[GR82DRV]

When I bought my 2005 Sport Pack Elise (four years ago) I was told it had twin oil coolers and I never gave it another thought. When the oil line recall was done I was told that the left cooler would not separate from the line (a common problem) and the dealer replaced the entire thing. (I assumed the right cooler was just fine.)

Recently I removed the wheel arches to install HIDs and I see just a blank space on the right side...:huh: I have the original window sticker and I see no mention of the oil system there whatsoever. What's up?

I'm guessing I just had bad information from the start. FWIW I'm not sure the extra cooler really makes much difference anyway.

 

[addertooth]

According to the sticker inside the driver's door, what is your Front tire size.

 

[GR82DRV]

According to the sticker inside the driver's door, what is your Front tire size.

It reads: 175/55/16 but the car came with the LSS wheel package.

 

[TachItUp]

It reads: 175/55/16 but the car came with the LSS wheel package.

It looks like you may have a base suspension car that someone put LSS wheels on

 

[GR82DRV]

It looks like you may have a base suspension car that someone put LSS wheels on

It also has yellow Bilstein shocks with blue stickers. Again, the window sticker specifies "Sport Pack" as a $2,480 option.

 

[bri3d]

It also has yellow Bilstein shocks with blue stickers. Again, the window sticker specifies "Sport Pack" as a $2,480 option.

The Sport Bilsteins and the non-Sport Bilstein dampers look the same (yellow and blue), but the springs are different. The Sport Bilstein springs should say "Zolder" on them (that was the codename for the Exige).

 

[sleepe]

I had a 2006 Elise with "Base" suspension (no sport pack) and it looks like you do/did too.
It would be too much trouble for someone to retrofit a a non-oil cooler setup on the right side than to just replace the oil cooler/lines if you have the LSS sport pack.

-Those new fittings are sexy.

-Robert

 

[addertooth]

With 175 width specified by the sticker, you are not likely the sport pack. Someone may have added wheels and shocks at a later point, perhaps even the dealer. The dual oil coolers came with some early Elise cars (which were not sport pack), but if you had 195 fronts on the sticker, you car was a sport pack from the factory, which will have dual coolers. The tire sticker is the best proof of an actual (factory) sport pack.

 

[cornbeef]

My Elise came from the factory with the LSS wheels (it was an option) but no sport pack. Tires are 175 fronts.

All early 05s had dual oil coolers but switched at some point to only being included with the sport pack. Definitely all the non sport pack 06s had only one oil cooler. My 06 build date is late 05 so the switch happened pretty quick.

If you car definitely had the sport pack then it should have 2 but who knows with lotus, yours could've been built at the switchover and someone forgot to fit it.....

 

[xxxotic]

My car was number 302 and came with 2 oil coolers with the standard wheels. I cant remember what the cutoff number was for the dual oil coolers but it I thin it was around Jan of 05. They raised the price by $1000 in Oct 04, changed the stereo to a cheaper model about a month later, and then deleted the oil cooler right after that.

 

[JWA]

My Elise came from the factory with the LSS wheels (it was an option) but no sport pack.

That wasn't an option in '05. First added for '06.

You were told correctly, all Sport Pack cars, no matter the year, should have two oil coolers.

 

[vavoo]

why is everybody beating around the bush?!

here's what you want to hear: yes. the dealer who sold you the car was not truthful/honest.

if he's smart enough to write on the window sticker the name of the option pack AND its price, then he'd know if it's just the wheels that were added.

 

[addertooth]

Vavoo!! How dare you be direct and honest!! What kind of monster are you? We were trying to gently lead the horse to water. Most people feel like their car is their baby; you just told him his baby has a hair-lip. It is back to charm school for you!

 

[vavoo]

we all know that he already knew it... he just needed to see it typed out

 

[GR82DRV]

Vavoo!! How dare you be direct and honest!! What kind of monster are you? We were trying to gently lead the horse to water. Most people feel like their car is their baby; you just told him his baby has a hair-lip. It is back to charm school for you!

so, sniff, are you saying, sniff, that my baby is some kind of ugly impostor!... WHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Anyway, here's the sticker. I'm actually the third owner, but the previous owner seemed pretty knowledgeable and honest.

 

[doug_porsche]

Is it possible that, just maybe, that a (essentially) hand built car, from a small company that may have a history of quality and fitment issues...

And again, this is just hypothetical..

Had a paperwork issue and only installed 1 oil cooler?
Or, and I know this would NEVER happen, they were out of oil coolers that day, but did have some bypass pipes in stock.

Based on the window sticker you have (and the vin on the sticker matches the vin on your car??), yes. Your car should have two oil coolers.

 

[GR82DRV]

OK, so I know this is really pushing the conspiracy theory stuff (cue the black helicopters), but could it be possible that the dealer who did the recall busted both coolers and only had one in back stock as a replacement? I guess this would assume the dealer also had a bypass kit handy too...

On cars with a factory single cooler, which side is installed?

 

[doug_porsche]

Do the mounting points where the cooler would mount look used?

The reality is you have one cooler.
The reality of that reality is that: unless you track your car (or drive on the street in a way that oil temps are the least of your problems), not a big deal.
On street cars you will find more threads on problems with getting the oil up to temp, not heat issues.


My 2006 with a single cooler is on the drivers side

 

[aschen]

Is it possible that, just maybe, that a (essentially) hand built car, from a small company that may have a history of quality and fitment issues...

And again, this is just hypothetical..

Had a paperwork issue and only installed 1 oil cooler?
Or, and I know this would NEVER happen, they were out of oil coolers that day, but did have some bypass pipes in stock.

Based on the window sticker you have (and the vin on the sticker matches the vin on your car??), yes. Your car should have two oil coolers.

How dare you! Lotus has the strictest quality control systems and inventory systems. This could never happen!

I mean they use a yellow marker on the transmission to indicate LSD. A yellow freaking marker. Impossible to screw up.

 

[aschen]

I think one is better than 2 anyways. It would be good to confirm that you have the lss springs and dampers as well if you can

But yeah I got 10 bux that says the frioday afternoon assembly guy in hethal was out of coolers and had an extra bridge pipe, so he took it upon himself to create his own option package