Elise heater

[Pink Lady]

How good are the heaters supposed to be in the elise?

As I use my car in all weathers it can get rather cold or very steamed up in the rain, yes i drive it in the rain. My heaters are absolute rubbish I could blow more hot air out of my mouth, than my heaters do.

So I either freeze or have limited visibility. Are they known for this? surely some heat should come out of them, if so what could the problem be? x

[Advantage]

The problem with the heater is that they're rubbish. The later Toyota cars with a/c are better and certainly do a more effective job of keeping the fug level down, but the limited weatherproofing of the interior will always conspire to steam up your windows at the slightest hint of rain. I have seen an early S2 fitted with the heater matrix from a aToyota car but apparently it wasa bit of a faff.

I fitted heated seats to Louise's car to help her during the winter months.

[Pink Lady]

Thanks for that, so it is a common problem.

Oh well, something I will have to put up with. Worth it though x

Edited November 5, 2010 by Pink Lady

[Bibs]

[Pink Lady]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

You`re serious, well things never cease to amaze me x

[Jonathan]

Blimey my S1 was amazing in the cold, honestly I had mine over the winter and it was possibly one of the best heated cars I've had.

The Esprit...well...sure it has an air leak somewhere (thats being nice) - the Pug isn't much better.

I would look at the controls and make sure hot water is being diverted to the heater matrix.

The biggest prob I had in the winter months was condensation and a leaking roof on the bare metal.

[Pink Lady]

Thanks Jon,

Its it useless, like I said I could blow hotter air myself it doesnt even get warm. x

[Jonathan]

There's something wrong with dat den.

What Elise is it S1 ?

If you have fan speed, check the diverter works and it not stuck - ie that air moves from the direction screen to direction feet, I know in some cars the diverter can be stuck 1/2 way and the air doesnt actually get forced into the ducts and it just wheezes out.

If you have sufficient air (hot or cold, just looking for flow) coming out of all the selectable vents then I would definatly look at the hot water diverter valve (controlled by the temeperature control dial) on the S1 they have vacuum operated valves, if the vacuum hose pops off or leaks then it wont work.

Only bugger with the Elise is the totally flat underside, to check the diverter I think you have to have the under tray off.

I used to drive mine in the snow LOL

[Pink Lady]

It is the Elise S2.

I will get it looked at, because there is hardly any air flow coming from the vents even when on number 3. It makes the noise, so it should be coming through pretty powerful by the noise it does make.

Oh no, is there never a simple way of doing things with the lotus? lol.

Oooooh, dont know whether I would risk my baby in the snow. Aquaplaning or what? noooooooooooo thank you. x

[Jonathan]

Prob something as simple as the ducting has fallen off the fitting or the diverter is stuck then - should be a simple fix, Esprits suffer from this all the time with loose pipework and slipping cables on the controlls.

G luck.

[Pink Lady]

Thanks Jon x

[simonb]

If I get in my S1 wet with the roof on the heater will not keep the screen demisted. Unfortunately that tends to be how I get in the car when it is raining.

Just keep the window open, then demisting will cope.

Heated front screen is the way out of this I guess

[Pink Lady]

Yeah I guess, if I dont solve the problem.

In the wet its a nightmare the screen is soaking for ages. I also have to have a teatowel to dry the seats aswel as it leaks ! which is not unusual ive heard x

[Jonathan]

LOL I was at my local garage on a Lotus meet once and the dealer asked me to show a couple around a car he was selling whilst he dealt with something (true story) so I did.

They asked about the roof and I suggested the fact they were not the best and a Lotus employee overheard me and tried to correct my comment - hahah, so funny, aparently we're ALL putting the roofs on wrong....

Needless they bought the car and I didnt get commission

The main issue with the S1's (not sure about teh S2 interiors off hand) - they were a COLD car becuase of all the exposed aluminium sapping the heat and causing condensation.

You used to get it everywhere esp under the mats which used to rot the floor pan ! (thankfully not a stressed part of the car)

Have you tried something like this, until the problem is solved ?

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=car+heater&_sacat=See-All-Categories

To stop the rain / damp getting in I would also purchase something like this :

http://www.hangar111.com/web-store/537-elemental-shower-cap-elise-s1-111r-sc.html

Bit pricey (I'd make my own) but you get the idea, my cover used to keep the car 100% dry inside and no bleh on the windscreen - I upgraded mine to a full cover after I had the water in the distributor issue (compounded with the boot cable snapping !!!!)

Cus Lotus fully rain tested the car, uh huh

[simonb]

The rotting of floors was due to lotus using the wrong sort of rubber in the floor mats - schoolboy error IMHO

There are not many "soft furnishings" in an elise to mop up a little moisture, which may be why damp is more obvious than in a saloon; but I notice more of a damp problem in my Esprit - tend to just leave the window slightly ajar to stop the leather blooming.

Also carry a tea towel in the elise

[Pink Lady]

Yeah, my mats are always soaking, I was worried about any rotting I dont want to end up being in a flintstone car lol.

I aint half going through some tea towels though he he he. Guess I need to move to a warmer country x

[Jonathan]

The issue was not the mats but the PVC liners stuck to the aluminium bed - the liner being plastic couldn't breathe so air carrying moisture could get in, condensate on the floor and then form a seal preventing it's escape.

I dont see how that or fubber can cause aluminium to corrode....or causing aluminium oxide but there ya go.

The simple fix was to rip up the stuck down mat and leave it bare so it could breathe.

http://www.elises.co.uk/problems/s1/index.html

If you take the trim up and see pitted marks on the aluminium or white dust that is corroded aluminium which is the issue mine had (albeit very minor).

Here ya go - lift up the trim mats and if you have a black pvc sheet stuck on the floor rip it up....you might see this :

Ripping the mats out is the 1st thing a lot of Elise owners recomend you do.

It's not a major deal, mine was exactly the same, all I did was wash the floor in soapy water and a scrubbing brush then dried it with a towel to get all the rubbish off the floor itself.

After that it's just a case of lifting the mat and toweling it off if anymore water condensated there - truth be told I never had any more issues after I ripped those dumb mats up.

Edited November 7, 2010 by Jonathan

[simonb]

Issue (as I understand) was not that it was a plastic or PVC mat, but that it was a mat containing a carbon source, that sealed down and created crevice / galvanic corrosion. A different material would have worked without issue.

If you take off the double sided tapes that held on the mats (which are exceptionally high on the shit-to-a-blanket scale of stickyness) you will see no corrosion

Edited November 7, 2010 by simonb

[Pink Lady]

Aren`t the mats the luxury part of the S2 pmsl.

Yea its a nice day so Im going to hang them out to dry. With all the gorgoeus weather Cardiff has "not" they are rather wet.

Yore right trying to get them of that tape is a mission ! x

[Jonathan]

Fish knife - or hair dryer.

White spirit solvent attacks the glue - if you have them mats on the car, get em orf asap.

[Advantage]

Or fix the leak.

[Pink Lady]

Yes, I need to get leak sorted, its coming in through the window seals x

[Advantage]

There's a couple of things you can do to stop the water leaks, firstly treat the softop with Fabsil. You can usually buy this at any chandlery or at outdoors type shops. Then fit the later upgraded doorseal (Part number: A116V0273F approx £85.00) which has 'cups' where the glass meets the rubber to channel the water away from the interior. Lastly adjust the glass within the door frame to ensure a perfect fit.

The Fabsil you can do at home once you've cleaned and dried your roof. If not you're confident with a tool kit, then any good main dealer or specialist should be able to supply and fit the seal, then adjust the glass on both sides for approx £200.

[Jonathan]

Still remove the mats though - even if the car doesnt leak, cold metal - damp air = condensation.

[Pink Lady]

Thanks Guys, a great help x