[Valenz]

I had a strange electrical cutout on my 2008 Elise this evening. The event occurred just after dusk as I was driving home. It was well after the car was warm (temp ~ 192 ºF & 30 minutes running). The car decided by itself to flash on the high beams for a fraction of a second and then returned to low beams with complete loss of the dash lights and instrument readings. The odometer had just turned 2020 in that instant and the speed as about 55 mph. The only light in the instrument panel that was lit after the incident was the low fuel warning light - but the tank was > 3/4 full. The engine continued to run fine and the exterior lights and turn signals continued to work fine. I checked a few other electrical things; radio, AC, door locks and they all worked fine. There was no odometer reading or fuel level reading and that panel light was out, tachometer read 0; speedometer read 0. I was about 6 miles out from home with no good place to stop and so I decided to drive on home rather than risk not being able to restart the car. When I arrived home, I purposely stalled the engine so that I could see if the idiot lights and sensors were still active - they were - the oil pressure & alternator lit along with the low fuel light. I turned off the ignition and restarted the engine. Everything came back on fine and the odometer had correctly recorded the intervening 6 miles.

I've searched the forum and looked through the common problems section and I didn't find anything quite like this. Anyone have any similar experiences or ideas on a cause?

A.J.

 

[Bgwilly31]

Your instance will be the third time now somebody with a 2008 model has posted this problem.

Take it to the dealer.

good luck.

 

[Valenz]

Your instance will be the third time now somebody with a 2008 model has posted this problem.

Take it to the dealer.

good luck.

Would you happen to recall where or by whom those other posts were made? I'm not having any luck finding them with the site's search tool.

Thanks.

 

[Scrumpot]

That exact same thing has also happened to me once. It is different than the "usual" (well, sporadic but repeated) gauge "freezings" that require the battery disconnect hard re-boot.

Freaked me out, so I too, returned straight home. Shut down, took key out, waited for the blinking immobilizer indicator to start flashing, then re-started normally. I'm an '08 as well. Looks like this is one of those TADTS

 

[Valenz]

That exact same thing has also happened to me once. It is different than the "usual" (well, sporadic but repeated) gauge "freezings" that require the battery disconnect hard re-boot.

Freaked me out, so I too, returned straight home. Shut down, took key out, waited for the blinking immobilizer indicator to start flashing, then re-started normally. I'm an '08 as well. Looks like this is one of those TADTS

Great! Just a charming idiosyncrasy of the 2008 Elise. :crazyeyes: I guess I can learn to live with it. Thanks for the info.

 

[Scrumpot]

It's only done this once on me, just last week in fact, in 11k total miles. Does the "other" guages "freeze" one every so often. This one is actually "easier", because it does not cause a full hard "re-boot" battery disconnect/re-connect to "fix" it. But it sure was alot - scarier, at 1st!

Weird though, that the low-fuel indicator comes on, and is the ONLY light that comes on at all and the cluster otherwise goes "all dark" and completely dead otherwise. I even tried disengaging the TC - to see if the dash indicator for that would come on. No go there either. The console button would light, after holding it down the requisite 3-5 secs, but no indication of it at all on the dash.

I was about 12mi from home, and now my car is 12mi "younger" by the odo, than it's actual age as a result. Just "FYI", it also while in this state, did not record any of the mileage I drove it during this 12mi stint time either. With the other more "usual" issue, once you re-boot, you see that it has. FWIW.

If you ever find out what it is, or it happens more often, and/or there comes a fix to it, please share - and I'll do the same. Yeah, smelling like an '08 specific quirk, for sure.

 

[Valenz]

If you ever find out what it is, or it happens more often, and/or there comes a fix to it, please share ...

Will do gladly.

I've had one other freaky little thing happen just after I got the car home with about 280 miles on it. When I went to start her after her first bath (the drive from Atlanta to West Alabama is a dirty one), I noticed that the tachometer was reading 3000 rpms (before I started the engine - i.e. true rpm = 0). I turned the ignition off and on again and the tach bounced back up to the same 3000 rpm mark. When I started the engine the tach when down to about 2000 rpms and when I gave her a little gas the rpms reading actually decreased even though the engine speed had actually increased. By racing the engine a little I could actually drive the tach to zero. This was a new car; the second day I'd had it home, and my first thought was "Oh 'shoot' " I've broken it already by just washing it. I first thought that I'd gotten water or soap on the ECU, but when I checked everything there was dry (I'd tried to be careful when I washed the engine compartment lid). Anyway I decided to shut everything off and take a few minutes to contemplate all the money I'd just wasted. However, after a few minutes I restarted the engine and everything was fine - like nothing had ever happened. This incident has yet to reoccur. Just another little quirk!

 

[Scrumpot]

That's one of "the other" ones, and is more common/usual. Gotta love the british electrical "quirks"!

Usually though, to cure that one (and definitely the guage "lock up" where everything just freezes), you need to do a battery disconnect/reconnect sequence, and that is a huge PIA (I personally HATE all the Alpine system re-settings that are also needed each time after having to do this).

BTW - Take a look at your MY2008 Suplement to the Owners Manual, regarding the anti-theft system. Does your dash indicator actually EVER do the "3 rapid blinks" (meaning all systems are armed)? - Mine doesn't and NEVER has! - Although the system IS completely and properly armed, as I've tested it. Mine ALWAYS does the slow, deliberate one slow blink every 2 secs or so, no matter what. :shrug:

 

[Valenz]

Cobra "three blinks"

... Does your dash indicator actually EVER do the "3 rapid blinks" (meaning all systems are armed)? - Mine doesn't and NEVER has! - Although the system IS completely and properly armed, as I've tested it. Mine ALWAYS does the slow, deliberate one slow blink every 2 secs or so, no matter what. :shrug:

Never. I don't get the three blinks either, but as with yours the system is completely armed and I get the slow and steady blink. It doesn't matter how I disarm the system (one or two presses of the large fob button). I never really worried about it, because it does work as described in earlier Cobra manuals. If I leave the interior motion sensor out of the security loop (interior light in the up position), I do get a few second period with with no telltale blinks at all and eventually the slow and steady starts. Who knows????:shrug:

 

[Bgwilly31]

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f157/laundry-list-problems-my-new-08-s240-would-like-some-feedback-71512/

Heres one of them.

 

[Valenz]

Heres one of them.

Thanks for the reference. There's just sooooo much that's special about these cars .... You gotta love 'em.

 

[the1sen]

hey, hey... simmer down...

there are NO problems with these cars at all. there are quirks. you're really being pessimistic about it, IMHO. After all, the gauges and dash work more often than not.

the glass is half full, not half empty.

i bet if you tried the driving with your jimmy out the window, the car might recognize that you have as much character as it does, and then settle into itself.

 

[Valenz]

hey, hey... simmer down...

there are NO problems with these cars at all. there are quirks. you're really being pessimistic about it, IMHO. After all, the gauges and dash work more often than not.

Oh, I'm not being pessimistic. I really do love the Elise - really. Gauges are for wimps anyway. I can tell how fast the engine is turning by the sound. I've never really had any trouble estimating the speed of the vehicle - so there's no need for the speedometer - I'm sure I'm more accurate anyway. I know the best time to shift gears. The sound of the engine also gives me the operating temperature. I know how far I've driven the car so there's no need for the odometer. I know when my seat belt is fastened. The engine stops when the fuel tank is empty so that's self-indicating too. No, there's way too much fluff in these cars as they're issued stock. Having functions of the car shift in and out of operation is also a great challenge when you're driving and it adds to the excitement and raises the skill level required of the driver.

I would not even label these "problems" as "quirks". No, not at all. They are features for the skilled driver. I'm really very happy with the car and I don't write that sarcastically - I mean it. :shift:

 

[the1sen]

awesome to hear... I feel the same with my feature filled 05. it's truly not just a car, it's an adventure.

and the real kicker is that i daily drive mine.