tow LOTUS ELISE 2005 User Guide

Engine Cover/Trunk LidThe engine cover/trunk lid provides access to the engine and
rear luggage compartment.
To open the lid: Insert the key into the lock and turn clockwise. When released, a spring plunger will lift the lid sufficiently to allow it to be raised fully by hand. Support the lid by engaging
the prop provided on the trunk bulkhead, in the slotted plate adjacent to the latch mechanism.
WARNING:
• When using the rear luggage compartment, beware of any hot surfaces exposed in the engine bay. Touching hot

surfaces could cause serious burns.
• Before closing the lid, ensure that no persons or objects
will be trapped.
• If necessary, protect and/or secure heavy objects as required.
To close: Stow the support prop in its bulkhead clip, and, keeping
fingers well clear of entrapment, and ensuring that no obstruction is present, lower the lid. Fully engage the latch mechanism by pressing down on the lid just forward of the key lock, NOT at
the extreme rear end of the panel.
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REAR LID RELEASE
External Operations
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FITTING ROOF STAYS
Soft Top Roof - Fitting
WARNING:Do not attempt to fit the soft top roof whilst the car is in
motion. This could cause a crash in which you or others
could be killed or seriously injured.
1. From its stowage bag in the rear luggage compartment, with-
draw the roof assembly and support stays. Lower both door
windows, or open both doors.
2. Insert the two, identical, roof support stays, with the arrows pointing forwards, into the slots above the rear window, and
in the windscreen header rail. Note that the slots are keyed
to allow fitment of the stays in only the correct orientation.
3. Lay the soft top roof across the centre of the roof space with
the arrows on the side rails pointing forwards.
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Arrows
point for ward
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RELEASING ROOF SIDE RAIL
Soft Top - Removal
WARNING:Do not attempt to remove the soft top roof whilst the
car is in motion. This could cause a crash in which you or
others could be killed or seriously injured.
1. With the car stationary, open both doors or lower both door windows.
2. On the inside face of the right hand roof side rail, locate the
two latch release levers: Pull the two lever handles towards each other to release the side rail latches (press down on the
side rail if necessary to relieve the load on the latch pins), and rotate the rail upwards to release the canopy tension.
3. Repeat step (2) for the
left hand side rail.
NOTICE: Releasing the right hand roof side rail first, will minimise
the possibility of the canopy tensioning cable adjusters causing damage to the roof seals.
4. Free the front and rear tensioning cables from the gutters be
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fore carefully rolling up each side of the roof canopy towards the centre. Lift the roof assembly off the car, and pack in the
roof bag.
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5. Unhook the two roof stays and pack in the roof bag. Stow the
bag in the rear luggage compartment.
NOTICE: If the roof is not fully dry, it should be stowed for no longer than 1 or 2 days before unrolling or refitting and allowing
to air dry completely. Prolonged stowage of a wet or damp roof
will promote rotting of the fabric.
HARD TOP ROOF
NOTICE:
• The hard top roof has been designed to provide a seasonal,
rather than single trip option. Some owners may prefer to
entrust the fitting and removal of the hard top roof to their
dealer.
• When stowing the roof off the car, care should be taken to
avoid damage to the roof corners; e.g. use a suitable soft
floor covering on which to stand the roof. Note that there is
no provision for on-board hard top roof stowage.
• Fitment or removal of the hardtop is made considerably easier
with the assistance of a second person.
• Use only the ‘Torx’ tool supplied in the car tool kit (in the
battery cover rear pocket), to tighten or release the roof

fixing screws.
• The hardtop roof fixings are tethered to the roof panel to guard
against their loss.
WARNING:
Take care to avoid trapping hands or fingers when fitting
or removing the hard top.
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FRONT SPIGOT BRACKET
Hard Top - Fitting
1. Open both doors, and preferably with the aid of an assistant, lower the roof onto the car holding aside the loose tethered
fixings to avoid their entrapment or their causing paint damage. Position the rear edge of the roof first before locating the front
edge against the windscreen header rail.
2. Locate a front spigot bracket into its latch plate lower slot (lifting the roof slightly to allow this) and retain to the roof with the Torx bolt. Use only the special Torx tool supplied in the car tool kit (stowed in the battery cover pocket), and do not
fully tighten at this stage.
3. Repeat step (2) for the opposite front spigot bracket.
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Soft Top Roof
1. Careful vacuuming of the soft top before washing may be
helpful in removing excess dust and other foreign particles.
2. Wash in partial shade rather than strong sunlight.
3. Using only clean lukewarm water and a sponge (a chamois or
cloth will leave lint, and a brush may abrade the threads), wash
the entire soft top uniformly. Do NOT use a detergent, which may
affect the waterproofing properties of the material.
4. Rinse the whole car to prevent streaking on the paintwork. 5. Remove surface water with a sponge and allow to air dry in direct sunlight. Ensure that the roof is fully dry before stow
-
ing, as prolonged stowage of a wet or damp roof will promote
rotting of the fabric.
Keeping the soft top clean by regular washing will enhance
the life and maintain the appearance of the roof, and facilitate subsequent cleaning. The use of stronger cleansers should be left to professionals experienced in handling this type of fabric
as discoloration and degradation of the material may result.
The application of wax finishes, dressings or preservatives may cause stains, and should be avoided. Your dealer will be able to advise on current Lotus approved soft top care products.
Windscreen Cleaning When washing the windscreen, take care to lift the wiper
blade only a small distance from the glass in order not to dam
-
age the wiper arm mechanism. Wash the wiper blade with

clean water.
Alloy Road Wheels It is recommended that the aluminium alloy road wheels
are washed with the same preparation as is used to wash the bodywork. Use a brush having only nylon bristles. During the
winter months, particularly when salt has been used on the
roads for the dispersal of snow and ice, remove all the wheels,
and wash thoroughly to remove all accumulated road filth from
the wheels and Tires. Be aware that on cars fitted with optional clear anodised
forged alloy wheels (with 7 twin-spokes), the anodised surface
finish may be attacked by some proprietary wheel cleaning products. Wash only using hot soapy water or car bodywork
shampoo. Advise tire fitting companies accordingly.
Servicing & Maintenance
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OIL FILLER CAPohs131
DIPSTICK
Engine Oil Level Check
WARNING:
• Engine oil is hazardous to your health and may be fatal
if swallowed.
• Use protective gloves to avoid contact with skin as far as possible and wash thoroughly after any contact.
The engine oil level should be checked regularly, such as
every two or three fuel stops, and the oil level maintained near
the top mark on the dipstick. It is especially important to keep a check on the oil level during the car’s first 1,000 miles (1,600
km), as both the fuel and oil consumption will be prone to some
variance until the engine components have bedded in. The best time to check the level is when the oil is warm, such
as during a fuel stop. Ensure that the car is parked on a level
surface and that a few minutes have elapsed since stopping
the engine to allow oil to drain back into the sump. If the engine is stopped before reaching normal running temperature, the oil
will not drain back so readily, and the dipstick will display an artificially low reading.
Dipstick: The dipstick is identifiable by its yellow loop handle,
and is located at the right hand front of the engine. Withdraw
the dipstick, and wipe with a paper towel. Replace the dipstick, if necessary feeding the blade into the tube with the towel, before
Servicing & Maintenance
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Brake Fluid ReservoirUnder normal circumstances, there is no requirement for
routine 'topping up' of the brake master cylinder reservoir. A
visual safety check is all that is required. Every week, check the level of fluid in the brake fluid reservoir
located in the driver’s side of the front services compartment, beneath the access panel: Without disturbing the filler cap,
check that the level lies between the 'MA X' and 'MIN' marks moulded on the translucent reservoir body. As the brake pads
wear, the level will drop gradually from the 'MA X' mark towards the 'MIN', but if the level drops rapidly over a short period, have
your Lotus dealer investigate without delay. If the level is found
to be below the 'MIN’ mark, it is likely there has been some fluid loss, and that air will have entered the hydraulic system. The car
should not be driven until the fault has been investigated and rectified. Note that a single reservoir is used to supply both of
the independent hydraulic circuits for the front and rear brakes, and also serves the hydraulic clutch release circuit. If any fluid is to be added, first clean the surrounding area
to guard against dirt ingress before unscrewing the reservoir cap.
NOTICE: Spilled brake fluid can seriously damage the car’s paintwork and some plastic compoments, for example, the side
marker lamps. Take suitable precautions to protect the paintwork
from contamination, and in case of spillage, rinse the affected area with water immediately: DO NOT WIPE.
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BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR CAP
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Air Cleaner ElementThe air filter should be inspected at intervals dependent on
the operating conditions. When the car is operated in a relatively
clean environment, the element should be renewed at intervals
specified in the Maintenance Schedule, but where a dusty or
smog laden atmosphere prevails, or other factors contribute to
filter contamination, more frequent replacement will be required
dependent on the level of pollution. A disposable folded paper type air cleaner element is fitted in
a housing at the left hand front of the engine bay. For access to
the element, the left hand rear wheel and wheelarch liner must
first be removed so this operation is best entrusted to your dealer.
Before opening the air cleaner housing, the wheelarch area
should be cleaned to reduce the possibility of filter or housing contamination with road dirt. To open the filter housing, release the two spring clips at the
outboard end of the housing, and hinge open sufficiently to allow
the element to be removed. If necessary, remove the air intake scroll for improved access. Clean the inside of the housing, including the joint faces,
taking care not to contaminate the ‘clean’ engine side of the as
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sembly. Fit the new filter element into position with the shallow
side towards the engine, and taking care to ensure that the two
hinges of the filter housing are properly mated, and that the filter
is seated correctly, close the housing and secure with the two
spring clips. Refit the wheelarch liner and rear wheel.
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AIR CLEANER ELEMENT
Servicing & Maintenance
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sure of tires to be used on the Elise. It also specifies the total weight the car can carry, called the car capacity
weight. This includes the weight of driver, passenger and luggage. Also to be found on the driver’s door jamb is the Cer
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tification label (‘Manufactured by Lotus Cars Ltd.’) which stipulates the Gross Car Weight Rating (GV WR). The
GVWR includes the weight of the car, occupants, fuel and luggage. Never exceed the GVWR or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. The maximum load which may be carried in the rear luggage compartment is 110 lb (50 kg). Note that the Elise is not designed to tow a trailer, and no such attempt should be
made.
WARNING: Do not exceed the GVWR, or front or rear GAWR.
Exceeding these limits may cause unstable handling or car or tire damage which could cause a crash
in which you or others could be seriously injured or killed.
The Elise should never be used to tow a
trailer.
Federal Motor Car Safety Standards require Lotus to in
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clude the following verbatim statement in this handbook:
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit:
1) Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX pounds”
on your car’s placard.
2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas
-
senger that will be riding in your car.
3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas
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senger from XXX kilograms, or XXX pounds.
4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
“XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your car, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 - 750
(5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
Note: Maximum load to be carried in the Elise rear lug-
gage compartment is 110 lb (50 kg).
Tires & Wheels
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