2005 LOTUS ELISE sensor

petrol (LRP), will cause irreversible contamination of the pre-
cious metal catalysts and of the exhaust gas sensor used by the
computer controlled engine management system.
It is important that the Maintenance Schedule (see separate
booklet) is followed at the specified time and distance intervals
(this is a requirement of the warranty), and that the car is kept in proper operating condition. Failure to do so may result not only
in a loss of fuel economy and emission control, but may cause damage to the catalytic converter.
WARNING:
• If the engine malfunctions in any way (e.g by a change in sound) have the fault diagnosed and repaired promptly.
Continuing to drive the car with an engine misfire could cause the catalytic converter to overheat, with possible heat damage to other car components, and an engine bay
fire. Operation of the ‘Malfunction Indicator Lamp’ (MIL)
is fully described later in this handbook on page 49.
• DO NOT park or drive the car in areas where combustible material, such as dry grass or leaves, could come into
contact with the hot exhaust system. Under certain wind and weather conditions a grass fire could be initiated.
• DO NOT tamper with any electrical components with the battery connected. You could receive an electric shock
from the spark plug coils or initiate a car fire.
• DO NOT check or adjust any engine bay equipment with the engine running. Failure to comply with this may result
in you or your clothing becoming trapped.
• DO NOT use the car if a fuel leak is suspected, as may be indicated by a persistent smell of fuel. Have the fault

diagnosed and rectified without delay. A fuel leak may result in a fire or explosion.
• DO NOT touch or approach, any part of a hot exhaust

system. Failure to comply with this may result in you
receiving severe burns.
• DO NOT allow servicing or repairs to be carried out by unskilled persons as this may adversely affect the han
-
dling and safety features on your car. Lotus dealers have
trained staff who are best qualified to maintain your car
to the correct specification.
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
21
w53b
AIRBAG INFLATED
ON IMPACT

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• Drivers airbag circuit;
• Passenger airbag circuit;
• Seatbelts pre-tensioner circuit;
• Internal componentry of the sensor and diagnostic module.
As a bulb and circuit check, the tell tale will light briefly when
the ignition is switched on, and then go out. If the lamp lights at any other time, a fault in the airbag system is indicated, which
should be rectified without delay by your Lotus dealer.
WARNING: If the airbag tell tale does not light up as the ignition is
turned on, or remains lit for more than a few seconds, have
the fault rectified immediately by your dealer. Ignoring the
tell tale can result in serious injury or death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Airbag Deployment If a crash or collision causes the airbags to inflate, you may
see what looks like smoke, but is actually powder from the airbag
surface used to aid smooth deployment. Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of the car if possible as soon as it is safe to do so. After airbag deployment, the airbags, seat belt tensioners
and electronic control unit must be replaced by a Lotus dealer
or other suitably qualified organisation. Component parts of the airbag system are located in various
sites around the car. Any technician working on the car should be advised that the car is fitted with airbags to allow suitable
precautions to be taken.
WARNING:
• For up to 20 seconds after the ignition has been turned off and the battery disconnected, an airbag can still

inflate if improper servicing occurs. You can be injured
if you are close to an airbag when it inflates.
• Airbag system components should be serviced only by an authorised Lotus dealer. Do not work on the airbag
system yourself.
• The disposal of used airbag units is subject to stringent
Seating & Safety Restraints
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Car Security AlarmThe Lotus Elise is fitted with a Cobra 8186 immobiliser/alarm
which includes the following features:
• ‘Dynamic coding’ of the transmitter fobs; Each time the trans
-
mitters are used, the operating frequency is random changed
to guard against unauthorised code copying.
• Automatic (passive) engine immobilisation to prevent the engine from being started without the transmitter fob.
• Sensing switches on doors, front body access panels and the engine cover, meaning the alarm sounds if someone tries to
force entry.
• Personal protection by ‘on demand’ activation of the siren.
• Selectable cockpit intrusion sensing using a microwave

sensor.
• Self powered siren to maintain protection if the car battery is
disconnected.
Transmitter Fobs Two transmitter fobs are provided with the car to operate the
immobiliser/alarm system. The two transmitters should be kept
separate, and a replacement obtained immediately after any loss to ensure that a spare is always available.
Each individual alarm system has a unique serial number
and an owner’s Personal Identification Number (PIN), both of
which are printed on a code card supplied with the car. In order to allow replacement transmitters to be ordered, it is essential
that these numbers are recorded and kept safely with the car
documents. If the code card is not available on receipt of the
oh102
Small button
Keys & Car Security Alarm
30
COBRA TRANSMITTER FOB & CODE NUMBERS
Push button
Fob tell tale
S / N 99999999
PIN CODE = 9999

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Arming the AlarmRemove the ignition key, close (and lock) both doors, and
check that the engine cover and front body access panels are
secure. The roof may be either closed or open. Press once, and for a full second, the larger of the two buttons on the trans
-
mitter fob (on cars with central door locking, this action will automatically lock both doors - see later). This command will
be acknowledged by:
- 2 flashes of the hazard warning lamps;
- Continuous flashing of the security tell tale.
Check that these indications occur. If not, press the button a
second time, as the first press may have only switched off the passive immobilisation (see above). Note that if the system is armed when a door or engine cover/
front access panel is not fully closed or if the interior lamp is in the ‘off’ position, a continuous buzz will be heard as warning. If still open after expiry of the arming period, (see below)
the alarm will be armed with that switch group (both doors, or
front/rear access lids) excluded from the circuit.
After arming the system, the engine is immediately immo
-
bilised, but a period of approximately 45 seconds must elapse
before all functions and sensors become fully active. After
this time, the alarm will be triggered by any of the following actions:
- Interruption of the car battery power supply.
- Energising the ignition circuit (‘hot wiring’).
- Opening a door;
- Opening the engine cover or a front access panel.
- Movement detected within the cabin.
When the alarm is triggered, the hazard warning lamps will
flash and the electronic wailing siren will sound for a period of approximately 30 seconds before closing down and resetting, ready for any further triggering input. If a trigger is continuously
present, the alarm will repeat after a short delay, and continue
in this sequence for about 10 cycles. To silence the siren when triggered, press once, and for a full
second, the larger button on the transmitter fob. This will not affect the status of the alarm which will remain armed.
Keys & Car Security Alarm
32

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Disarming the AlarmTo disarm the alarm, press once, and for a full second, the
larger button on the transmitter fob. This command will be
acknowledged by:
- 1 flash of the hazard warning lamps;
- Extinguishing of the security tell tale. If the alarm had been triggered during the last armed period,
the disarm command will be acknowledged by the hazard lamps
flashing 4 times, and the buzzer sounding 4 times. The security tell tale will then flash a code to indicate the triggering source:
- 1 pulse flashing: door, engine cover/boot lid or body front access panel.
- 2 pulse flashing: movement detected in cabin by microwave sensor.
- 4 pulse flashing: tampering with ignition circuit.
- 6 pulse flashing: interruption of battery supply.
The coding will be deleted when the ignition is next turned
on.
Emergency disarming /mobilising If the transmitter fobs are lost or damaged, the alarm system
owner’s unique PIN may be used to disarm the alarm and/or
mobilise the engine provided that access is available to the
cabin. Follow the transmitter fob programming instructions (see
page 18) from step 3.
Keys & Car Security Alarm
33

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Intrusion SensingA microwave sensor is mounted behind the cabin rear
bulkhead trim panel, and is able to detect substantial physical
movement within the cockpit, and trigger the alarm. Microwave
transmissions are blocked by metal objects, so it is important not to shield the signal by placing such items on the bulkhead ledge.
If desired, the alarm may be armed without the intrusion
sensor or battery interruption circuits being active by arming the
system in the usual way with the transmitter larger button, and
within 20 seconds, pressing the smaller button twice.
Manual Activation of Siren To enhance personal security, with the system in a fully armed
state (after 45 second arming period), the siren may be manually
triggered by pressing the transmitter smaller button. The siren
will sound and the turn lamps flash for 15 seconds. To stop the siren, press either of the two transmitter buttons.
ohs120
Keys & Car Security Alarm
34
Microwave sensor

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integral self diagnostics have switched out the anti-lock function.
See ‘ABS tell tale lamp’.
WARNING:
• The increased control that ABS provides should not induce you to take more risks with your safety. ABS will
not prevent a skid caused by abrupt steering movements,
or attempting to corner too quickly.
• Always maintain a safe following distance from other cars relative to the road surface and weather conditions.
Obey all traffic laws.
• Risk of accidents due to inappropriate speed cannot be reduced even by ABS. The driver is responsible for the
judgement of safe speed.
• The control unit of the ABS is set for standard tire size. If non-standard Tires are fitted, the control unit may mis-
interpret the speed of the car, because of the variant data
it receives from the wheel speed sensors. Fitting non standard tires would seriously affect the performance of
your ABS.
• The amber ABS tell tale in the instrument panel should light for about 4 seconds following 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 normally,
but without ABS. The car can be driven but should be
checked and repaired at the earliest opportunity.
• Activation of the ABS will vary according to the level of grip available at the Tires. On dry surfaces, activation
will occur only with a high pedal pressure. On slippery
surfaces, only a low pressure will be needed.
• On loose or uneven surfaces, such as gravel or snow, a car with ABS may need a longer stopping distance. Allow
a greater distance between cars in these conditions.
Driving Controls
69

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