A&Q about Lotus
Q:
My elise is 2 months old with a 2004 build date. So far the alarm has malfunctioned, the light switch has stopped working and my ac broke. Is this normal- Is my electrical system screwed up?
The light switch and the alarm rendered the car undrivable. Should I just have expected this?
A:
you dont have a lemon, you have a Lotus.
A:
Originally Posted by cshama
My elise is 2 months old with a 2004 build date. So far the alarm has malfunctioned, the light switch has stopped working and my ac broke. Is this normal- Is my electrical system screwed up?
The light switch and the alarm rendered the car undrivable. Should I just have expected this?
Which ligth switch? I assume you mean the headlights? If it's the interior light it may be related to your alarm failure.
Have you checked fuses and relays?
A:
Originally Posted by cshama
My elise is 2 months old with a 2004 build date. So far the alarm has malfunctioned, the light switch has stopped working and my ac broke. Is this normal- Is my electrical system screwed up?
The light switch and the alarm rendered the car undrivable. Should I just have expected this?
Light switch and alarm.. Do you mean interior light switch? If so, the interior light controls the alarm settings. First, see if the interior light (which is also the alarm switch!), between the seats is in the "down" position. If everything else is operating normally, this will set the alarm to auto, and it should operate properly. I often inadvertently hit the light/alarm switch getting in or out of the car or placing items behind the seats, which causes the alarm to "malfunction" and the car to be undriveable.
A/C broke?.. Well, if it runs for about 10 minutes slightly cooler than the interior temp, then slowly warms up, as the fan slowly dies, until you barely have outside air bleeding in at an imperceptable rate.. then it's working properly (Lotus properly, that is).
A:
Also of note: if the interior light bulb burns out it registers as the light being in the up position and the alarm will keep going off. It's a common bulb. Try replacing it and putting the light in the down position. Shut the doors, make sure the trunk lid is closed, arm the alarm then unarm it and open the door. ("You do the hokey pokey ...") If that doesn't fix it you'll need to see your dealer.
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Think it's just an early build...
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Just why I bought a new late model 2005 when I was looking for a new Elise in January. Thanks to the forum.......(learned alot about the early build date 2005's). Have had my Elise now for 9 months (NO PROBLEMS)!
A:
I had the imobiliser(alarm) malfuntion and an Ac switch replaced, no big deal as I am fairly close to a dealer and the warranty work was done quickly. If your talking lemon law these are not significant.
A:
Originally Posted by fishguyAZ
you dont have a lemon, you have a Lotus.
I was going to write the exact same thing. Don't worry. Work the bugs out with your dealer (still under warranty) and then enjoy your car. You have one of the best sports cars ever made.
A:
Originally Posted by cshama
My elise is 2 months old with a 2004 build date. So far the alarm has malfunctioned, the light switch has stopped working and my ac broke. Is this normal- Is my electrical system screwed up?
The light switch and the alarm rendered the car undrivable. Should I just have expected this?
Hell, you don't have a lemon. It sounds like you got one of the good ones!
Is there a "I'm only half-joking" smiley around here?
A:
Actually the headlights stayed on and wouldnt go out. HRM fixed everything under warranty.Not interested in lemon law just surprised because it seems like a lot of people have problem free loti.
And yes I know the love only gets stronger because of its imperfections.Just wondering if my car has more glitches then most.
A:
Originally Posted by t65tampa
I was going to write the exact same thing. Don't worry. Work the bugs out with your dealer (still under warranty) and then enjoy your car. You have one of the best sports cars ever made.
Actually I think they are one of the best sports cars ever designed. How they're made seems to vary quite a bit from unit to unit.
A:
So what you are saying is that your trunk or interior doesn't leak, and your headlights are good? lol.
Fishguy beat me to it, that was exactly what I was thinking.
I knew going in i wasn't getting a Honda. I expected not stellar quality as part of the Lotus game. Overall I'm very happy with my car, even with it's quirks, and daily drive it (well will resume DD when it gets out of the body shop)