RETRIM, TPMS & CRUISE UPGRADES

[Beady]

Quick questions regarding a car I am looking at ahead of possible purchase (an MY11 Evora S).

1. Any idea of a budget to get back seats retrimmed in leather (currently cloth)?

2. is it possible to retrofit TPMS to a car that does not have it and if so any idea of budget

3. Ditto - cruise control

thanks

 

[Scotsdave]

Hi There,

1. No idea but I imagine it won't be cheap might be cheaper getting second hand seats?

2. Yes I have done this but only because I won the module for  £5! The module is £126+Vat the loom is £70 , Wheel Sensors £70 each for Lotus ones but they're are third party options and you are looking at £100 in labour to enable the functionality in the ECU.

3. Yes you'll need the switches for the wheel and the loom. I'd speak to Junks on here or SELOC and you can get some good used ones. Again about £100 to enable the functionality in the ECU but this cost will depend on the dealer you use.

Unless the car is really good deal or a rare colour that you really want I would continue to look for a car that is speced how you want. Unless you like tinkering and can do some of the above yourself which is possible except the coding of the ECU which needs dealer tools. 

[C8RKH]

1. About £600 should do it, budget to £800

2. Yes, as above from Scotsdave

3. £250-350 all in, parts, fitting and ECU switch from a main dealer. Or at least that is what it cost me.

[MattyB]

For the love of all that is holy don't spend money fitting TPMS, I want to turn mine off 😅

[andyj007]

3 hours ago, MattyB said:

For the love of all that is holy don't spend money fitting TPMS, I want to turn mine off 😅

100% agree with this..  

 

[trcm]

Whats wrong with having TPMS?

Mine highlighted a slow leak to me which was pretty invaluable.

[Bravo73]

For starters, it’s not very accurate and it generates lots of random, spurious warnings. Therefore, if you got an actual warming, you are just as likely to ignore it. 

The old school method of a tyre gauge and checking the pressures manually occasionally would have also found your slow leak. 

[21gg]

Apart from my OCD insisting that the tyre pressure numbers on each axel must match, Ive never had issues with the TPMS.

Gav

[MattyB]

For me, it's just unnecessary expense with no gain. I regularly check my tyre pressures and inspect before any journey in all my cars (due to being caught out before!) - sudden or faster pressure loss you'll feel anyway in a car like the Evora.

I wouldn't mind if it was accurate, but it isn't. Add on the fact they're expensive, and a tyre on/off job each time to need to fix/replace/check one, means it just feels unnecessary to me.

[Colin P]

Funny, I've always found the TPMS to be pretty accurate on both my Evoras. It's the cruise control that I never use on them. I use CC on my other cars, it's just that the Evora's isn't great and just doesn't feel "right" to use it in a car like that.

[RichardC]

A TPMS fault is an MoT test fail for any car registered after 1/1/2012. Useful to have if it works reliably but if it doesn't then you're better without it. Also, doesn't that emergency tyre repair foam destroy TPMS sensors? So extra expense if you get a puncture.

[electro_boy]

I have no issue with my TPMS.  No weird errors and is actually accurate.   But yes I must also have all the pressures matching!  😁

I'm not sure there is much value in adding it if not already present.  if you really want it how about a "smart" valve cap instead.  Lots on eBay and Amazon that will talk to your smart phone via bluetooth should be a lot cheaper than getting the Lotus system installed?

[Scotsdave]

I find the TPMS works really well and it advised me of a puncture which I was quite happy about. It does occasionally "lose" a sensor every now and then but not that often.

I have also found it to be very accurate. When the Autel sensors are only £20 each and fit the wheels better than the original GM sensors its not even that expensive either.

[dpm]

On 23/04/2019 at 08:25, Beady said:

Quick questions regarding a car I am looking at ahead of possible purchase (an MY11 Evora S).

1. Any idea of a budget to get back seats retrimmed in leather (currently cloth)?

2. is it possible to retrofit TPMS to a car that does not have it and if so any idea of budget

3. Ditto - cruise control

thanks

 

C'mon Paul we want to know more about the possible purchase!  Colour?

BTW my second Evora (the white one that matched your earlier one) was missing the premium pack and so cloth back seats.  I thought I'd miss them (my original had oyster premium interior) but in the end I didn't miss them at all;  the cloth back seats worked fine.

So let's hear about the colour, wheels, etc?  Photo?

[Beady]

On ‎25‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 14:43, dpm said:

So let's hear about the colour, wheels, etc?  Photo?

all in good time...man maths in full force.....

 

[andyj007]

On 24/04/2019 at 12:49, Bravo73 said:

For starters, it’s not very accurate and it generates lots of random, spurious warnings. Therefore, if you got an actual warming, you are just as likely to ignore it. 

The old school method of a tyre gauge and checking the pressures manually occasionally would have also found your slow leak. 

a simple skill , sadly soon to  lost to the world of "behind the screen generation." .    just like map reading...  

old skool rocks    i bet if i show the majority of  20 years a tyre gauge they wouldnt have a clue what it was..

the ones in our 2017 mini clubman were utter rubbish. going off all the time, with no drop in pressure, .. had to replace 3 sensors in teh end (under warranty) BMW said they have shelf life of only five  years if i remember.. 

 

 

[C8RKH]

I have them on my Clio "airport" car.  It's a 2016 car and it has had 7, yes 7 TPMS sensors replaced in the wheels. They are f@@king pain in the arse as the seal goes on them and THEY cause the f@@king slow loss of air that then sets off the puncture warning that disables the cruise and makes the dash go bing f@@king bong!  Arghhh.... hate the wee little f@@kers....  But come MOT time they better be working...... Arghhhh.....

[bennyT]

I have them in my Jeep, the first 6 months drove me mad with my OCD wanting them to match! I now manage to ignore them. I can't really see the point, it's usually pretty obvious if you are low on pressure. 

[Colin P]

On 26/04/2019 at 21:26, bennyT said:

I have them in my Jeep, the first 6 months drove me mad with my OCD wanting them to match! I now manage to ignore them. I can't really see the point, it's usually pretty obvious if you are low on pressure. 

To you and I probably, but I'm always seeing cars being driven with obviously low tyre pressures. I've even seen a couple on the motorway and thought, hmmm that'll overheat and blow out and sure enough a few miles down the road they are sat on the hard shoulder. Unfortunately too  many people out there who wouldn't have a clue and don't even look at the car between services (who incidentally won't actually pump up a low tyre - they just include the pressures in the service sheet and leave it). As a consequence we all have to live with the nanny state consequences, to keep the oblivious safe. 

[bennyT]

On 29/04/2019 at 07:13, Colin P said:

To you and I probably, but I'm always seeing cars being driven with obviously low tyre pressures. I've even seen a couple on the motorway and thought, hmmm that'll overheat and blow out and sure enough a few miles down the road they are sat on the hard shoulder. Unfortunately too  many people out there who wouldn't have a clue and don't even look at the car between services (who incidentally won't actually pump up a low tyre - they just include the pressures in the service sheet and leave it). As a consequence we all have to live with the nanny state consequences, to keep the oblivious safe. 

Yes I can see where you are coming from, your average driver probably does not realise when it would be obvious to us. So as far as my Jeep is concerned, maybe there is a point. 

However, going back to having them on a Lotus, I would expect your average owner to realise pretty quickly if their tyres are out. 

[gregs24]

Mmmmm - not sure about that. You could lose 10psi easily and not notice on an Evora. The sidewalls are so small and thick that there is no obvious external sign until they are significantly lower than they should be. As for manually checking - great but tedious on a daily driver don't you think ! All the TPMS systems I've encountered have been flawless.

[bennyT]

21 minutes ago, gregs24 said:

Mmmmm - not sure about that. You could lose 10psi easily and not notice on an Evora. The sidewalls are so small and thick that there is no obvious external sign until they are significantly lower than they should be. As for manually checking - great but tedious on a daily driver don't you think ! All the TPMS systems I've encountered have been flawless.

I would certainly notice if my Evora was off by 10 psi

[Colin P]

I’d feel it in any of our cars too. Only thing I’m not sure about is if I’d feel it in a car with run flats, as I’ve never driven one with low tyre pressure so don’t know how they’d feel. 

[gregs24]

I think you guys might be surprised. It is especially the case with rear wheels.

I think you should try it and really see if you can truly feel it. 26-28psi on an Evora will trigger the TPMS but have minimal effect to the driving experience on a normal road at regular speeds.