2005 LOTUS ELISE set

• Powerful anti-lock four wheel disc brakes.
• High geared responsive steering requiring only small steering
wheel movements to alter course
• Exceptional road holding with optimised handling character
-
istics
You and your passenger cannot take full advantage of these
safety features unless you remain sitting in a proper position
and always wear your seat belt properly. In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries if they are not used properly. Drivers should be aware of their own limitations as well as
those of the car, and ensure that all road driving is conducted
well within both sets of capabilities, particularly on wet roads, or under adverse weather conditions.
Remember:
Driving a car requires:
• Care;
• Attention; and
• Sensible judgement.
Be aware that any motor car has the potential to cause death
or injury both to its occupants and/or other persons, and must
be used only in a responsible and cautious manner. This entire
handbook is filled with important safety information.
Please
read it carefully.
Remember:
• ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT.
• Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Never drive when excessively tired.
• Never use mobile phones, map read or attempt other distract
-
ing activities whilst driving.
• Always obey all speed and traffic laws and regulations and never drive faster than the posted speed limit or than condi
-
tions allow.
• Be particularly careful driving on slippery or wet surfaces.
• Familiarise yourself with the car and always drive prudently, being aware of your own limitations and the limitations of the
car. Failure to operate the car properly can result in an ac
-
cident and serious injury.
Safety Information
9

oh_croft_InD.indd 920/05/2004 07:58:41ProCarManuals.com

To use the belt, sit erect and fully back in the seat before
taking the buckle tongue in the outer hand, and drawing the belt through the top slide, pass the belt across the body and
push the tongue into the buckle lock at the inboard side of the
seat, until a positive ‘click’ is heard. Pull on the belt to check for correct latching and ensure that the belt fits snugly against the body with all the slack taken up by the reel. The belt should be
worn low across the front of the pelvis, and across the chest and shoulder. The belts are released by pressing the red button on the
buckle lock, and will retract automatically for tidy storage and
to permit easy access to the passenger compartment.
Seat Belt Precautions
WARNING:
• Be sure you and your passenger always wear seat belts and wear them properly. Not wearing a seat belt

correctly, increases the chance of serious injury or death
in a crash, even with airbags.
• On fastening the seat belt, ensure that no part of the belt is twisted, or is entangled in the door or seat

mechanism.
• Seat belts are designed to bear upon the bone structure
of the body and should be worn low across the front of
the pelvis, and across the chest and shoulder. Wearing
the lap section of the belt across the abdominal area must be avoided.
• Improperly positioning the seat belts can cause serious injury or death in a crash. Ensure the seat belts are

correctly positioned before driving.
• Pregnant women should always wear seat belts to protect
both themselves and the unborn child. The lap belt por
-
tion of the belt should be kept as low as possible across the hips. Consult your doctor regularly to check if you
should drive.
• The shoulder portion of the belt must never be worn beneath the arm, or behind the back.
• Each seat belt assembly is designed for use by one

occupant of adult build, and should not be used by

children unable to meet the requirements set forth
herein.
Seating & Safety Restraints
19

oh_croft_InD.indd 1920/05/2004 07:58:43ProCarManuals.com

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

oh_croft_InD.indd 3220/05/2004 07:58:47ProCarManuals.com

engine speed is being approached. When exploiting full accel-
eration, gearchange upshifts should be made immediately the
tell tale comes on.
Note that this lamp also functions as a security system tell
tale (see ‘Car Security’). Recalibration of the speedo and tacho needle zero positions
will occur during a 3 second period following ignition switch on,
but if a needle becomes ‘stranded‘ outside of the re-calibration
range, the following procedure should be followed:
With the car stationary;
• Open driver‘s door;
• Press and hold trip reset button on steering column shroud;
• Turn on ignition.
LCD DISPLAY PANEL A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is provided below the
instruments in order to display fuel level, coolant temperature,
total mileage and trip functions. The panel is blank until the ignition is switched on.
Fuel Level Display An indication of the level of fuel in the tank is displayed in
the form of a bar graph at the right hand top of the LCD panel in the instrument cluster. When completely full (approximately
10.6 U.S. gall. {40 litres}), the display will show 6 black segments. As the fuel level falls, a white band will extend from the right to represent the empty proportion.
Instruments & Switches
52
m253
Trip distanceProportion of fuel remaining
Odometer Coolant temperaure

oh_croft_InD.indd 5220/05/2004 07:58:53ProCarManuals.com

Instrument IlluminationA small button is provided on the steering column shroud
ahead of the ignition switch, by which the brightness of the
electroluminescent instrument illumination may be adjusted. To
cycle through the range of brightness, press and hold the button, and release at the desired setting. This dual function button also resets the trip distance recorder
- see ‘Trip Recorder’.
Instruments & Switches
56
ohs102aINSTRUMENT ILLUMINATION BUTTON

oh_croft_InD.indd 5620/05/2004 07:58:54ProCarManuals.com

Windscreen Washer: Two windscreen washer jets are provided,
one each side of the wiper spindle. Pulling the control lever to
-
wards the steering wheel will operate both the washer pump and the wiper. When the switch is released, the wiper will continue
for a further four sweeps.
Horn The windtone horn, which functions at all times, is operated
by a button, embossed with a bugle symbol, in each of the
horizontal steering wheel spokes.
AUDIO EQUIPMENT Operating instructions for the unit fitted are contained in a
separate booklet supplied by the equipment manufacturer.

The audio set will operate for convenience without the ignition key, so in order to avoid draining the battery, take care to switch
off the set when leaving the car.
Aerial:
An analogue di-pole type radio aerial is routed inside the
front body for optimum performance, and to avoid the vandalism and accidental damage which may occur to external aerials.
Speakers:
Two rear speakers, with 90W peak, 30W RMS, are
mounted at each side of the cabin rear bulkhead trim panel.
Front speakers, fitted beneath each side of the dashboard top
panel are rated at 105W peak, 35W RMS.
Security:
Some audio sets feature a removable front panel, and
others a programmable security card. For details, refer to the
manufacturer’s literature.
Instruments & Switches
60
ohs150
HORN BUTTONS

oh_croft_InD.indd 6020/05/2004 07:58:55ProCarManuals.com

HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONINGThe small size of the Elise together with the method of
construction and emphasis on lightweight, have resulted in heating and a.c. sytems which perform well under non-extreme
climatic conditions. In extreme temperatures and humidity the operational limits of the systems may be reached before the
desired temperature, or rate of temperature change inside the
car is achieved. The heating and ventilation controls comprise three rotary
switches to regulate; heater temperature, fan speed and air dis
-
tribution. Push button switches are provided for air conditioning and air re-circulation.
Air Conditioning The left hand push button selects air conditioning, but the
following conditions must first be met before the system will
operate:
• The engine must be running;
• A fan speed must be selected;
• Ambient temperature must be above 3°C.
With a fully cold temperature setting, refrigerated air will be
supplied. For dehumidified warm air, select air conditioning in
conjunction with a warm temperature setting. The tell tale in the switch button will light up blue when the
circuit is active. Note that the a.c. will default to ‘off’ when the ignition is turned off.
Heating, Ventilation & A.C.
61
p 98b
INTERIOR CLIMATE CONTROLS

oh_croft_InD.indd 6120/05/2004 07:58:56ProCarManuals.com

Demist:
As the control is turned clockwise from the footwell symbol
to the windscreen symbol, more air flow is directed to the wind
-
screen vents. Select a warm temperature setting and a suitable
fan speed.
Full Defrost Per formance For maximum defrost per formance, turn the distribution
knob fully clockwise and select maximum temperature and fan
speed.For optimum demisting in ambient temperatures above
38°F (+3°C), switching on the a.c. will help de-humidify the air directed to the screen.
Ventilation Shut-Off To close off the ventilation, which you may want to do in heavy
traffic to reduce fumes coming into the car, select re-circulation,
turn off the fan, turn the distribution control fully counterclock
-
wise to the face level vent position, and manually shut off each of the face level vents.
Engine Bay Ventilation The engine bay is ventilated via intake ducts in the body sides
and engine undertray, with outlet grilles provided in the engine
cover and rear valance.
p100a
Heating, Ventilation & A.C.
65

oh_croft_InD.indd 6520/05/2004 07:58:57ProCarManuals.com