How do you open s3 Elise with a flat battery?

[B.R.]

Hey Guys

 

Slight issue - the other day when I turned the Elise off the radio and dash lights were still on. I started the engine and turned it off again but the lights stayed on. I thought it odd but figured it was just something I hadn’t noticed before. Turns out it wasn’t right - I now have a flat battery to the extent that the central locking doesn’t work. On top of this the manual key doesn’t open the car.

The only way as far as I know to open the engine bay in order to get to the battery is the release from behind the passenger seat but have no way to get in the car.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

[exeterjeep]

9 minutes ago, B.R. said:

On top of this the manual key doesn’t open the car.

Do you mean it just does not turn, my parents had this some years ago (not a lotus though) , they called the AA, they just persevered to get it to turn with WD40 type stuff etc. It seems that if you never use the key, the barrel gets gummed up with stuff ( salt/grit off the road..) and makes it virtually impossible to open.

[B.R.]

It turns no problem, it just doesn’t unlock the car. I read a post saying that you can only manually open the car if you manually locked it. Not sure how true this is but it seems to be that way in this case. 

[Hangar 111]

Remove front service panel - use the charge points there to charge the battery (not recommended to jump start from front due to length of positive cable run, but you could jump unlock), then unlock using central door locking.

PS it's a 4mm allen key to get the service hatch undone in the centre, then pull each side.

Dave

Edited June 14, 2021 by Hangar 111

[B.R.]

Thanks Dave, will give this a go later!

[B.R.]

If I have a battery charger with jump leads attached, do I just connect the positive and negative up or do I need to find a way to ground the negative. Also have normal jump leads which I know conventionally require you to ground the negative. Was unclear how to proceed with the lotus using service panel posts so have left it.

again, any further advice welcome!

I have found so many posts sort of referring to similar things but nobody seems to get clear answers or they find another way to open the engine bay as there were other methods for previous gens. S3 Elise seems to have the same setup as gen 2 exige rather than any previous elises. 

[B.R.]

Never mind, sorted it - I wasn’t thinking properly, the battery posts are nowhere near the battery so there was no risk connecting both terminals. Unlocked the car from there then opened the engine hatch and jumped it with another car. Took it out for a long awaited drive for an hour. Felt good to be back in it. 
 

Cheers