A&Q about Lotus
Q:
Tim,
I would like to get ahold of these great diagrams you keep coming up with. I don't plan on tearing my car down and rebuilding it. But, when something does go wrong, I like to have a better understanding of how it works. I, too, had my manual windows in need of adjustment. I took my time and was able to fix them, with basic tools, while on a vacation.
A:
Originally Posted by pilot
Tim,
I would like to get ahold of these great diagrams you keep coming up with. I don't plan on tearing my car down and rebuilding it. But, when something does go wrong, I like to have a better understanding of how it works.
The diagrams all come from either the Factory Service Manual or the Factory Parts Manual (the Parts Manual also has the nice exploded parts view like the window mechanisms above).
The Service Manual (a series of PDF files) can be downloaded from Lotus USA's web site for $25. The Parts Manual can be downloaded for free from the download section at Club111.net's web site.
Every Elise/Exige owner should have both manuals, even if they don't plan on doing any work on their car. Especially at the price.
A:
Originally Posted by edaddy
I'm another non-tourer and agree with everything in Tim's post.
I did changed my radio to the touring model though specifically to play MP3s. It was cheap
For some reason, my car came with an insulated soft top... maybe this was an Aztec Bronze only feature
Chassis #3993... non-touring... mine came with the insulated top as well...
I also agree with everything Tim said in the above megapost.
A:
Just to be controversial...
The factory radio (touring, Blaujunk with MP3 capability) is the worst system I've had in any car I've owned (Elise is car #26). The sound is horrible, the controls are cheap feeling with poor ergonomics, and the display has driven more then a few owners crazy with it's "demo mode" and overly bright display at night.
The AM/FM radio in my 85 Corolla sounded better. I blame the poor sound quality on the aluminum tub/small air space. The radio is a small part of this car anyway, so I don't find it too bad. It's just annoying how much it sucks.
The security "feature" on the touring radio is annoying as hell too. My radio hasn't worked 90% of the time I've owned the car because of it. Don't bother asking your local dealer to fix it either because they don't have the capability too. You need to buy another blank keycard from Blaupunkt and then reprogram it (I'd rather have no radio).
A:
Though it's a matter of choice, I did not want power windows in the Elise (for many, many reasons - (1) simplicity of use/design in keeping with the character of the car, (2) it's British...hello!?!, etc.) so I opted for the non-touring car - plus I want LESS sound deadening, not more. I want to hear and feel the car as much as possible with very little getting in the way of things. I don't need interior colors or leather in my car. As soon as I got home from the dealer, I took out the stereo's faceplate and have not put it back in (it's been six months now). Why anyone would want to listen to music in this car is totally beyond me (and I'm a musician) - unless the Elise is your only car.
A:
Originally Posted by Aedo
Eliseparts in the UK do an upgrade - clicky
thanks!
this is a question i had. I found the winders a little cheap. I guess I can paint them black. They were loose when I touched them. Do you guys have the same problem? I thought as you wind it they would be firm, but I guess the center screw is loose???
I also don't want to get the touring pack because of the 12 lbs of sound deadening material. If I could I would just get the leather seats. I'm eventually going to buy carbon door panels, so I don't care if they are cheap plastic. Don't really care about the stereo either.
thanks!
A:
Originally Posted by shay2nak
I'm eventually going to buy carbon door panels, so I don't care if they are cheap plastic.
For information: The door panels aren't cheap plastic - with the Base cloth interior the door panels are covered with the same cloth as the seats; with the Touring Package, the door panels are covered with the leather.
A:
Originally Posted by TimMullen
For information: The door panels aren't cheap plastic - with the Base cloth interior the door panels are covered with the same cloth as the seats; with the Touring Package, the door panels are covered with the leather.
The '06 base interior is different from the '05. What was leather on the '05 is cloth on the '06 and what was cloth on the '05 is silver plastic (probably just the door panel mold painted). They did away with all the leather in the '06 base interior.
A:
Originally Posted by ChrisB
The '06 base interior is different from the '05. What was leather on the '05 is cloth on the '06 and what was cloth on the '05 is silver plastic (probably just the door panel mold painted). They did away with all the leather in the '06 base interior.
Didn't know that.
A:
Originally Posted by TimMullen
The Touring Pack extra sound insulation isn't that much - most people really can't tell the difference.
+1
I removed mine when I installed my harness bar. In the Exige, you can't really tell the difference without it and the reality is, it's nothing more than a thick piece of foam behind the bulkhead trim panel.
I'm not sure if the fastback hatch makes a difference, but I'm told the Exige cockpit seems a bit noisier than the Elise since there's nothing between the engine and the glass.
YMMV.
Regardless, the Blaupunkt is a disaster. Performance aside, the UI is pretty awful.
A:
Originally Posted by TimMullen
Didn't know that.
Here are a couple pictures of the base '06 interior. In the second picture, the seats look like they are a medium gray, but they are actually about the same color as the cloth in the '05 models. IMHO the all-cloth seats actually look better than the half-and-half '05 versions.
A:
Originally Posted by codymac
+1
I removed mine when I installed my harness bar. In the Exige, you can't really tell the difference without it and the reality is, it's nothing more than a thick piece of foam behind the bulkhead trim panel.
I'm not sure if the fastback hatch makes a difference, but I'm told the Exige cockpit seems a bit noisier than the Elise since there's nothing between the engine and the glass.
YMMV.
Regardless, the Blaupunkt is a disaster. Performance aside, the UI is pretty awful.
that's all the soundproofing is? Just a piece of foam behind you? Then where's the 12 lbs coming from? I thought foam was sprayed on the inside of the body panels among other places to reduce road noise.
A:
Originally Posted by shay2nak
that's all the soundproofing is? Just a piece of foam behind you? Then where's the 12 lbs coming from? I thought foam was sprayed on the inside of the body panels among other places to reduce road noise.
It's a pretty substantial piece of high density foam. I don't have a scale but would guess it's at least a few pounds of the quoted increase. I stripped my car to the rear bulkhead to facilitate installing the OEM harness bar and didn't see anything that looked blown in place. I'm pretty familiar with the underside of both clams (on my car) and there's nothing there either.
There's also the additional carpeting, aluminum trim, and top insulation to consider as well as whatever differences the window mechanisms make.
The silver door inserts on the base car are what nudged me towards the touring pack. I much prefer the leather door inserts although I don't care for the sill carpeting at all.
Here's a pic of the foam.
A:
damn, it does look pretty dense.
How much louder did it get in the cabin? I'm also leaning towards the touring pack because I wasn't impressed with the winders and I didn't like how the door panel and seats looked.
thanks.
A:
Originally Posted by shay2nak
damn, it does look pretty dense.
How much louder did it get in the cabin? I'm also leaning towards the touring pack because I wasn't impressed with the winders and I didn't like how the door panel and seats looked.
thanks.
I can't really tell a difference, but my experience is limited to the Exige, where there's nothing between the rear glass and the engine anyway.
At the moment, I'm thinking I'll probably order the harness bar clearanced foam piece and put it in at some point - just to get the car back to how it would have been put together at the factory. I'm admittedly a little odd in that regard though.