Traction light : to be or not to be that’s question

[Cdm2018]

Ok 

you guys have convinced me to replace the part !

so do I buy a part from lotus at £60 or is there a part just as good but fraction of cost ? I am little dense but do I order the GM part from a Euro car parts place or ebays etc ? 
I thought I will get someone to fit it otherwise I make a right hash ! 😮

[Peteric]

Go onto SJ sportscars website and order one. 

With delivery it will be £30.00 and you know it will be the right one for the job as they are Lotus specialists.

Click on Evora parts and then Electrical parts from the drop down box and it is listed as brake light switch funnily enough 🙂

It is not hard to fit just awkward to get at. I adopted the Lotus position (upside down with head looking up from footwell and feet in the air gently resting on rear of front seat).

Any mechanic should be able to identify it and fit it within 10 minutes or so if you say it's on the brake pedal.

[au-yt]

It will still need setting up, the service letter may say 5 clicks but the reality is 7 or 8.

OK what and I referring to, The white end of the switch is on a ratchet. It needs to be pushed home and pulled back out 7 or 8 clicks

 

 

[Cdm2018]

I am little perplexed my traction light not been coming off or on for the last 4-8 weeks then today came on ?

I am trying to determine why ? I know it could be this faulty brake switch but maybe other factors have a part? 

weather today when driving was wet and damp , the last few weeks I used the car it’s been relatively dry so does the wet conditions affect the switch or some sensor ? 

[RichardC]

My traction light also occasionally comes on, always  in damp weather, and have never managed to find out why. I was thinking that it was possibly water getting into the wheel speed sensors or their wiring, but wouldn’t that mess up the ABS too? Not sure how dampness would get into the brake pedal switch in the driver’s footwell, unless it is water dripping off my wet shoes. I’m going to try the silicone grease on the brake switch trick to see if that cures it.

[Cdm2018]

I am convinced it’s linked to wet/damp spells ? For the last 10 weeks of recent dry spells no light 

then last couple of days when it’s been raining light appears , it doesn’t feature in OBD reader so I am not going to spend £40 on a brake switch !

[RichardC]

A smear of silicone grease on the brake pedal switch and pulling out the plunger SEVEN clicks seems to have cured the traction control warning light problem for me, so far.

 

For those contemplating buying a new switch, Bell & Colvill / De Roure have this SAAB part listed for £13.90+VAT.

https://www.deroure.com/partinfo.asp?MAK=0&MDL=0&TBL=0&SMA=0&SMO=0&ST=&SC=0&PBID=539239

I think that it is the equivalent to the Lotus part (with a little fettling) and good value, if they can actually supply them at that price. See

https://www.lotustalk.com/threads/traction-control-light-going-off-all-the-time.410002/

[Cdm2018]

No traction light for the last two days I drove the car back from Scotland and during the hot spell

going to wash the car in the next day and I wouldn’t be surprised to see traction light come back on ? 
I will get brake switch replaced but my lotus garage fiddled about with it a couple weeks and said it was fine ?

[trcm]

Its recently happened to me too, just had a poke at the brake sensor to see what might be going on...

Two (the coppery pair) of the four plug blade terminals are shorted when the plunger is up, with the silvery two open. This reverses when the plunger is depressed and those two small silver button shaped contacts are separated.

That red component is a mystery as I didn't want to try and wangle it out to examine it.

I applied a bit of contact cleaner, some contact grease and some silicone lube to the plunger slides and it's gone back into the car, I'll see a little later if that has fixed anything, otherwise I'll be in the queue for Deroure to source the SAAB part from the factory.

 

NB: I fully pressed in and then pulled the plunger out by seven clicks, but when back in the car as soon as the brake pedal was relaxed onto the plunger I heard it click in one notch further.

Edited October 21, 2021 by trcm

[Cdm2018]

I had mine replaced a couple of weeks ago and hey presto no more light even in wet ! 
going to miss that light used to be good companion ! Lol 

[trcm]

Touch wood that seems to have fixed it. 😁

[Cdm2018]

Got in my car this afternoon for school run and hey presto engine and traction light on ? 
car was serviced a few week ago done 570 miles last journey last  Sunday to NEC 70 mile round trip on motorway no issues

Connected my OBD reader as carry in car cleared codes and all seem fine

should I raise it with my dealership as they replace brake switch and serviced car ? Or is it just one of those quirks of lotus or my car ?    

[Bibs]

Their work will be warrantied, as will the parts they fitted be. 

[trcm]

Almost a month, and many damp drives later, it's still fixed and working fine.

I presume the fault is simply a buildup of light corrosion on the contacts over time?

[Cdm2018]

Didn’t take long will this be normal?  I would had thought it sort this ? 

[trcm]

Not sure I follow @Cdm2018?

[Cdm2018]

I wouldn’t thought any corrosion would form so quickly 

the brake switch only been installed for a few weeks ? 

[trcm]

Agreed, it does seem unfortunate, do you know if the garage replaced with the same type (the one with the large D-shaped bulge housing what appears to be an inductor and capacitor as some kind of transient smoothing circuitry) ?

Edited November 19, 2021 by trcm

[Cdm2018]

No idea ? I assume they used lotus approved part as they are lotus garage 

I guess I better let them know that traction light came on , as the weather is getting colder next week will be time to see if the weather brings on the light ?

[Phaeton91]

Had a run up to Caffeine & Machine this morning (I’d recommend it for those who haven’t been).  The Evora got lots of attention.

Car fine all the way up there - it was not raining but damp at times. However on the way back home the traction light came on.  
 

Didn’t affect performance other than could not use sport mode, or cruise.  
Left car for a couple of hours when I got home, and the light was gone when I went out again. But 40 miles into the evening journey the TC light was on again.  Engine off and then on again solved it.

It correlates to the weather.  I had issues with the light in the spring, but nothing through the summer.  My driving style has not changed.

I’ll order a new switch and see how that affects things going into the autumn.

[exeterjeep]

I have had the fault come up a few times about a month ago, but then around a week ago, it started happening all the time. Must be the brake pedal as if I started the car with no throttle, as soon as the brake was pressed it came on.

Had ordered a switch from SJ at the first sign of trouble . had been trying to book the car in. But changed the switch yesterday. Had to file a bit off to enable the switch to turn 90 degrees in the housing. Initially made this worse as the fault came on as soon as the ignition was on, and spanner illuminated. Had then to adjust the number of clicks on the adjustment ratchet and refitted it. Did stop the warning coming up but it took longer for the spanner to go off. I assume this indicated a stored fault, not an active fault.

Seems ok today and the spanner light now turns off when the ignition is turned off as it should. Hopefully will be ok for the next few months/years. Been out in it a few times done about 15 miles.

[Bibs]

Faults which no longer are present should clear and 5 key on/key off instances so they don't disappear as soon as it fixed. If you're not seeing it any more, job done

[Cdm2018]

My check engine and traction light made an appearance on Friday evening when I used the car for 1st time last week.

cleared it using my trusted OB reader and away I went on my way. 
I put the lights appearance as the last couple of days there was a few heavy showers so some water dampness got into something ? 

[Phaeton91]

On 10/09/2022 at 20:42, Phaeton91 said:

Had a run up to Caffeine & Machine this morning (I’d recommend it for those who haven’t been).  The Evora got lots of attention.

Car fine all the way up there - it was not raining but damp at times. However on the way back home the traction light came on.  
 

Didn’t affect performance other than could not use sport mode, or cruise.  
Left car for a couple of hours when I got home, and the light was gone when I went out again. But 40 miles into the evening journey the TC light was on again.  Engine off and then on again solved it.

It correlates to the weather.  I had issues with the light in the spring, but nothing through the summer.  My driving style has not changed.

I’ll order a new switch and see how that affects things going into the autumn.

Update.  I ordered a new switch.  Was still running on the old switch and the TC light came on this morning.
 

This afternoon therefore I fitted the new switch. Agree with other poster that as long as you pull the plunger out sufficiently the brake pedal pressure pushes it back in a click or two.

Regardless, the TC light came on both times I have driven it since changeover.  Weather conditions this pm were warm and bone dry.

Conclusion - the switch is not the problem causing the TC light to come on and disable sport mode/cruise etc.

Anyone have any other ideas?

im trying to analyse when it comes on.  I don’t think it’s under hard braking as I didn’t do any. I’m wondering if it might be on hard acceleration - but even then I didn’t do anything that would have broken traction.

It’s a pain that I never actually see it come on - it just appears and then you notice it and wonder how long that’s been there.  A bit like when I spotted a clump of grey hairs on my previously black eyebrows. How did I not spot them as soon as one appeared.

Anyway I will do a few test runs over the next few days - on the car that is not the eyebrows.

[DH2]

20 minutes ago, Phaeton91 said:

Conclusion - the switch is not the problem causing the TC light to come on and disable sport mode/cruise etc.

Anyone have any other ideas?

How do you know it is not the switch? You need to read the code(s).