Good News, Bad News, Worse News - LotusTalk

SnowSnake · 05-17-2005, 01:14 PM

Good news: Picked up my AB Thursday night - love at first sight on the color.

Bad news: Saturday, my wife notices some fluid on the garage floor. Closer inspection revealed it to be oil coming from the rear of the car. Bring the car to the dealer on Monday AM and am told that the oil cooler seal is leaking and they they need to order a new one. They hoped to get it overnight.

Worse news: Part is not in stock in the US and must come from the UK. It's now estimated that I won't get my car back until the beginning of next week.

To their credit, the dealer (PBMC) sprang for a rental car, even though their policy is not to do so for Lotus owners.

Of course, a Camry is not an Elise!

khamai · 05-17-2005, 01:23 PM

Odd.... oil coolers are in the nose...

MattG · 05-17-2005, 01:25 PM

Sorry to hear this, but...the oil coolers are mounted at the FRONT of the car, I'm not quite sure how it could be leaking oil out the rear...?

SnowSnake · 05-17-2005, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khamai

Odd.... oil coolers are in the nose...

That's what I thought and I asked the service advisor about it. He insisted that the oil coolers were in the rear.

Is it possible that Lotus has changed the design?

MattG · 05-17-2005, 01:39 PM

Some toyota engines have a watercooled oil cooler sandwiched between the oil filter and the block. Any idea if the 2ZZGE has one of those?

LotusLust · 05-17-2005, 01:43 PM

and if so call the toyota dealer for a replacement!

TimMullen · 05-17-2005, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattG

Some Toyota engines have a watercooled oil cooler sandwiched between the oil filter and the block. Any idea if the 2ZZGE has one of those?

According to the Service Manual, some cars for other markets might be equipped with the oil/water cooler. But the US spec Elise has one or two front mounted oil coolers.

Maybe they meant that one of the oil cooler hoses or fittings is leaking.

Thomas Praetzel · 05-17-2005, 02:45 PM

Take into consideration the amount of plumbing involved,as opposed to a standard setup, the distance the oil has to travel, the banging it all takes if you have LSS,, and the number of fittings required to hook it all together, and it's rather suprising that more leaks are not reported. Probably something that should be checked every 10,000 miles.

Aloha,
Thomas Praetzel

Ancient Wedgie · 05-17-2005, 03:08 PM

There were issues regarding oil cooler leaks on the early deliveries. This is one of several threads which might give you a clue.

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5559

TimMullen · 05-17-2005, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ancient Wedgie

There were issues regarding oil cooler leaks on the early deliveries.

The early leaks were on the fittings connecting to the front mounted coolers themselves - the leak was in the front.

Ancient Wedgie · 05-17-2005, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimMullen

The early leaks were on the fittings connecting to the front mounted coolers themselves - the leak was in the front.

Yes. The seal they're having trouble with here most likely be on one of the tube ends that run from the engine to the coolers. You'd think there'd be a similarity to the connections and thus the seals on any of the minimum 4 ends. I was thinking the fix might therefore be similar.

TimMullen · 05-17-2005, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ancient Wedgie

Yes. The seal they're having trouble with here most likely be on one of the tube ends that run from the engine to the coolers. You'd think there'd be a similarity to the connections and thus the seals on any of the minimum 4 ends. I was thinking the fix might therefore be similar.

If I remember correctly, the problem with the front coolers was caused by improper assembly. They were not using two wrenches to tighten the fittings - one to hole the cooler's fitting from turn and twisting the tubing, and the other to tighten the hose's fitting to the first. With only one wrench, it twists the somewhat fragile tubing that is attached to the cooler, and causes some to develop a crack.

The fittings at the engine end appear to be much more robust and a different type. If I remember, they looked to be banjo fitting with a bolt, which would require seals, but who knows???

SnowSnake · 05-17-2005, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ancient Wedgie

There were issues regarding oil cooler leaks on the early deliveries. This is one of several threads which might give you a clue.

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5559

Yeah, I saw that thread, along with all the others on oil cooler leaks -- that's why I was convinced the oil cooler(s) was in the front. I find it a little hard to believe that the car was delivered with this defect, but it had all of about 50 miles on it when the leak was discovered.

Oh well, I had fun while it lasted!

05-17-2005, 01:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
SnowSnake Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South Florida Posts: 172	Good News, Bad News, Worse News Good news: Picked up my AB Thursday night - love at first sight on the color. Bad news: Saturday, my wife notices some fluid on the garage floor. Closer inspection revealed it to be oil coming from the rear of the car. Bring the car to the dealer on Monday AM and am told that the oil cooler seal is leaking and they they need to order a new one. They hoped to get it overnight. Worse news: Part is not in stock in the US and must come from the UK. It's now estimated that I won't get my car back until the beginning of next week. To their credit, the dealer (PBMC) sprang for a rental car, even though their policy is not to do so for Lotus owners. Of course, a Camry is not an Elise!

05-17-2005, 01:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
khamai Plain ol' Lotus-nut Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Nor Cal Posts: 3,562	Odd.... oil coolers are in the nose... __________________ life is better behind the wheel of a Lotus...

05-17-2005, 01:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	Sorry to hear this, but...the oil coolers are mounted at the FRONT of the car, I'm not quite sure how it could be leaking oil out the rear...? __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

05-17-2005, 01:39 PM	#5 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	Some toyota engines have a watercooled oil cooler sandwiched between the oil filter and the block. Any idea if the 2ZZGE has one of those? __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

05-17-2005, 01:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
LotusLust Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: da woods of tn Posts: 3,662	and if so call the toyota dealer for a replacement! __________________ Storm Titanium, LSS, touring, hard top. my other car is a ...oh yeah i remember the other car...a spyder club111 member. i tried to buy a lower spot and become member #13 but was spurned! "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" -benjamin franklin

05-17-2005, 02:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
Thomas Praetzel BANNED Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Maui, Hawaii Posts: 270	Take into consideration the amount of plumbing involved,as opposed to a standard setup, the distance the oil has to travel, the banging it all takes if you have LSS,, and the number of fittings required to hook it all together, and it's rather suprising that more leaks are not reported. Probably something that should be checked every 10,000 miles. Aloha, Thomas Praetzel

05-17-2005, 03:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
Ancient Wedgie Spellbound by Laser Blue Join Date: May 2004 Location: Angelino Heights, CA Posts: 1,428	There were issues regarding oil cooler leaks on the early deliveries. This is one of several threads which might give you a clue. http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5559

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