on
this model. In addition, your car is equipped with a passenger’s airbag which poses serious risks to children - particularly infants
and small children. If, nevertheless, a child is to be carried in the
car, the following notes are provided for guidance:
When a child is of a physical size whereby the standard
fitment lap and diagonal seat belt will fit satisfactorily, with the belt positioned over the collar bone and against the centre of
the chest, the standard seat and seat belt should be used. If the
belt touches or crosses the child’s neck, the child should NOT
be carried in the Elise.
WARNING:
• Children should not be carried in the Elise unless they are large enough to be able properly to use the standard
seat belt without any child seat or booster seat.
• Child restraint systems (other than belt positioning booster seats) are designed to be secured in the car seat
by the lap belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt. READ
ALL INSTRUCTIONS THAT ACCOMPANY THE CHILD RESTRAINT OR BOOSTER SEAT.
• I n f a n t s w h o a r e u n a b l e t o s i t u p b y t h e m s e l v e s ,

unsupported, should NOT be carried in the Elise.
• Never put a rear-facing child seat in the passenger seat
of the Elise. If the airbag inflates, it can hit the child or
the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or very seriously injure an infant.
• There is no provision on the Elise to switch off or disable
the passenger airbag.
WARNING: Children who are not properly restrained can be killed
or seriously injured in an accident.
Seating & Safety Restraints
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car, enquire with the dealer immediately.
Engine Immobiliser In order to provide a measure of car security, independent
of any driver action, the system will ‘passively’ immobilise the
engine’s cranking and running circuits after the first occurring of the following:
i) Four minutes after switching off the ignition;
ii) Two minutes after a mobilising command (see below); or
iii) One minute after switching off the ignition and opening the driver’s door.
The immobilised state is indicated by the security tell tale in
the tachometer upper face flashing continuously. To mobilise the engine, press once, and for a full second, the
larger of the two buttons on the transmitter fob. The security tell
tale will be extinguished.
Valet Mode

If leaving the car for servicing or parking, the passive immobil
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isation feature may be switched off by switching on the ignition
and pressing the transmitter small button. Two beeps will confirm
‘valet’ activation, repeated as a reminder when the ignition is switched off. The security tell tale will remain off. At the next arming command, the valet mode will be switched
off, and normal immobilisation resume.
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Keys & Car Security Alarm
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TachometerSecurity/ RPM tell tale

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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