child LOTUS ELISE 2005 Owners Manual

CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................
6
2. SAFETY INFORMATION ..................................................7
3. REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
.................................. 10
4. CAR IDENTIFICATION
....................................................15
5. SEATING & SAFETY REST
RAINTS
Seats .................................................................
17
Seat Belts .................................................................
18
Seat Belt Precautions ................................................
19
Airbag Safety System .....................................................
21
Airbag Tell Tale ..........................................................
23
Airbag Deployment ....................................................
24
Child Restraints ..............................................................
26
6. KEYS & CAR SECURITY ALARM
Keys .................................................................
29
Car Security Alarm ..........................................................
30
Transmitter Fobs .......................................................
30
Engine Immobiliser ....................................................
31
Valet Mode ................................................................
31
Arming the Alarm .......................................................
32
Disarming the Alarm ..................................................
33
Emergency Disarming/Mobilising ..............................
33
Intrusion Sensing ......................................................
34
Manual Activation of Siren .........................................
34
Transmitter Fob Battery Replacement ......................
35
Programming Additional Transmitter Fobs ................
36
Disconnecting Car Battery ........................................
36
7. ENTRY & COMFORT
Central Door Locking ......................................................
37
To Unlock From Outside ............................................
37
To Lock From Inside ..................................................
37
To Unlock From Inside ..............................................
38
To Lock From Outside ...............................................
38
Lights On Buzzer ............................................................
40
Interior Rear View Mirror .................................................
40
Door Mirrors .................................................................
40
Interior Lamp .................................................................
41
Sun Visors .................................................................
41
Door Windows ................................................................
42
Manual Windows .......................................................
42
Electric Windows .......................................................
42
Contents
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10. DRIVING CONTROLS
Foot Pedals .................................................................
66
Footwell Carpets .............................................................
66
Clutch Pedal .................................................................
66
Footbrake .................................................................
67
Anti-Lock Brake System .................................................
67
Parking Brake .................................................................
70
Gear Lever .................................................................
71
11. STARTING PROCEDURE & ENGINE BREAK-IN
Starting a Cold or Warm Engine .....................................
72
Idle Speed .................................................................
73
Engine Break-In ..............................................................
73
Engine Special Features .................................................
74
12. EXTERNAL OPERATIONS
Fuel Requirement ...........................................................
75
Fuel Filling .................................................................
76
Front Service Access Panels ..........................................
78
Engine Cover/Trunk Lid ..................................................
79
Child Entrapment ......................................................
80
Removable Roof Concept ...............................................
81
Soft Top Roof Fitting ..................................................
82
Soft Top Roof Removal .............................................
84
Hard Top Roof Fitting ................................................
85
Hard Top Roof Removal ............................................
90
13. SERVICING & MAINTENANCE
Bodycare .................................................................
93
B
ody Features ...........................................................93
Paint Care .................................................................
94
Ventilation .................................................................
94
Paintwork Polishing ...................................................
95
Washing .................................................................
95
Soft Top Roof ............................................................
96
Windscreen Cleaning ................................................
96
Alloy Road Wheels ....................................................
96
Upholstery Cleaning ..................................................
97
Seat Belts Cleaning ...................................................
97
Footwell Cleaning ......................................................
97
Owner Maintenance ........................................................
98
Engine Oil Level Check .............................................
99
Engine Oil Change ..................................................
100
Oil Filter ...............................................................
102
Used Engine Oil ......................................................
103
Contents
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Safety InformationTo help you make informed decisions about safety, important
safety information is provided in forms including:
• Safety labels on the car
• Safety messages in this handbook are shown as follows:
WARNING: The hazard and instructions to avoid the hazard are
given. If you do not take these instructions you and /or
others can be KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Messages prefac ed by
‘NOTICE’ are intended to help
y o u a v o i d d a m a g e t o y o u r c a r, o t h e r p r o p e r t y o r t h e

environment.
Important Safety Precautions You’ll find many safety recommendations throughout this sec
-
tion, and throughout this manual. The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt A seat belt is your best protection in accidents (including colli
-
sions). Airbags supplement seat belts, but airbags are designed
to inflate only in a moderate to severe frontal collision. So even
though your car is equipped with airbags, make sure you and
your passenger always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 18).
Your Car is Not Recommended for Child Passengers Since all children are safest in the back seat of a car, and
your car does not have a back seat, we strongly recommend that you do not carry a child passenger. Children should be
carried in the Elise only if they are large enough to be able to
use the standard seat belt (see page 26). You should never
carry an infant in a rear-facing child seat in this car because
the Elise has a passenger airbag which cannot be switched off or disabled (see page 26).
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or
fatal injuries to occupants who sit too close to them, or are not
Safety Information
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properly restrained. Children, and short adults are at the great-
est risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and warnings in the handbook (See page 21 to 27).
Don’t Drink and Drive Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even one drink can reduce your
ability to respond to changing conditions, and your reaction time
gets worse with every additional drink. So don’t drink and drive,
and don’t let your friends drink and drive, either.
Control Your Speed Excessive speed is a major factor in crash injuries and deaths.
Generally, the higher the speed the greater the risk, but serious accidents can also occur at lower speeds. Never drive faster
than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Car in Safe Condition Having a tire blowout or a mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check
your tire pressures and condition frequently, and perform all
regularly scheduled maintenance (see separate Maintenance
Record booklet).
Safety Features Your car is equipped with many features that work together
to protect you and your passenger during a crash. The Lotus Elise has been designed to comply with applicable safety regulations. The Elise has passive safety features which include:
• A cockpit tub surrounded by substantial chassis side
frames.
• Energy absorbing front
composite ‘crash structure’.
• Energy absorbing rear steel
‘crash structure’.
• Side sill foam pads.
• A seat belt mounting frame incorporating a roof hoop
• Extruded aluminium door beams.
• A collapsible steering column.
• Airbags for both driver and passenger. Active safety features include:
• Lap and diagonal inertia reel seat belts with impact sensing
pre-tensioners.
Safety Information
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• Follow the Maintenance Schedule and keep the car in good
condition.
• Never leave young children unattended in the car.
• Read and take account of all
WARNINGS in this hand-
book.
Owners should note that the only approved extras and modi
-
fications are those which are specified by Lotus and carried out by Lotus or by an authorised dealer. Lotus does not accept
any liability whatsoever for defects which arise from extras or modifications which are not Lotus approved.
WARNING: Inexpert or unapproved modifications or additions to
the car could adversely affect the handling of the car and
the operation of its safety equipment. Ensure only modifi
-
cations specified by Lotus are undertaken by authorised
dealers. Failure to comply with this may result in a crash in
which you and others may be killed or seriously injured.
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS If you believe that your car has a fault which could cause a
crash, injury or death, you should immediately inform the Na
-
tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition
to notifying Lotus Cars USA, Inc. 2236 Northmont Parkway,
Duluth, Georgia 30096. Tel: 770 476 6540. If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an inves
-
tigation, and if it finds that a safety problem exists in a group of cars, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in individual problems between
you and your dealer, or Lotus Cars USA, Inc. To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline
toll-free at 1 (888) -327- 4236 (or 366- 0123 in Washington, D.C.
area) or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation,
Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also obtain other information about motor car safety from the Hotline.
Pre- delivery Inspection Lotus strives at all times to provide the highest level of cus
-
tomer satisfaction, and to this end, quality assessments are made at several stages of the delivery process from factory to
customer. If necessary, repairs and replacements will be made
Safety Information
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To use the belt, sit erect and fully back in the seat before
taking the buckle tongue in the outer hand, and drawing the belt through the top slide, pass the belt across the body and
push the tongue into the buckle lock at the inboard side of the
seat, until a positive ‘click’ is heard. Pull on the belt to check for correct latching and ensure that the belt fits snugly against the body with all the slack taken up by the reel. The belt should be
worn low across the front of the pelvis, and across the chest and shoulder. The belts are released by pressing the red button on the
buckle lock, and will retract automatically for tidy storage and
to permit easy access to the passenger compartment.
Seat Belt Precautions
WARNING:
• Be sure you and your passenger always wear seat belts and wear them properly. Not wearing a seat belt

correctly, increases the chance of serious injury or death
in a crash, even with airbags.
• On fastening the seat belt, ensure that no part of the belt is twisted, or is entangled in the door or seat

mechanism.
• Seat belts are designed to bear upon the bone structure
of the body and should be worn low across the front of
the pelvis, and across the chest and shoulder. Wearing
the lap section of the belt across the abdominal area must be avoided.
• Improperly positioning the seat belts can cause serious injury or death in a crash. Ensure the seat belts are

correctly positioned before driving.
• Pregnant women should always wear seat belts to protect
both themselves and the unborn child. The lap belt por
-
tion of the belt should be kept as low as possible across the hips. Consult your doctor regularly to check if you
should drive.
• The shoulder portion of the belt must never be worn beneath the arm, or behind the back.
• Each seat belt assembly is designed for use by one

occupant of adult build, and should not be used by

children unable to meet the requirements set forth
herein.
Seating & Safety Restraints
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WARNING:
• Lotus strongly recommends that you do not carry children
as passengers in your Elise.
• Because the Elise is fitted with a non-switchable pas
-
senger airbag, a rear facing child seat must never be
used.
• Never use one belt around two people, or allow a child to be carried on a driver’s or passenger’s lap.
• Refer to Child Restraints section of handbook.
WARNING:
• No modifications or additions should be made to the inertia reel assemblies or seat belts. Do not attempt to
adjust the seat belt tension by altering the mechanism.
• The seat belt should be replaced if webbing becomes frayed, contaminated, or damaged. Inspect regularly.
• It is essential to replace the entire seat belt assembly
if it has been used in a severe impact, even if damage
to the assembly is not obvious. In situations where the airbags have been deployed, the belt tensioner systems must also be replaced. Seat belt anchorage points must
also be rigorously checked.
• Not checking or maintaining seat belts can result in serious injury or death if the seat belts do not work

properly when needed. Check the belts regularly and have any problem corrected immediately.
• No one should sit in a seat with an in-operative seat belt.
Care should be taken to avoid contamination of the webbing
with polishes, oils or chemicals and particularly battery acid. Use
only a mild detergent to clean the webbing, never use bleach or
dye, and allow the belt to dry fully before using the car. Ensure
that the buckle mechanism is kept free of dirt contamination as disassembly for cleaning is not possible.Seating & Safety Restraints
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belt, even with airbags. Sit as far back from the steering
wheel as is comfortable, whilst ensuring that full control can be maintained.
• Airbags plus lap-shoulder seat belts offer the best protection for adults, but not for young children and

infants. Neither the car ’s seat belt system nor its

airbag system is designed for them. Young children and

infants need the protection that a child restraint system can

provide. See later section on ‘Child Restraints’.
• If an object is between a person and an airbag, the bag
might not inflate properly or it might force the object into
that person causing death or serious injury. The path of an inflating airbag must be kept clear. Don’t put anything between an occupant and an airbag, and don’t attach or
put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any
passenger dashboard air bag covering.
• Do not lean against the inside of the doors; always hold the steering wheel by the outer rim; never rest your hands
on the airbag panel.
• Never transport heavy objects on or in front of the pas
-
senger seat.
• Give your passenger all of the information in this sec
-
tion.
• Do not attempt to de-activate the airbags, or make any other changes to the wiring or components of the airbag
system. Do not undertake any wiring for electrical ac
-
cessory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the airbag system, or
cause its unintended deployment.
• Adjust the driver’s seat to ensure that your chest is at
least 10 inches (250mm) from the steering wheel.
• If the airbag trim cover on the passenger side of the dash
-
board is accidently knocked off, the passenger airbag will
not operate correctly. Improper protection could result
in death or serious injury to a passenger in a crash. Do
not attempt to refit or repair the trim cover, but have the
fault rectified immediately by your dealer.
Airbag Tell Tale There is an airbag warning light (‘tell tale’) on the instrument
panel which shows the airbag symbol. The system checks the
following airbag electrical circuits for malfunction:
Seating & Safety Restraints
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regulations, and should be handled only by your dealer.
• If you sell your Lotus, notify the purchaser that the car is equipped with airbags, and refer them to ‘Airbag Safety
System’ in this handbook (safety and disposal rules).
• Further information on the airbag system can be found
on stickers on the sun visors.
• For important recommendations on the use of child restraints, please refer to ‘Child Restraints’ in this hand
-
book. Never use a rear facing child seat in your Elise.
• A crash can damage the restraint systems in your car. A damaged restraint system may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in serious injury or even death
in a crash. To help make sure your restraint systems are
working properly after a crash, have them inspected and
any necessary replacements made as soon as possible.
Seating & Safety Restraints
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Child Restraints
WARNING:
Lotus strongly recommends that children are not car
-
ried in the Elise due to the risk of death or serious injury if the child is too close to the dashboard when the airbag
inflates.

Accident statistics show that children are safer when properly
restrained in the back seats of cars, an option unavailable on
this model. In addition, your car is equipped with a passenger’s airbag which poses serious risks to children - particularly infants
and small children. If, nevertheless, a child is to be carried in the
car, the following notes are provided for guidance:
When a child is of a physical size whereby the standard
fitment lap and diagonal seat belt will fit satisfactorily, with the belt positioned over the collar bone and against the centre of
the chest, the standard seat and seat belt should be used. If the
belt touches or crosses the child’s neck, the child should NOT
be carried in the Elise.
WARNING:
• Children should not be carried in the Elise unless they are large enough to be able properly to use the standard
seat belt without any child seat or booster seat.
• Child restraint systems (other than belt positioning booster seats) are designed to be secured in the car seat
by the lap belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt. READ
ALL INSTRUCTIONS THAT ACCOMPANY THE CHILD RESTRAINT OR BOOSTER SEAT.
• I n f a n t s w h o a r e u n a b l e t o s i t u p b y t h e m s e l v e s ,

unsupported, should NOT be carried in the Elise.
• Never put a rear-facing child seat in the passenger seat
of the Elise. If the airbag inflates, it can hit the child or
the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or very seriously injure an infant.
• There is no provision on the Elise to switch off or disable
the passenger airbag.
WARNING: Children who are not properly restrained can be killed
or seriously injured in an accident.
Seating & Safety Restraints
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