Elise S2 01 metallic noise when warm

[hethel8]

Hi Guys,

I wonder if I might run my elise s2 problem past you again in the hope that someone has had a similar issue and can offer some advice.

Car is a 2001 S2 K Series with a Bell and Colville 160 conversion and a Larini Club Sport Exhaust.

I have had my car for almost a year and have spent most of that time trying to find the source of a metallic rattle that seems to be coming from behind the drivers seat when going over bumps and more recently just normal road undulations when the car is warmed up.

The noise is a very loose metallic clatter.

It might be easier if I listed what I have done:

All the usual things like loose change have been investigated

It has nothing to do with the under tray or anything hitting it.

It occurs regardless of whether the top is on or off.

All cables have been padded to stop rattles.

The cooling and heating feeds in the sills have been investigated.

The cockpit floor has been isolated from the bulkhead.

It has nothing to do with the heat shield or the engine cover.

Everything loose in the engine bay has been cable tied.




If anyone has had a similar issue, I would be very grateful if you would let me know.



Many Thanks

Simon

[Thorburn]

I might be wrong - but I think this can be caused by the exhaust heating the toe link. Dries it out and causes some noise over bumps.

There was an S2 Exige owner at a recent SELOC meet with the same issue and it turned out to be the toe link.

[hethel8]

That's a great piece of info. Thanks for that.

[Dr Bunsen]

I've got something very similar on mine (2001 S2) - It seems to be comming from just behing the drivers seat - Its not heat related as it starts as soon as the revs settle after start up and it stops when revs clear 2000. It seems to be some sort of resonance but i have spent most of the winter checking heat shields, undertray, cables etc etc. It only started 6 months ago. Next step is to pull out the seats and the rear bulkhead trims (may combine it with a harness bar at the same time).......Or i will just try to ignore it? - Sorry this is not much help to the OP but if anyone knows anything obvious it would save alot of messing!

[Skaffen]

Dr Bunsen said:

I've got something very similar on mine (2001 S2) - It seems to be comming from just behing the drivers seat - Its not heat related as it starts as soon as the revs settle after start up and it stops when revs clear 2000. It seems to be some sort of resonance but i have spent most of the winter checking heat shields, undertray, cables etc etc. It only started 6 months ago. Next step is to pull out the seats and the rear bulkhead trims (may combine it with a harness bar at the same time).......Or i will just try to ignore it? - Sorry this is not much help to the OP but if anyone knows anything obvious it would save alot of messing!

Have you tried putting your hand down behind the seat to push on the floor while going through that rev point? The floor tray itself can become a little loose over time and resonate (I presume you've checked there's no coins or stones on there as of course anything on the floor tray will make a noise very easily). If you can get someone else to blip the throttle through that point while you move around and listen that may also help. I presume it does it with the undertrays removed (to rule out both the trays and anything touching them e.g. the cat or flexi)?

[Skaffen]

Thorburn said:

I might be wrong - but I think this can be caused by the exhaust heating the toe link. Dries it out and causes some noise over bumps.

There was an S2 Exige owner at a recent SELOC meet with the same issue and it turned out to be the toe link.

Can also be similar with a wishbone balljoint getting worn/dry - it's more usually the toe link though. In either case once the car's warm enough to make the noise you can often provoke it when the car's parked up by bouncing the back up and down a bit.

[hethel8]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

The problem isn't rev related due to resonance and occurs over normal road bumps.

The noise seems to be coming from immediately behind the cockpit bulkhead.

Kind Regards

Simon

[bananamana]

I had a metallic noise sometimes grinding. It turned out to be a failing alternater,.

[Dr Bunsen]

Skaffen said:

Dr Bunsen said:

I've got something very similar on mine (2001 S2) - It seems to be comming from just behing the drivers seat - Its not heat related as it starts as soon as the revs settle after start up and it stops when revs clear 2000. It seems to be some sort of resonance but i have spent most of the winter checking heat shields, undertray, cables etc etc. It only started 6 months ago. Next step is to pull out the seats and the rear bulkhead trims (may combine it with a harness bar at the same time).......Or i will just try to ignore it? - Sorry this is not much help to the OP but if anyone knows anything obvious it would save alot of messing!

Have you tried putting your hand down behind the seat to push on the floor while going through that rev point? The floor tray itself can become a little loose over time and resonate (I presume you've checked there's no coins or stones on there as of course anything on the floor tray will make a noise very easily). If you can get someone else to blip the throttle through that point while you move around and listen that may also help. I presume it does it with the undertrays removed (to rule out both the trays and anything touching them e.g. the cat or flexi)?

Thnaks for that - I'll give it a try

[hethel8]

Hi Guys, I wanted to post up that I have solved my problem after several months and hope this info will help others.

The noise was the coolant feed pipe to the radiator, which runs in the right hand sill. When warm, the rubber elbow where the pipe enters the chassis was becoming pliable and allowed the pipe to move, banging on the inside of the chassis rail.

I was able to lag this area of the pipe with exhaust bandage through the rear of the rail which is open.

Kind Regards

Simon