Wiring harness and IPS issues

[Stuno1]

Noticed this on the American site.... Is this the case over here as well? Seem to be from the brief amount I have read...

-------------------

Transmission Issues Resolved: Everyone with an Evora should read this

I received a call from Lotus USA today regarding my 2013 NA IPS Evora and the problems I have experienced, which are very lengthy, but more specifically the transmission problems and the honesty of the conversation was enlightening.

In summary, this is what they had to say regarding the transmission issues the Evora's have incurred and remember, I'm not a mechanic so I am only repeating what I was told/heard.

The engine wiring harness is a "known issue" related to all Evora's produced before late 2013. The parts manufacturer was changed in late 2013 and any Evora's produced after that time should have the new wiring harness and therefore should not experience these types of issues. However, if they were built with the old engine wiring harness, then they are subject to this problem as well. Lotus is NOT doing a recall for this at this time.

Any Evora's produced prior to this time will have this issue at some point. The ONLY permanent fix is to replace the engine wiring harness. The connections are poor with the old engine wiring harness which is why switching to Gold Pins in the past or unplugging and replugging the various connections would have helped but they are only bandaids according to Lotus as the problem will reoccur at some point.

They also said that there is "built up resistance" in the old engine wiring harness and that is what is causing the problem. If given enough time, the resistance will dissipate and the dashboard lights will disappear, which many of us have seen when turning the car off and then back on. Dealers would also see this and then think everything was fine and just apply the latest software updates and say that it was fixed but that was just masking the issue as the software does "NOTHING" to address this issue.

Lotus USA emphasized over and over again that the only permanent fix to this issue is the replacement of the engine wiring harness. Anything else (Gold Pins, Software Updates, unplugging and replugging connections, etc.) are bandaids. In addition, they stated that this has been communicated to all Lotus Dealers in the US but when a dealer receives a car with this issue, they need to first send the codes to Lotus USA to confirm the problem otherwise everyone would come in and say "give me a new engine wiring harness".

In short, if you are still under warranty, I strongly suggest you don't wait for your warranty to run out and find a way to get your engine wiring harness replaced. It is astronomically expensive if the warranty has run out.

The added bonus for me since I got my baby back is that she is running great and more importantly shifting incredibly better than the day I bought it. It's not a double clutch by any means but at times, its shifting so well, that you might think otherwise. Coincidence, possibly, but it is shifting so much smoother. It was the very first thing I noticed when I got the car back.

I will keep everyone updated as I drive her over the next few months but I am thinking only great thoughts right now as it's driving the way it was meant to be and it's a blast again!

Good luck to all and I hope this helps.

[Kalli]

Id be interested to know if this affects manual aswell as IPS. Lee (CocoPops) has an issue with his wiring loom, but as far as i'm aware, he has a manual. 

[CocoPops]

Yup, Manual here.

 

I also found a number of threads for Middle East users, where loom issues would be swapped straight out no questions asked.

 

Nothing official though.

[Stuno1]

Interesting. So it's a general failure. Happy with no recall to a degree of they fix people's who do have issues free of charge.

Stu

[Kevin Li]

Hi ,sorry for digging this up agian, I just saw the post and I want to ask a question

 

It seems like its a design fault? 

 

So which mean there should be a recall instead of when the problem comes up than you can turned up to the dealer correct?

 

because I am considering a used Evora S right now so when I get the car can I just go in to the dealer and tell them to replace it ?

 

I just want to do it before the warranty runs out.

[Bravo73]

...so when I get the car can I just go in to the dealer and tell them to replace it ?

 

Not unless the car develops an actual fault, I'd imagine. (Although Californian warranty rules might be different to UK ones).

[gregs24]

It isn't a design fault but is a manufacturing quality problem. The loom corrodes and goes high resistance as far as I'm aware which manifests as all sorts of odd error codes. Cleaning the various connections helps for a while but ultimately a new loom is required. It isn't an uncommon problem but I would be interested to know what percentage of cars actually have the fault.

[Kevin Li]

Not unless the car develops an actual fault, I'd imagine. (Although Californian warranty rules might be different to UK ones).

 

It isn't a design fault but is a manufacturing quality problem. The loom corrodes and goes high resistance as far as I'm aware which manifests as all sorts of odd error codes. Cleaning the various connections helps for a while but ultimately a new loom is required. It isn't an uncommon problem but I would be interested to know what percentage of cars actually have the fault.

ehmm.this might be an issue, because Im looking at a few used Evoras right now.

 

they are almost out of the bumper to bumper warranty.

 

The way you described it feels like it will go wrong in some point, but before that you cannot go in to the dealer and replace it. But its going to be a expensive job for doing it ~...

[carl12359]

I was just informed my 2014 6spd Evora S is going to need a new wiring harness. The car ran

great for one year and then out of the blue it went into limp mode this past Sunday Nov. 6th.

Brought it to Lotus of Denver and they contacted Lotus after running a diagnostic on the car

and Lotus very quickly approved the new harness. Thank you Lotus for standing behind your 

customers. I will tell everyone I know, as well as social media,  how well I was treated by Lotus Cars

 

Grateful in Colorado, USA

[Vulcan Grey]

As far as corrosion goes, I make it a habit to always put some silicone dielectric grease (meant for electrical contacts, to prevent moisture and oxidation) in each electrical connector that I remove from my 1989 Esprit SE...  Which is all of them...  It really does help seal out moisture, and oxidation!

I actually had a problem on my 2002 Honda Integra, the Starter motor would always grind as the starter solenoid was supposed to retract after the car was started, when it was cold outside.  The issue has been identified as a bad ground on the forms.  I recently had my radiator removed, since I was replacing it, and I had access to remove the alternator as well (to replace the water pump, at 260,000miles).  I put dielectric grease in the alternator connectors... And the starter motor no longer grinds!  BTW, it did this for years... And also did it after replacing the starter.

If car manufacturers would just put some dielectric grease in each connector on the assembly line... a lot of later hassles could potentially be avoided!

Read this if interested

Professional Mil-Spec Motorsport ECU Wiring Harness Construction

Quote

 

Wicked Wicking

In case you doubt the need for epoxy or adhesive-lined terminations, the above picture gives graphic evidence of corrosion traveling down the voids between the strands of copper wires. Since we go to the Bonneville Salt Flats two to three times a year for up to a month, and everything gets bathed in salt, properly sealing the electrical connections is a major concern. Year one OK...year two fix one or two things...year three redo everything. 
OEM harnesses employ silicone seals on thermoplastic connectors to address these issues. Any gap in the harness can provide a path to internal corrosion.

 

Now the connectors on my Honda and on the Esprit are "weatherproof", Metri-pack on the Esprit.  

 

And they do have silicone boots to seal the connectors, but it's no where near as good as if the connector housings, seals, and contacts are coated with the silicone dielectric grease!

 

I have no knowledge of the problem with the Evora harness, but if I had an Evora I would be applying dielectric grease in each connector  that I could reach...

[carl12359]

Finally got my Evora back yesterday, Dec. 20th for a wiring harness replacement and my car is running great. Want to give a shout out to Lotus of Denver, Colorado for taking such good care of me. Many thanks to their Lotus tech Ryan Chapman, no relations, for his all his expertise and dedication. Lastly, thank you to Lotus for all their support, reaffirming why I have been a fan for most of my life. 

[Dus10r]

Well...I too have had problems since I bought the car. Studdering, running rich, misfire codes, bad check sum error codes, high idle, erratic idle, bad throttle response, etc etc. But for the most part the car was driveable. After reading the forums and reading about the connector pins, one time when the issue was happening I popped the engine cover and wiggled the MAF plug and Throttle Body plugs and the issue cleared up instantly. Aha! So over the next months I noticed if the car got wet or even just after a few weeks it seemed the pins or wiring was corroding and then sending bad or weak signals, I could unplug and plug the connectors back in few times and then it would be good for about a week or two and then act up again. So the last time I took it in for service I asked them to check it out. Well I had erased the codes everytime they popped up to get rid of the annoying light so they said there was nothing they could do. So I told the service manager to drive the car home for a week. 2 days in he came across the issue and it threw a CEL...sweet! So Lotus looked into it and agreed to change out the wiring harness. Basically the wiring harness builds up resistance and and starts sending bad or weak signals to the ECU and the ECU interprets an overly high MAF signal so it starts increasing the fueling to compensate running the car way to rich which causes the misfire codes, etc. I imagine it also causes other systems problems as well. So they changed out my wiring harness, and from reading the paperwork they also changed out the ground strap and added a second ground strap. So it sounds like they're worried about a grounding issue.  So I pick the car up after the wire harness swap and drive it home. Runs perfect, idles perfect, throttle response is perfect, starts perfect. For a week....everything is perfect. Then it rains one day. Driving the car home and it starts freaking out again...crap throttle response, idles weird, CEL, running rough...so I have a Waylenz camera installed so I swipe the touch screen over to the MAF reading and sure enough the MAF is reading a super high signal. So the car compensated and added fuel which probably fouled out a plug, hence the bad running on 5 cylinder feeling. Ing

So now Im bummed. Before it was just annoying but I could drive it. Now its undrivable. So I have to put it on a flat bed and send it back to the dealer which for me is 271 miles away. Last time the car was there for 2 months. Hoping its not that long this time. Hoping they can figure it out seeing as how they have already done the wiring harness swap which is supposed to cure all problems. Do Toyota Camrys have a wiring/ electrical problem? Not that Ive heard. So the one area of the motor that Lotus happened to do themselves is the one area they have problems. Remember when Lotus was kicking around the idea of making their own engine and saying thats what their buyers want....WRONG! They cant even make wiring correct. Memories of Lucas Electronics? 

[blueg33]

My 2014 ips is fine. It lives outside in the English weather, I wonder if Lotus fixed the issue on later cars?

[Dus10r]

Dont really know if rain was the culprit this last time, could be coincidence. But car had been running great up until then.

Edited February 18, 2017 by Dus10r
Spelling

[Dus10r]

update: Lotus has decided to swap out the wiring harness a 2nd time. Fingers crossed that works this time. If not ill file a lemmon law case and have them buy it back. Wouldnt feel right selling it off to someone else  knowing it has a ongoing issue. Hoping they fix it. I really do enjoy the car but my dealership is so far away its unrealistic to keep it if its going to continue having electrical issues. Here's hoping. Lotus, the factory, has been good to deal with thus far. They legitimately seem to care and want to remedy the issue, so thats good. 

[phaphaphooey]

Good luck.  So far my 13 NA has been flawless on the new wiring harness since it was replaced last summer.  

[Dus10r]

I have my suspicions that every post out there regarding: my car dies when I stop, my car is idling funny, my throttle response is weird, my IPS is acting up, my car is idling high when I stop, etc etc is all related to the same problem. Some people seem to be able to remedy their problem with tweaking of plugs or connectors, etc but ultimately I think Lotus has a electrical glitch in the Evora and that includes the 400. Not sure why but either the wiring harnesses are corroding or the grounding straps are corroding, loosing a good ground, and the cars ECU is getting bad data and making the engine run bad. There are tons of posts with Evoras and even the new 400, of people complainng about very similar problems. Its strange. Car can be fine for a week or two and then over time it starts acting goofy and progressively getting worse. Theres some sort of corrosion or something is inhibiting the wiring from sending good signals. I dont expect these cars to come with MilSpec race harnesses but come on...Toyota doesnt seem to be having any problems with their wiring harnesses. If this 2nd one doesnt work Im not sure what the course of action is. Make Lotus send a wire harness off to a trusted MilSpec race harness fabricator and have them make a new one? I dont have a warm fuzzy about the whole ordeal. If they're swapping out bad harnesses for bad harnesses then its a crap shoot. Fingers crossed this gets fixed.The only reason I actually pulled the trigger on the Lotus over another Porsche or an R8 was because it had a Toyota motor and so I assumed the reliablity was going to be fine. Never accured to me that the motor may be fine, but the wiring would suck. Hope they figure it out.

[TBD]

18 hours ago, Dus10r said:

I have my suspicions that every post out there regarding: my car dies when I stop, my car is idling funny, my throttle response is weird, my IPS is acting up, my car is idling high when I stop, etc etc is all related to the same problem. Some people seem to be able to remedy their problem with tweaking of plugs or connectors, etc but ultimately I think Lotus has a electrical glitch in the Evora and that includes the 400. Not sure why but either the wiring harnesses are corroding or the grounding straps are corroding, loosing a good ground, and the cars ECU is getting bad data and making the engine run bad. There are tons of posts with Evoras and even the new 400, of people complainng about very similar problems. Its strange. Car can be fine for a week or two and then over time it starts acting goofy and progressively getting worse. Theres some sort of corrosion or something is inhibiting the wiring from sending good signals. I dont expect these cars to come with MilSpec race harnesses but come on...Toyota doesnt seem to be having any problems with their wiring harnesses. If this 2nd one doesnt work Im not sure what the course of action is. Make Lotus send a wire harness off to a trusted MilSpec race harness fabricator and have them make a new one? I dont have a warm fuzzy about the whole ordeal. If they're swapping out bad harnesses for bad harnesses then its a crap shoot. Fingers crossed this gets fixed.The only reason I actually pulled the trigger on the Lotus over another Porsche or an R8 was because it had a Toyota motor and so I assumed the reliablity was going to be fine. Never accured to me that the motor may be fine, but the wiring would suck. Hope they figure it out.

Yes, that is definitively a common issue. It seems that the Lotus harnesses are either made from former Lucas Electronics sources or from Proton unskilled labour in Malaysia. Either way, I have seen many cars having connector issues, mostly due to poor fit, moisture or corrosion. 

On the other hand, not addressing these issues seems to have become common with all carmakers. Harnesses seem to have become a commodity item, determined solely by controllers. In a world where gold plated contacts have become standard for electronic systems it seems harness manufacturers are the last ones using cheapest materials.