Oil Coolers and other odds and ends>>>

[YELOTUS]

As promised here are a few pics of the wheel well areas with the front covers removed. To access the the front lights for adjustments and bulb replacment you need to remove the front portion of the wheel well liner...very easy to do ( of course requires removal of wheel)...panel is held on by two lower screw clips and then up upper screw..remove all three and then taking bottom of panel pull outward and down and panel releases.
Once removed you will see the oil cooler and the light adjustment (allen head) screws>>


First pic was passenger side front and this is the drivers side front>>>


So you can see an oil cooler on both sides and I noted the headlight adjust screws. Also confirmed that to replace the headlight bulbs you need to remove headlights (nuts holding in place can be seen in both pics)...

This pic is just to say how really impressive the Elise suspension is..just a work of art and amazes me to see this type of suspension on a car of this price. Nit pick here and there about the car (like my marginal like for the seats) but bottom line for the Lotus is performance and this shows where the $ went into this wonderful machine...no cup holders here thank you so much

Now to another litter design subtlety..the alloys (standard...you guys with the LSS version will have to comment on them)... the outside view is this>>>


But from the inside view they have created a darkened rim so as to minimize the appearance of brake dust...what is interesting is that darken appearance is REALLY noticeable from looking in this view but when looking at alloy from the opposite side the dark really isn't evident


And finally, is you remove the front grille (and detail area a bit ) you see the dual cooling fans for the A/C condensing coil and radiator



And did I say how great the suspension was engineered>>>



I think that is it for now... closing story... every Saturday eve in Reston at the Silver Diner they have an 'American Iron at least 30 years old' car show/gathering...just a bunch a car nuts gathering to show their GTOs, 440s, Mustangs etc... since I sorta owned several of those cars new. I went by with the Lotus...a TOTAL show stopper...everyone loves this car and questions never stop...greatest one was "is this car German or French.." I told him it was a Hethelian

All good fun..
Michael

[ekological]

I went by with the Lotus...a TOTAL show stopper...everyone loves this car and questions never stop...greatest one was "is this car German or French.." I told him it was a Hethelian

I had someone ask me, "This car is made in Italy, right?" =) I wish I had the Italian sportscar

[tonykomo]

2 oil coolers?? That's a bit OTT is'nt it? Does it say in the manual that they are both oil coolers? On the Rover Elise those are just emtpy areas where you can fit whatever you fancy. I guess the Toyota engine needs alot more cooling than the Rover because of the high revs.

[kbob]

Two questions.

First, that's the towing attachment in the foreground of the through-the-grille shot, right? What is that brace bolted to? I didn't think the chassis extends that far forward...

Second, could you make the full-resolution version of those pictures available? Especially the suspension shots. I've sent you a PM with my email address...

Thanks.

kbob

[tonykomo]

It's bolted to the crash structure, not the chassis. And someone has put a bolt/screw in there I guess to stop the inside from rusting. You'd have to take that off then put the tow hoop in there.

[Bobby]

Michael,

Those are excellent photos and information about the Elise. THANKS for sharing!

Bobby

[Vantage]

Very intresting. I liked the detail about the wheels.

Never had a car that required the wheels off to adjust the headlamps.

[Ruediger]

To install the oil coolers there may cause some problems because they become rather vulnerable. (Dirt and stones)

Perhaps this explains why some are loosing oil already.

I cannot see the condenser of the AC system only the 2 fans.

I guess the condenser is arranged upstream of the fans.

[zvezdah1]

Exc. pics and info Michael!! It's really great to have someone wade into it!!

Toni, both are oil coolers, this gives the car a 7.4 liter oil capacity.

Chris

[YELOTUS]

Will send out hi res pics...have a few better ones of suspension. Just came back from an early morning run in the very cool weather...sun just started to break the horizon and loved the light play on the yellow Elise...all was good. Love drivin this car..

Also "I guess the condenser is arranged upstream of the fans.

Just above the fans you see a shinely area...that is the AC condensing panel...lays flat and is underneath the radiator panel which is what you see from the outside of the car looking thru the black louvers of the hood.

Drive safely
Michael

[Surferjer]

And my dealer said adjusting the headlights was a big deal! Sheesh. I'll do that myself tonight (when it gets dark) in my garage. Simple simple simple.

[eliseowner2b]

To install the oil coolers there may cause some problems because they become rather vulnerable. (Dirt and stones)

When the car is together it completely seals the oil coolers off from debris. When my oil cooler leaked it ran down between the fender wells and the front bumper but there was no way to get to the oil cooler without removing the parts Michael removed.

Michael,
Would you say the oil coolers could be replaced without removing the front end of the car? My dealer told me it had to be removed and that it was quite a big job to do. Looking at your photo's I wonder if it's neccessary.

Great photo's! Thanx

[kbob]

Originally posted by Vantage
Never had a car that required the wheels off to adjust the headlamps.

How does that work? Jack up, remove wheel, remove cover plate, adjust light, install wheel, lower car, say "Hmm, too low", jack up, remove wheel, adjust light, install wheel, lower car, say "Now it's too high", jack up...

That can't be right.

kbob

[mact3333]

Originally posted by YELOTUS
Will send out hi res pics...have a few better ones of suspension. Just came back from an early morning run in the very cool weather...sun just started to break the horizon and loved the light play on the yellow Elise...all was good. Love drivin this car..

Also "I guess the condenser is arranged upstream of the fans.

Just above the fans you see a shinely area...that is the AC condensing panel...lays flat and is underneath the radiator panel which is what you see from the outside of the car looking thru the black louvers of the hood.

Drive safely
Michael

Micheal, it seems easy to adjust headlights but can you go into further detail on removing actual bulbs???(more pics...)

Is there a place to mount a 4X4X2 inch box(ballast) if someone were to do a HID retrofit???. Just a flat place for industrial velcro or a place to ziptie is needed. Do you have pics with direct access to bulbs themselves? TIA

[YELOTUS]

Originally posted by kbob
How does that work? Jack up, remove wheel, remove cover plate, adjust light, install wheel, lower car, say "Hmm, too low", jack up, remove wheel, adjust light, install wheel, lower car, say "Now it's too high", jack up...

That can't be right.

kbob

Good point but I think the exercise is either to remove wheel(s) and remove access panel(s) and re install wheel(s) do headligh adjust and reverse process...BUT I also suspect if you turn wheels sharp over you could get to the three screws holding on panel and remove and then remove panel...just tighter working quarters.. will try and see if it works.

****************

Micheal, it seems easy to adjust headlights but can you go into further detail on removing actual bulbs???(more pics...)

Is there a place to mount a 4X4X2 inch box(ballast) if someone were to do a HID retrofit???. Just a flat place for industrial velcro or a place to ziptie is needed. Do you have pics with direct access to bulbs themselves? TIA

*****************

I did not go to the point of removing the headlights but I suspect once the headlight assembly is out is fairly standard setup of a twist out bulb holder in back of assembly...but at some point I will do (getting the Lotus accessory light kit for the headlights) and will take pics

Also...yes plently room for a HID power pac above where oil cooler is shown and would be protected once wheel well liner reinstalled.

[YELOTUS]

Originally posted by kbob
How does that work? Jack up, remove wheel, remove cover plate, adjust light, install wheel, lower car, say "Hmm, too low", jack up, remove wheel, adjust light, install wheel, lower car, say "Now it's too high", jack up...

That can't be right.

kbob

You were right...no need to remove wheels...just turn hard right and remove right access panel and then turn hard left and remove that panel... space a little tight but nothing overly difficult...

[YELOTUS]

Michael,

Would you say the oil coolers could be replaced without removing the front end of the car? My dealer told me it had to be removed and that it was quite a big job to do. Looking at your photo's I wonder if it's neccessary.

I would like to be able to say without reservation you could access the oil cooler [to replace] without removing front clam...but I was just not looking in detail on that issue...but based on what I did see...only one oil line connecting to oil cooler..that suggests maybe the other oil line/connector (going to next oil cooler since they are linked) might be hidden by clam...plus the oil coolers are install onto the front chassis subassembly prior to clam being installed so somehow one could bet some screw or bolt is being cover by the clam. Sorry I can't totally discount the front clam having to be removed

[steuspeed]

That's a nice touch on the back of the wheels. I didn't even notice it on the show car and I was feeling the spokes to see how easy they would be to clean.

I bought new BBS RZ wheels for my Scirocco and the insides were bright silver. They were a bit overwhelming until the insides got dirty.

[shay2nak]

Originally posted by YELOTUS

Nice pics! thanks!

If Lotus can paint the back of the rim black, they can certainly finish the job and paint the front black and offer it to us as an option.

BLACK RIMS!!! BLACK RIMS!!!

[thegit]

That last picture of the suspension...It appears that there is no shaft coming through the hub to support the bearing... like the driveshaft has been removed?
m.