Elise S1 111S Engine Issue
Discussion
All,
My father recently bought an S1 111S as I have always had a Lotus itch (aiming for a honda elise in the not too distant future) he has kindly insured me on it and lets me use it occasionally. However, since he bought it we have both experienced the same engine issue.
This is actually his second 111S and I got to drive his last one too so we have a benchmark of what it should be like and it is a seemingly very sorted example. It has a few after market mods such as sports exhaust, lowered/suspension upgrades, yellow stuff brakes etc but to my knowledge no engine work. It’s on about 50,000 miles.
The car seems fine, pulls well and revs hard to the rev limit, however intermittently and not on every drive the engine goes very lumpy and the engine warning light illuminates. It happened to me yesterday after a spirited but relatively short drive (fully warmed up though). It was fine until it was sat idling on the drive whilst I opened the garage then started to sound like a bag of spanners. After being switched off and left a while it seem to return to normal. As previously mentioned the same has happened to my father, though he has used it a lot more than me and made a few longer drives with no problems.
I have scoured the threads here, SELOC and Google and have a few ideas of things to look at but was wondering if anyone had any pointers of what to look for?
Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Jim
My father recently bought an S1 111S as I have always had a Lotus itch (aiming for a honda elise in the not too distant future) he has kindly insured me on it and lets me use it occasionally. However, since he bought it we have both experienced the same engine issue.
This is actually his second 111S and I got to drive his last one too so we have a benchmark of what it should be like and it is a seemingly very sorted example. It has a few after market mods such as sports exhaust, lowered/suspension upgrades, yellow stuff brakes etc but to my knowledge no engine work. It’s on about 50,000 miles.
The car seems fine, pulls well and revs hard to the rev limit, however intermittently and not on every drive the engine goes very lumpy and the engine warning light illuminates. It happened to me yesterday after a spirited but relatively short drive (fully warmed up though). It was fine until it was sat idling on the drive whilst I opened the garage then started to sound like a bag of spanners. After being switched off and left a while it seem to return to normal. As previously mentioned the same has happened to my father, though he has used it a lot more than me and made a few longer drives with no problems.
I have scoured the threads here, SELOC and Google and have a few ideas of things to look at but was wondering if anyone had any pointers of what to look for?
Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Jim
Jim,
You say it sounds like a bag of spanners, i had a similar experience with my 111s when it was on about 48k miles, although when mine made the sound it didn't go back to normal but just got worse!
Mine turned out to be a sheared bolt that held the VVC mechanism together meaning the metal bits were hitting each other. Luckily for me mine was still under warranty. If i were you i'd get your dad to get it looked at ASAP.
Hope you get sorted without too much pain.
Dave
Edited to add: Just seen you're in Salisbury so give Coz at Sportamotive or Geoff at Esprit Engineering for a second opinion. good luck
You say it sounds like a bag of spanners, i had a similar experience with my 111s when it was on about 48k miles, although when mine made the sound it didn't go back to normal but just got worse!
Mine turned out to be a sheared bolt that held the VVC mechanism together meaning the metal bits were hitting each other. Luckily for me mine was still under warranty. If i were you i'd get your dad to get it looked at ASAP.
Hope you get sorted without too much pain.
Dave
Edited to add: Just seen you're in Salisbury so give Coz at Sportamotive or Geoff at Esprit Engineering for a second opinion. good luck
Edited by s111dpc on Sunday 28th February 22:36
Thanks for the replies!
s111dpc:- I do not think it is anything as serious as your sheared bolt as it drives fine most of the time and is only intermittant.
Sportmotive is actually only about half a mile from my dad's house (I think he bought his first 111S from them IIRC) and so I am sure he will be using them again for servicing etc. He is away on holiday at the moment, so I expect it will go in for a check up when they get back. In the mean time I am trying to do a bit of research done on his behalf.
Esprit:- MAP sensor is one of the things I previously read up about.
Can someone explain to me what a MAP sensor is/does and where it is located. Are there any simple diagnostic tests for this? I have done a google search but can't find anything that clearly explains it.
Sumshi:- would a plug issue be intermittant? I guess at least that one is relatively easy to check.
The problem seems to be temperature dependant. I.e it only manifests after the engine is hot if that helps at all.
Thanks again!
Jim
s111dpc:- I do not think it is anything as serious as your sheared bolt as it drives fine most of the time and is only intermittant.
Sportmotive is actually only about half a mile from my dad's house (I think he bought his first 111S from them IIRC) and so I am sure he will be using them again for servicing etc. He is away on holiday at the moment, so I expect it will go in for a check up when they get back. In the mean time I am trying to do a bit of research done on his behalf.
Esprit:- MAP sensor is one of the things I previously read up about.
Can someone explain to me what a MAP sensor is/does and where it is located. Are there any simple diagnostic tests for this? I have done a google search but can't find anything that clearly explains it.
Sumshi:- would a plug issue be intermittant? I guess at least that one is relatively easy to check.
The problem seems to be temperature dependant. I.e it only manifests after the engine is hot if that helps at all.
Thanks again!
Jim
It could also be the misfire detection unit playing up.
When I took the rear clam off mine, i forgot to take it out and left it outside so it got damp. When i plugged it all back in; the light didn't come on at first but i was driving home from a bit of a blat and the light came on and it sounded horrible, like a tractor so I limped home.
took the plug off the misfire unit (it's in the boot), took it inside for a night and let it dry out, spray of contact cleaner on the plug and on the lead on the loom; plugged it back in and job done. No more misfire and it's never played up since.
When I took the rear clam off mine, i forgot to take it out and left it outside so it got damp. When i plugged it all back in; the light didn't come on at first but i was driving home from a bit of a blat and the light came on and it sounded horrible, like a tractor so I limped home.
took the plug off the misfire unit (it's in the boot), took it inside for a night and let it dry out, spray of contact cleaner on the plug and on the lead on the loom; plugged it back in and job done. No more misfire and it's never played up since.
plug problem was intermitant - at worse it would lapse onto 3 .When restarted is was back on 4. My MIL light flashed on and off on the overun , but only sometimes.
I had a full diagnostic check but was unable to find the problem only when it lapsed onto 3 did we isolate which cylinder was not firing and then the cure was easy
I had a full diagnostic check but was unable to find the problem only when it lapsed onto 3 did we isolate which cylinder was not firing and then the cure was easy
If it is the MAP sensor (Although scuffers knows what he's talking about, so try his suggestion first), the MAP sensor is a pressure sensor located on the inlet manifold. On the standard S1, the MAP sensor is actually INSIDE the ECU, and is linked to the manfold by a vacuum hose.... ergo when the MAP sensor fails you need a new ECU.
On the 111S I seem to recall the MAP sensor is a small sensor on the inlet plenum (after the throttle body) itself. It should be easy to pull it out and clean it and check it's connected right, or to swap it with a salvaged one from a scrappy.
If the MAP is failing, this SHOULD show up in the ECU history if the car is interrogated by the Lotus Scan Tool (something any main dealer/specialist should be able to do). It will come up on the scan tool diagnostic as "Pressure Sensor Fault" or something similar.
Mine used to fail on my S1 very intermittently, and completely randomly... as in it happened once every 6 months or so... never got worse so I never bothered to change it.
On the 111S I seem to recall the MAP sensor is a small sensor on the inlet plenum (after the throttle body) itself. It should be easy to pull it out and clean it and check it's connected right, or to swap it with a salvaged one from a scrappy.
If the MAP is failing, this SHOULD show up in the ECU history if the car is interrogated by the Lotus Scan Tool (something any main dealer/specialist should be able to do). It will come up on the scan tool diagnostic as "Pressure Sensor Fault" or something similar.
Mine used to fail on my S1 very intermittently, and completely randomly... as in it happened once every 6 months or so... never got worse so I never bothered to change it.
Check there is no water in the spark plug wells. Water has a habit of getting in there through the utterly rubbish lid that sits over the leads. I have had a similar problem last winter and it turned out one of the plug wells was a bit damp - the car occasionally cut out when idling and felt lumpy when putting the engine under load.
Unplugging the leads and giving the wells a blast with some compressed air sorted it out, but we changed the plugs shortly after too as it looked as though they'd seen some water before and seen better days!! I was relieved this was the problem! With the s
te weather of late it could be the problem.
This happenned to me on exactly the same car...and when I say exactly I have a funny feeling you might be in my old car...
Has it been garaged since you've had it or has it been standing outside? I always garaged it after that so minimised this problem from recurring.
Hope you get it sorted.
Unplugging the leads and giving the wells a blast with some compressed air sorted it out, but we changed the plugs shortly after too as it looked as though they'd seen some water before and seen better days!! I was relieved this was the problem! With the s
te weather of late it could be the problem.This happenned to me on exactly the same car...and when I say exactly I have a funny feeling you might be in my old car...
Has it been garaged since you've had it or has it been standing outside? I always garaged it after that so minimised this problem from recurring.
Hope you get it sorted.
Edited by MiniDiva on Tuesday 2nd March 13:39
MiniDiva:- I suspect you are right! I knew he bought it off a fellow pistonheader (spotted the badges) and checking your location that sounds right. Swapped it for an Exige? Very nice!
I will check the plugs first, then try everyone elses suggestions this weekend when I have some time.
Thanks.
Jim
I will check the plugs first, then try everyone elses suggestions this weekend when I have some time.
Thanks.
Jim
Jim,
Can you let me know how you sorted the problem?
I have an Elise S1 111S (VVC engine) with magnecor leads fitted. The reson to fit the Magnecors's was that old OEM leads were in poor condition and the plastics were all broken.
The car every now and then lights up the amber misfire detection light and cuts one coil. I have to switch it off and then back on again.
any ideas?
thanks.
João
Can you let me know how you sorted the problem?
I have an Elise S1 111S (VVC engine) with magnecor leads fitted. The reson to fit the Magnecors's was that old OEM leads were in poor condition and the plastics were all broken.
The car every now and then lights up the amber misfire detection light and cuts one coil. I have to switch it off and then back on again.
any ideas?
thanks.
João
joaoblattmann said:
Jim,
Can you let me know how you sorted the problem?
I have an Elise S1 111S (VVC engine) with magnecor leads fitted. The reson to fit the Magnecors's was that old OEM leads were in poor condition and the plastics were all broken.
The car every now and then lights up the amber misfire detection light and cuts one coil. I have to switch it off and then back on again.
any ideas?
thanks.
João
you cannot use magnecor leads with missfire detection.
go find some OEM ones.
Can you let me know how you sorted the problem?
I have an Elise S1 111S (VVC engine) with magnecor leads fitted. The reson to fit the Magnecors's was that old OEM leads were in poor condition and the plastics were all broken.
The car every now and then lights up the amber misfire detection light and cuts one coil. I have to switch it off and then back on again.
any ideas?
thanks.
João
you cannot use magnecor leads with missfire detection.
go find some OEM ones.
more interesting developments on this.
I installed the de-cat tube and the problem with the missfire got even worse. The car is cutiing one coil every 10 minutes of driving.
This also must be related.
Nevertheless I ordered new OEM leads. I hope they work ok and I can keep the de-cat tube installed.
Any ideas?
João
I installed the de-cat tube and the problem with the missfire got even worse. The car is cutiing one coil every 10 minutes of driving.
This also must be related.
Nevertheless I ordered new OEM leads. I hope they work ok and I can keep the de-cat tube installed.
Any ideas?
João
Come on people. Any ideas to solve this?
Cat fitted again and the problem still stands.
Elise 111S, with new OEM leads, new spark plugs, cat fitted.
If I rev it and then take the foot of the throttle the misfire light comes on but I don't notice any misfire and the car is running perfectly.
Ideas?
Cat fitted again and the problem still stands.
Elise 111S, with new OEM leads, new spark plugs, cat fitted.
If I rev it and then take the foot of the throttle the misfire light comes on but I don't notice any misfire and the car is running perfectly.
Ideas?
Come on people. Any ideas to solve this?
Cat fitted again and the problem still stands.
Elise 111S, with new OEM leads, new spark plugs, cat fitted.
If I rev it and then take the foot of the throttle the misfire light comes on but I don't notice any misfire and the car is running perfectly.
Ideas?
Cat fitted again and the problem still stands.
Elise 111S, with new OEM leads, new spark plugs, cat fitted.
If I rev it and then take the foot of the throttle the misfire light comes on but I don't notice any misfire and the car is running perfectly.
Ideas?
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