Those who have their Elise: problems? - Page 3 - LotusTalk

traknut · 02-07-2005, 06:44 PM

Picked up my red Elise..sport pack,touring pack,hard top...on 1/27/05. (15month wait)..the headlights were in outer space on my 1 1/2 hr drive home...alot of flashing from oncomming cars...etc..Adjusted them myself,with the help of a friend....all is well!

Keith · 02-08-2005, 06:18 PM

I have about 240 miles on the Elise so far ... and the headlights are way off. They point off to the right (so at least they don't blind oncoming drivers) and the high beams shoot up into space!

Is this an easy fix I can do (by reading the manual) ... or should I drop by the dealer (only 15 mins away) ?

charliex · 02-08-2005, 06:38 PM

so far since saturday

stalled a few times, typical lotus setup and driver impatience, got one engine fault code, reset it with a code reader (misfire never happened again) possibly due to flat battery.

headlights way off, good for spotting deer on the side of the road, or other kinds of bambi

broke the plastic cover off the drivers side seatbelt cover thing at the top, glue came undone from the foam and small plastic insert.. i'll probably remove the rest of it, seems kinda silly and likely to break off a lot, and it'll save a few ounces, no doubt connected with getting in it wrong.

the carpet came off the little grey button thingy, i guess its been a while since my uk elise so i was getting in it the wrong way, no doubt remove carpets too or find replacement, this never happened to my first elise, but i cant recall what was in the floorpan if it was the same.

front drivers side small plastic grill, one of the tabs was broken and looked like it was malformed in making, all bubbly and shiny black in the middle instead of a clean break, dealer replacing. probably replace with something else anyway, either carbon fibre or such.

i smacked the underside of the front clam a little on the freeway, first of many i'm sure, checking into line-x see if its worth it.

all in all much fun so far

its getting a nice coat of dirt on it.

local speed shop claims first time they've seen a bee, attracted to the saffron yellow no doubt, lots of flies on this car, both squished and regular type, poor colour choice, only adds to weight.

checked out the aftermarket turbo, almost went with it but after lengthy discussions decided against it as most shops seem to think the toyota will snap the crank with this setup, and the best way of getting more performance is to drop in the honda engine, so as soon as i've got enough miles on it we start that project

Keith · 02-09-2005, 06:59 AM

oh yeah - one more thing - A/C does not work ... at all ! Not a big deal right now since we are in cooler weather here in Texas.

lotusport · 02-09-2005, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith

I have about 240 miles on the Elise so far ... and the headlights are way off. They point off to the right (so at least they don't blind oncoming drivers) and the high beams shoot up into space!

Is this an easy fix I can do (by reading the manual) ... or should I drop by the dealer (only 15 mins away) ?

Definitely take it back to the dealer. Shouldn't have to be your responsibility. After all, headlights were a key waiver item to bring the car to the U.S., and Lotus -- and their dealers -- have the responsibility to see that they're within Lotus spec when the car is delivered. (Like mine was when I got it from Star Motor Cars in Houston.)

Ditto the AC.

Keith · 02-09-2005, 07:02 PM

Yup - I am going in tomorrow!

MickOpalak · 02-10-2005, 05:55 AM

3300 miles so far.

driver's interior door pull stopped working
HVAC fan know fell off
brake fluid sensor on fluid canister had a short
shift linkage disconnects loosing reverse, first, third and fifth gears
double sided tape sticking out from sill
driver's window not returning all the way to the top

Mr G · 02-11-2005, 07:49 AM

Got mine. Love it, but I can't find the weapons of mass destruction?

charliex · 02-11-2005, 12:18 PM

yeah i noticed that foam tape stuff making its way out from under the sill.

but i had a few firsts for this mornings ride to work, big puff of steam hitting the window, i'm used to it before having had an elise in the UK, but its still a shocker first time, and the passengers freak out more, very entertaining. and of course along with that the leaks !

time to find a decent car cover.

pulled the grey button off the carpet again last nite, i have to spend some time getting in and out of it, i feel thinner already after a week of ownership, probably due to wearing rubber soles.

i've been using it as a daily driver while my elan m100 is in the shop for some upgrades, (especially much better brakes, the elise proved that to me once and for all) its been a lot of fun again, though with the recent bad weather in socal, potholes are a real hassle, the road changes daily. reached 260 miles this morning, still waiting for that magic 600 , i did hit the 6000 rpm limiter once going onto the freeway downhill, didn't expect that, it takes a long time to get the engine heated up at nite.

spoke to about a 100 people fielding questions about it, let a corvette owner taunt me for about 2 miles, finally at a light, he zoomed off right into the path of a traffic cop, thinking about a "save it for the track muppet" license plate holder.

glad i choose saffron yellow though, apart from all the flies that is, considering venus fly traps for decoration.

Keith · 02-11-2005, 09:04 PM

Went to the dealer to align the headlights and it worked out beautifully!

But I noticed that the driver side lens cover was not flush so I went back in and tried to adjust the cover.

One work of caution, be sure to MARK the location of the little clamps when you lift off the lens cover. There are 3 of them. I had a heck of a time re-aligning the clamps with the screws that go through them. Lesson learned.

jeff8875 · 02-13-2005, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith

I have about 240 miles on the Elise so far ... and the headlights are way off. They point off to the right (so at least they don't blind oncoming drivers) and the high beams shoot up into space!

Is this an easy fix I can do (by reading the manual) ... or should I drop by the dealer (only 15 mins away) ?

I dropped mine off at the dealership to check out the lights and when I get my car back I notice scratches in about a foot by foot section left of the headlights... looks like they set a nylon bag on the hood then dragged it off.....

I called then up after I noticed it and they said to bring it back and they will detail the car and get the scratches out but... damn..... it was 2 days old

Keith · 02-13-2005, 06:32 PM

yeah - this car has a 'delicate' paint finish. Very soft clear coat - be careful out there! The standard wheels are time consuming to clean.

Anyone have problems getting their headlight lens cover to fit flush with the clam shell?? My driver side lens' cover is a little higher than the body.

pkrehbiel · 03-05-2005, 05:01 AM

800 Miles = Tach & Spedo not working, black goo oozing from under door sills, exhaust brackets broken lots of rattle, headlights mis-aimed, and fuel fill hose loose... but man I love driving this car! Thankfully none fit into the category - LOTUS= Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious

andykeck · 03-05-2005, 08:50 AM

Here's a fun one. The car decides for me whether to blow air out the dash vents or the floor vents independent of the position of the selector knob. A little fiddling with the knob will usually get it to agree with me, but after a few minutes the car will often change it's mind and do something else with the air.

Goose · 03-05-2005, 01:23 PM

I've had the windshield crack at the base of the winsdhield frame on the driver's side. The crack is on the INSIDE.

I'm also testing my sig with this post...

Kiko · 03-11-2005, 01:51 PM

Only problem is the headlights...poorly aimed, went to Dan of scottsdale lotus to have them re-aimed at the 1k service, drove three hours back home in Lake Havasu City, and that night found out they didn't do a damn thing. Also, has anyone had problems with the rear pleastic holder fot the soft top rods falling off at speeds over 60mph with the soft-top off?

mikester · 03-11-2005, 03:51 PM

No real mechanical issues, I've been pleasantly surprised at how solid this car is, mechanically/electrically. At least so far, with 1150 miles in.

kibbles · 03-27-2005, 06:10 AM

I washed my car yesterday after 2 days of ownership. When I was cleaning the wheels, I noticed a quarter sized paint spall on the drivers side front wheel

- standard wheel by the way. Its on one spoke up near the hub right in the transistion radius. Kind of bummed, but I'll have MAG sort it at my 1000 mile service.

apkom · 03-27-2005, 07:45 AM

I got mine last Friday on 03/17. Noticed paint sag on lower part of passenger door. Yesterday, something came loose inside driver door and started bouncing back and forth. Otherwise all is good.
I've adjusted brake light and pedal hight to my liking.

supra2nv · 03-29-2005, 09:57 PM

this thread scares me

View Poll Results: For current owners only: what has been your experience with your Elise mechanically?
I've had mechanical problems which needed dealer repair work	136	29.82%
I've had mechanical problems which needed other 3rd party repair work	5	1.10%
I've had mechanical problems which I repaired myself	45	9.87%
I have not had any mechanical problems	256	56.14%
I have had mechanical problems that I have ignored.	14	3.07%
Voters: 456. You may not vote on this poll

02-08-2005, 06:18 PM	#42 (permalink)
Keith Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 366	I have about 240 miles on the Elise so far ... and the headlights are way off. They point off to the right (so at least they don't blind oncoming drivers) and the high beams shoot up into space! Is this an easy fix I can do (by reading the manual) ... or should I drop by the dealer (only 15 mins away) ? __________________ * Feb 03, 2005 - Nightfall Blue, Starshield, Clear Shield, Multivex, CG Lock, RTD Brace, microMirror *

02-09-2005, 06:59 AM	#44 (permalink)
Keith Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 366	oh yeah - one more thing - A/C does not work ... at all ! Not a big deal right now since we are in cooler weather here in Texas. __________________ * Feb 03, 2005 - Nightfall Blue, Starshield, Clear Shield, Multivex, CG Lock, RTD Brace, microMirror *

02-09-2005, 07:02 PM	#46 (permalink)
Keith Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 366	Yup - I am going in tomorrow! __________________ * Feb 03, 2005 - Nightfall Blue, Starshield, Clear Shield, Multivex, CG Lock, RTD Brace, microMirror *

02-10-2005, 05:55 AM	#47 (permalink)
MickOpalak LOG29 Co-chairman Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 4,570	3300 miles so far. driver's interior door pull stopped working HVAC fan know fell off brake fluid sensor on fluid canister had a short shift linkage disconnects loosing reverse, first, third and fifth gears double sided tape sticking out from sill driver's window not returning all the way to the top __________________ 2007 Exige S265 - Krypton Green - Gotham 265 ECU - Volk TE37s - Toyo R888s - B&M Shifter - QuickSilver exhaust - stripes - harnesses - Pagid pads - Green air filter LOG29 - http://www.log29.org President - Lotus Limited Southeast http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/LLSE/

02-07-2005, 06:44 PM	#41 (permalink)
traknut Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: oceanport,nj Posts: 6	Picked up my red Elise..sport pack,touring pack,hard top...on 1/27/05. (15month wait)..the headlights were in outer space on my 1 1/2 hr drive home...alot of flashing from oncomming cars...etc..Adjusted them myself,with the help of a friend....all is well!

02-08-2005, 06:38 PM	#43 (permalink)
charliex disproving HD MTBF daily Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Las Vegas , NV Posts: 8,288	so far since saturday stalled a few times, typical lotus setup and driver impatience, got one engine fault code, reset it with a code reader (misfire never happened again) possibly due to flat battery. headlights way off, good for spotting deer on the side of the road, or other kinds of bambi broke the plastic cover off the drivers side seatbelt cover thing at the top, glue came undone from the foam and small plastic insert.. i'll probably remove the rest of it, seems kinda silly and likely to break off a lot, and it'll save a few ounces, no doubt connected with getting in it wrong. the carpet came off the little grey button thingy, i guess its been a while since my uk elise so i was getting in it the wrong way, no doubt remove carpets too or find replacement, this never happened to my first elise, but i cant recall what was in the floorpan if it was the same. front drivers side small plastic grill, one of the tabs was broken and looked like it was malformed in making, all bubbly and shiny black in the middle instead of a clean break, dealer replacing. probably replace with something else anyway, either carbon fibre or such. i smacked the underside of the front clam a little on the freeway, first of many i'm sure, checking into line-x see if its worth it. all in all much fun so far its getting a nice coat of dirt on it. local speed shop claims first time they've seen a bee, attracted to the saffron yellow no doubt, lots of flies on this car, both squished and regular type, poor colour choice, only adds to weight. checked out the aftermarket turbo, almost went with it but after lengthy discussions decided against it as most shops seem to think the toyota will snap the crank with this setup, and the best way of getting more performance is to drop in the honda engine, so as soon as i've got enough miles on it we start that project

02-11-2005, 07:49 AM	#48 (permalink)
Mr G Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 27	Got mine. Love it, but I can't find the weapons of mass destruction?

02-11-2005, 12:18 PM	#49 (permalink)
charliex disproving HD MTBF daily Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Las Vegas , NV Posts: 8,288	yeah i noticed that foam tape stuff making its way out from under the sill. but i had a few firsts for this mornings ride to work, big puff of steam hitting the window, i'm used to it before having had an elise in the UK, but its still a shocker first time, and the passengers freak out more, very entertaining. and of course along with that the leaks ! time to find a decent car cover. pulled the grey button off the carpet again last nite, i have to spend some time getting in and out of it, i feel thinner already after a week of ownership, probably due to wearing rubber soles. i've been using it as a daily driver while my elan m100 is in the shop for some upgrades, (especially much better brakes, the elise proved that to me once and for all) its been a lot of fun again, though with the recent bad weather in socal, potholes are a real hassle, the road changes daily. reached 260 miles this morning, still waiting for that magic 600 , i did hit the 6000 rpm limiter once going onto the freeway downhill, didn't expect that, it takes a long time to get the engine heated up at nite. spoke to about a 100 people fielding questions about it, let a corvette owner taunt me for about 2 miles, finally at a light, he zoomed off right into the path of a traffic cop, thinking about a "save it for the track muppet" license plate holder. glad i choose saffron yellow though, apart from all the flies that is, considering venus fly traps for decoration.

02-11-2005, 09:04 PM	#50 (permalink)
Keith Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 366	Went to the dealer to align the headlights and it worked out beautifully! But I noticed that the driver side lens cover was not flush so I went back in and tried to adjust the cover. One work of caution, be sure to MARK the location of the little clamps when you lift off the lens cover. There are 3 of them. I had a heck of a time re-aligning the clamps with the screws that go through them. Lesson learned. __________________ * Feb 03, 2005 - Nightfall Blue, Starshield, Clear Shield, Multivex, CG Lock, RTD Brace, microMirror *

02-13-2005, 06:32 PM	#52 (permalink)
Keith Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 366	yeah - this car has a 'delicate' paint finish. Very soft clear coat - be careful out there! The standard wheels are time consuming to clean. Anyone have problems getting their headlight lens cover to fit flush with the clam shell?? My driver side lens' cover is a little higher than the body. __________________ * Feb 03, 2005 - Nightfall Blue, Starshield, Clear Shield, Multivex, CG Lock, RTD Brace, microMirror *

03-05-2005, 05:01 AM	#53 (permalink)
pkrehbiel Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 34 Images: 5	800 Miles = Tach & Spedo not working, black goo oozing from under door sills, exhaust brackets broken lots of rattle, headlights mis-aimed, and fuel fill hose loose... but man I love driving this car! Thankfully none fit into the category - LOTUS= Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious __________________ '06 Exige Graphite Gray & Yellow HRM '02 MINI Cooper JCW #720 MCS EB/W '00 Mercedes AMG ML55 Black Opal '96 Porsche 993 C4 Silver/Black '67 Pontiac Firebird 400 "Blue Bird" '64 Lincoln Continental Black/Red

03-05-2005, 08:50 AM	#54 (permalink)
andykeck Detective Join Date: May 2003 Location: Seattle Posts: 4,731 Images: 1	Here's a fun one. The car decides for me whether to blow air out the dash vents or the floor vents independent of the position of the selector knob. A little fiddling with the knob will usually get it to agree with me, but after a few minutes the car will often change it's mind and do something else with the air.

03-05-2005, 01:23 PM	#55 (permalink)
Goose Bucket of Cold Water Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The cornfields of Ohio Posts: 1,006	I've had the windshield crack at the base of the winsdhield frame on the driver's side. The crack is on the INSIDE. I'm also testing my sig with this post... __________________ Kevin Magnetic Blue/Hardtop/Starshield - sold 5/17/05

03-11-2005, 01:51 PM	#56 (permalink)
Kiko Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ Posts: 6	poorly aimed headlights Only problem is the headlights...poorly aimed, went to Dan of scottsdale lotus to have them re-aimed at the 1k service, drove three hours back home in Lake Havasu City, and that night found out they didn't do a damn thing. Also, has anyone had problems with the rear pleastic holder fot the soft top rods falling off at speeds over 60mph with the soft-top off? __________________ Kiko 2005 Saffron Yellow Lotus Elise, touring package 2003 Nissan Sentra Spec-v 1987 Porsche 944 1979 Fiat x1/9

03-29-2005, 09:57 PM	#60 (permalink)
supra2nv Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Stevenson Ranch California Posts: 46	this thread scares me __________________ '02 Infiniti QX4, Silver (family car) '94 Acura Legend GS Type II White (Daily Driver) '02 Acura NSX 6spd, Silverstone/Silver (sold, whats next?) '97 Acura NSX 6spd, Kaiser Silver (Sold) '94 Supra TT 6spd (Sold)

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03-11-2005, 03:51 PM	#57 (permalink)
mikester Registered Shmoozer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: So Cal Posts: 4,018	No real mechanical issues, I've been pleasantly surprised at how solid this car is, mechanically/electrically. At least so far, with 1150 miles in. __________________ No no no don't slam the ! door....

03-27-2005, 06:10 AM	#58 (permalink)
kibbles -1 Indy, +1 CT Elise Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Glastonbury, CT Posts: 58	Problem with wheel I washed my car yesterday after 2 days of ownership. When I was cleaning the wheels, I noticed a quarter sized paint spall on the drivers side front wheel - standard wheel by the way. Its on one spoke up near the hub right in the transistion radius. Kind of bummed, but I'll have MAG sort it at my 1000 mile service. __________________ Starlight Black, Starshield, Touring, Red Interior

03-27-2005, 07:45 AM	#59 (permalink)
apkom Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 727	I got mine last Friday on 03/17. Noticed paint sag on lower part of passenger door. Yesterday, something came loose inside driver door and started bouncing back and forth. Otherwise all is good. I've adjusted brake light and pedal hight to my liking. __________________ Alexander