my list of issues - so far!

[raggedy1]

So I have 980 miles on the Elise and I finally took it out with the top on today. Glad I did since here are the issues I've discovered:

1. I have no cold air from the A/C - need fixin'

2. I have the infamous gearbox rattle at light throttle I noticed at freeway cruising speed. No fix/problem that anyone knows of...

3. When the car/suspension was cold as I was leaving my house I heard, but didn't feel, a light clunking rattle in the front suspension. It was very obvious and then went away after the car had warmed up. It sounded like something was ready to fall off! Any others out there have this issue???

4. the front door rubs the front fender when swing open/shut. Well, I've been able to stop this by adjusting the front clam inward ever so slightly but it's something I'll ask the dealer to address at the 1k service.

I imagine most of you out there don't let your cars sit for 2 weeks. I'm wondering if the suspension clunking/rattling I heard when my car was cold is normal. If my car were a Toyota or Honda I would say there is something wrong. Being that it's a Lotus this may be normal???

I find it almost comical that there is no cold air from the A/C. This is something I had taken for granted since (we all) have bought new cars. The oversight by the factory is almost unforgiveable. How many other little items (like nuts and bolts) did they forget at the factory? You would think a/c would be on the final inspection checklist before letting the cars leave the factory...

[Randy Chase]

I have noticed a distinct clunk when the car sits for a long period.

[Jimbo]

Isn't there also an inspection at the dealer and/or the Lotus incoming facility?

[raggedy1]

thanks for the replies.
Yes, the clunking or rattle or whatever you call it is very obvious and distinct. I was thinking it sounded like a loose roll bar end or something....

you would "hope" there would be an inspection and perhaps the a/c is "supposed" to be checked by the dealer at PDI. Obviously someone dropped the ball on my car regarding a/c, and I'm not the only one on this forum with ZERO cold air in the a/c!!!

the joys of owning a small production English car... (NOT!)

[Stormy320]

It's not your father's Oldsmobile

Have fun with it - I wish I had mine to play with.

[EdHahn]

Is it possible the clunking after sitting a long time is due to vibration caused by tire flat spotting?

ed

[KuroiSport]

Originally Posted by raggedy1

the front door rubs

I don't have a back door!

If it make you feal better about the AC, my friend bought a TT and with 11 miles on the clock didn't have working AC. Luckily we found that out before we left the dealer and they fixed it right there.

[JonOrangeElise]

I have never turned on my AC. But I sure will this morning!

I have a "tinny, chattery" engine sound (sometimes) at neutral throttle -- not at cruising throttle, but when off-throttle (that is, releasing throttle) after being on-throttle.

Is this the event scenario, Andy?

I don't know what tranny whine sounds like.

But maybe this is it? I thought tranny whine occured during heavy throttle. The sound doesn't bug me. I just want to know that it's normal and not a problem.

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by raggedy1

So I have 980 miles on the Elise and I finally took it out with the top on today. Glad I did since here are the issues I've discovered:

1. I have no cold air from the A/C - need fixin'

2. I have the infamous gearbox rattle at light throttle I noticed at freeway cruising speed. No fix/problem that anyone knows of...

3. When the car/suspension was cold as I was leaving my house I heard, but didn't feel, a light clunking rattle in the front suspension. It was very obvious and then went away after the car had warmed up. It sounded like something was ready to fall off! Any others out there have this issue???

4. the front door rubs the front fender when swing open/shut. Well, I've been able to stop this by adjusting the front clam inward ever so slightly but it's something I'll ask the dealer to address at the 1k service.

I imagine most of you out there don't let your cars sit for 2 weeks. I'm wondering if the suspension clunking/rattling I heard when my car was cold is normal. If my car were a Toyota or Honda I would say there is something wrong. Being that it's a Lotus this may be normal???

I find it almost comical that there is no cold air from the A/C. This is something I had taken for granted since (we all) have bought new cars. The oversight by the factory is almost unforgiveable. How many other little items (like nuts and bolts) did they forget at the factory? You would think a/c would be on the final inspection checklist before letting the cars leave the factory...

By any chance was your cars build date St Patties day?, Other Holliday , or Friday?

[raggedy1]

not a flat spot on the tire. after thinking about a better description i've come up with this:

"jiggling"

the sound is more of a jiggling sound rather than a clunking sound. It's frequency while even driving 2 mph would tell me it's not a flat spot on the tire.

Jon, the tranny noise isn't described as a whine. It's more of a very light chatter. I could hear mine at cruising throttle (75mph). The sound goes away under acceleration. I remember reading about this early on and I had suspected the throw out bearing, but now that I hear it I'm not so sure.

Oh, I meant the front of the door rubs the back of the front fender. Of course we don't have front/back doors! ha!

So a bunch of drunks bolted/glued my car together?!? Great...

And I forgot to add one more "issue" to my list to be fixed.

#5. I have a loose washer,screw, or bolt rolling around under the floor (on top of one of the undertrays). You can hear it roll side to side and a little front to back when turning, stopping and starting. Someone else on this forum reported the same problem. I know this is an easy check/fix but I haven't bothered to jack the car up to drop the trays since I figured I'd take it in for the 1K service anyhooooo....

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by raggedy1

not a flat spot on the tire. after thinking about a better description i've come up with this:

"jiggling"

the sound is more of a jiggling sound rather than a clunking sound. It's frequency while even driving 2 mph would tell me it's not a flat spot on the tire.

Any chance it's other keys on your key ring hitting together?

[qball]

Good the "clunk" be the brake caliper sticking. Car sits a while. You release the e-brake. Go in reverse... hear the clunk once.. and that's it.

My car does it do? I figured it's just something that settled after sitting and it releases itself once you move.

:dunno:

[Greg]

Originally Posted by qball

Good the "clunk" be the brake caliper sticking. Car sits a while. You release the e-brake. Go in reverse... hear the clunk once.. and that's it.

My car does it do? I figured it's just something that settled after sitting and it releases itself once you move.

:dunno:

Do you hear the clunking under braking?

'Greg

[Goose]

I've got one of the cars with something rolling around the bodywork. Sounds like pretty much the same situation as you've got, Raggedy. Mine's going in for its 1,000-mile checkup next Thursday. I'll see if my little trinket is under the floor...

I found a new issue on mine a few days ago: I went to remove the soft top (only the second time -- had the hard top installed), and found one of the support pieces was broken. My dealer quoted me about $25 for each, but I think this is warranty issue. I sure as heck didn't break it.

I'm still hoping that reasonable warranty/service requests will be met with cheerful, efficient service by an authorized dealer. We are, after all, talking about a $50,000 toy here...

[arobot]

I've noticed a loud "clunk" on hard cornering (at last occurrence it seemed to originate from the front passenger side of the car).
This weekend I'll pull the wheels are check all the suspension fasteners.
I imagine the Elise has anti-sway bars.
Could the clunk be the bars breaking lose of overly tight/sticky bushings?

[Gridlock]

Originally Posted by arobot

I imagine the Elise has anti-sway bars.

Only in the front.

[Arno]

Originally Posted by Goose

I've got one of the cars with something rolling around the bodywork. Sounds like pretty much the same situation as you've got, Raggedy. Mine's going in for its 1,000-mile checkup next Thursday. I'll see if my little trinket is under the floor...

Under the floor... Hmm.. You mean on the road surface??

Floor is a single sheet of ali, not double skinned

Perhaps a stone is trapped on the engine undertray, or simply a small stone rolling around under the seats. BTW.. If it gets trapped between a set and the floor it will set off a huge resonance in the floor which will make you think that it will fall apart at any moment...

Bye, Arno.

[raggedy1]

the clunking is better described as a jiggling sound. it's coming from the front suspension somewhere - not the keys and not the brake calipers clunking loose after sitting awhile. using the word "clunking" would better describe something that sounds larger and heavier than the lighter "jiggling" sounds I'm trying to describe. I would bet that as soon as I drive the car to a dealer the sound wouldn't reproduce itself since it (the car's suspension) would warm up over the drive. I will have the dealer (SVAG) pick the car up by flatbed for it's service. That way the service tech can take the car out cold for a test drive and hear the sound for himself. I should be scheduling the service next week sometime...

the sound from the undertray does not sound like a rock. i've heard rocks against metal and this sounds like a small metal piece rolling on metal.

[espritv8]

raggedy1 & goose,

our's sits for a week or two sometimes, but i don't hear any jiggling or clyunking noises. sorry you guys do.

but i did hear a metal rolling sound under the passenger's seat on my first drive home from the dealer!

when i parked in the garage, i looked around and discovered a loose drill bit!!! ???? (hey, my first Lotus drill bit!! ebay in 10 years?)

i'll assume you looked under the seats already, so maybe another poster's suggestion of something in the engine may be the answer.

good luck!
t. a.

[Goose]

My item is also a metallic piece of something. Definitely not a stone. When I read Raggedy's post, I was hoping it would be simply a matter of dropping a floorpan to fix the problem.

I'm back to my original theory that the item is located near a transverse extrusion behind the driver's seat. I wish it was simply rolling around under the seat. If I had to guess, the item fell down into some layer of the firewall/body when the rear half of the car was being assembled.