The Evora 400 Diaries

[Hangar 111]

2 hours ago, Gashead1105 said:

Still a couple more rattles with the roof for Dave at @Hangar 111 to sort next time he sees the car! 

Dave

[DJW]

On 2 August 2016 at 12:51, JayEmm said:

So,

My car was back at Lotus for the whole week last week (ie Mon > Fri) with several issues being tended to

My seat was NOT replaced because the seats they were expecting did not arrive in time. So I've got my old one back, creaks and all.

 

Given the fact that I have now been without my car for 15% of its ownership and that the number one problem I have had (creaking seat) is still not fixed, I have told Lotus that I will only entertain one more attempt at fixing it. I truly hope that they can.

James

another owner suffering creaking seat

Edited August 3, 2016 by DJW
Deleted - Duplicate post for another thread

[AK70]

19 hours ago, auRouge said:

Squeaky seats.. budget speakers..this is turning into a "mini" saga where the Mk1 was the better more expensive car! Therefore there must be some profit! Right buisness strategy.

Sorry to hear of your problems JM, not what we wanted to hear but let's hope the criticism is taken positively and someone uses the information so the production of future 400's is better (and they sort your gen 2 cars out swiftly)

 

I agree with auRouge on this. Currently it seems the better idea to buy a well sortet Mk1. Half the price anyway...

Side note: When I look at the market in Switzerland (www.autoscout24.ch) there are some low milage 2012 cars for less than £38T. 
Wonder why there is so much price different in the local markets..

[JayEmm]

Another odd issue worth mentioning, no idea if others have experienced it, my wheel bolts have gone all furry and strange. They will be replaced by Lotus.

Incidentally, new Evoras no longer have a locking wheel nut!

[CocoPops]

Yep, I was told that too. No lockers.

[C8RKH]

25 minutes ago, CocoPops said:

Yep, I was told that too. No lockers.

I would view that as a great upgrade. Getting rid of mine as a pita.

[JayEmm]

I agree @C8RKH - they apologised but I told them not to worry, they are the first thing most owners misplace. If it was a Golf with flash wheels I'd be concerned, but I don't think our wheels will fit much else so no real worries.

I'm curious as to why mine went so cack so quickly.

I did get asked the comedy question "Do you use wheel cleaner".... "errr... yeah.... to clean the wheels"

[phil flash]

Some of the good wheel cleaning solutions work well because they are very corrosive and get brake pad dust off very effectively but need washing off thoroughly or they continue to 'eat into' what you are trying to clean...  washed my wheels off with a hose on the front lawn and it killed the grass - then I read the info leaflet!

On the 'Creaking seats' .. - Topic on the Lotus Elan Central website (for M100 Elans) about setting up suspension correctly mentioned car is designed for 75kg driver (about 113/4 stone) and suspension should be set up with 75kg ballast on driver's seat ... just wondering if Evora seats and mounting has been designed for similar weight and ...   uhmn  ...

[JayEmm]

@phil flash I am extremely careful with cleaning the wheels, I am aware of the properties of these chemicals. In fact I usually use a diluted version for general cleaning duties. The same stuff I've been using to clean every other car I've ever owned and it's never happened!

Regarding seats, whilst I can appreciate they're going for a "target" weight, I don't think there's any excuse for saying if you're over 75KG they'll make a racket. As demonstrated in the dedicated thread it's possible to get them to creak without a driver in them if you're unlucky!

[Inkyfingers]

Funnily enough, my target weight is 75kgs. If I reach it, I will treat myself to a 400.

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, phil flash said:

 

On the 'Creaking seats' .. - Topic on the Lotus Elan Central website (for M100 Elans) about setting up suspension correctly mentioned car is designed for 75kg driver (about 113/4 stone) and suspension should be set up with 75kg ballast on driver's seat ... just wondering if Evora seats and mounting has been designed for similar weight and ...   uhmn  ...

Well based on this ^^^ I should be ok to get my left leg and buttock on the seat. God only knows where the rest of me will go!

[mcx]

I'm 75kg, seat still creaks. 

[JayEmm]

From last weekend's Fast Car Festival at Donington. A young lad wanted to know how loud the 911 was next to me. So I couldn't help but give him a reference for comparison

 

[JG220]

I'll take the Porsche

[JayEmm]

So I did another tiny little "mod" to my car... I changed the rear indicators for LED units as I thought it was odd to have LEDs everywhere but not there.

I decided to make it a little "how to" video, which is probably a bit excessive given how simple it is but I thought worth showing just how stupidly easy it was to do - I was totally prepared for an hour's ballache and scuffed knuckles but not the case at all. I tend to expect "low volume" cars to be considerably more fiddly than their mass produced cousins for this sort of thing, but I think it was the easiest to do out of any car I have ever owned. It literally takes less time to do it than it does to watch the video. £9.99 well spent I think!

 

[mawheele]

Nice. Is it the same for the reversing lamp?

[JayEmm]

I believe those already are LED. Although I have had five people so far tell me I have a reversing light broken!

[C8RKH]

Lol ^^^

First thing my wife said to me when I brought my Evora home

 

[JayEmm]

I've mentioned a few times a creaking noise. I have had difficulty recording it previously, today I got it loud and clear.

I  greeted with this every time I am on left lock. Lotus have already tried and failed once to fix it. 

Suggestions for the cause on a postcard. And before you ask, the wheel Wells have both been fully inspected for debris

 

[CocoPops]

Clearly it's rotational, sounds like the old days where you put a playing card on your tyre of your bmx.

Could be Caliper scraping? Or similar?

Or a high spot in one of the wheel spoke insides?

[JayEmm]

Doesn't do it in a straight line which would seem to me to rule out those. Also Lotus had both wheels off so you would expect or hope they might have spotted that!

[CocoPops]

On full lock I wonder if the geometry/weight shift changes, moves wheel higher in arch perhaps?

[TheKevlarKid]

Sounds like the tyre tread catching on the wheel arch liner somewhere. It's making more than one knock per wheel rotation. Probably nothing to see or hear when the car is jacked up and the suspension is in droop, it'll only be rubbing when the weight of the car is on it.

It's happening at very low speed, you could get someone to walk alongside and see if you can't pinpoint where the noise is coming from more accurately. They'll probably be able to see clearly into the wheel well on full lock and see what it is that's causing it, just tell them not to stick their fingers in!!

Edited August 5, 2016 by TheKevlarKid

[blindside]

Sounds to me very like a knackered left hand CV joint. I have heard that very same noise with Scoobs that had been driven really hard. Usually an issue you will get with FWD or AWD cars; so its a little surprising to hear it in a RWD car. Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c1nxR7aq1o

Or far more unlikely, given the age of your car, the front left wheel bearing.

[JayEmm]

Seems it has now started doing it on right lock aswell.

The car will also do it in fast left-hand bends with not that much lock applied.

I have looked and looked to see where the car might be rubbing on the arch liner but just not seeing it.

@blindside good shout on the CV joint. That does sound quite like my issue. Rather worrying to think this can develop in less than two months and 3,000-4,000 miles (car's been doing it for a while)