2007 Lotus Elise Engine Problems

I WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IN THE #1 LANE WHEN I SMELLED BURNING OIL. I HADN'T NOTICED THE CAR PERFORMING DIFFERENTLY SO I LOOKED AHEAD TO THE FORWARD CARS FOR THE 'GROSS POLLUTER' CAUSING THE SMELL. I DIDN'T SEE ANYONE WITH MY FIRST FORWARD INSPECTION. I THEN IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE OIL LIGHT LIT ON THE DASH. AT THE SAME INSTANT I LOOKED OUT OF THE SIDE MIRROR AND SAW SMOKE POURING FROM MY CAR. (THIS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND I MAY HAVE NOTICED THE REAR SMOKE BEFORE THE OIL LIGHT.) I QUICKLY PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, DRIFTED THROUGH 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE NEXT EXIT WHICH WAS WITHIN 1000 OR SO FEET. I DRIFTED OFF THE EXIT ONTO THE MAIN STREET AND INTO THE GAS STATION ON THE CORNER. MY WIFE CAME SOON AFTER AND NOTICED THE LARGE OIL SPILL ON THE FREEWAY ROAD SURFACE WHERE IT OCCURRED. WHEN I WENT TO INSPECT THE CAR WHEN I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION I SAW SEVERAL OIL PUDDLE FORMING IN THE REAR ON THE GROUND (IN THE MIDDLE AND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE), THE REAR OF THE CAR WAS COVERED IN OIL, THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WAS COVERED IN OIL INCLUDING THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THAT SIDE, OIL WAS DRIPPING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR ONTO THE GROUND, AND SMOKE WAS POURING FROM THE ENGINE BAY. WHEN I OPENED THE ENGINE BAY IT WAS SMOKING AND COVERED WITH OIL. I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT IT COULD CATCH FIRE, HOWEVER IT DIDN'T. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND TOWED IT TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER THE EVENT I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE FREEWAY AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THEM FOLLOWING ME AFTER MY CAR RELEASED 10 QUARTS OF OIL ONTO THE FREEWAY AND ONTO THEIR WINDSHIELDS. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE OIL LINE COUPLING HAD FAILED IN THE REAR. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED TO ME WITH THIS CAR. *TR

SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. RECEIVED NEW ENGINE FROM LOTUS 4/21/2012 AND HAD ABOUT 700 MILES ON NEW ENGINE. WAS DRIVING ON RESIDENTIAL STREET IN MID GEARS. NOTED SOME ODD ENGINE RATTLING NOISES BRIEFLY. SECONDS LATER, STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WHICH DISSIPATED. THEN SAW FLICKERING INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS WHICH STOPPED BUT RESUMED AND WAS LOW OIL LIGHT WHICH WENT OUT AND THEN CAME ON FULL. STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. CAR WAS TOWED BY FLAT BED BACK TO LOTUS DEALER IN NJ. *TR

AWARE OF NHTSA RECALL # 11V-510 HAVING RECEIVED LETTER FROM LOTUS CARS USA BUT WAS TOLD THIS VEHICLE WAS PROBABLY NOT AFFECTED. MONITORED FOR SIGNS OF OIL LEAKAGE ANYWAY BUT SAW NOTHING: NO CHANGE IN OIL LEVEL ON DIPSTICK CHECKS, NO SIGNS OF OIL UNDER CAR. WHILE ACCELERATING ON EXPRESSWAY, HAD LOW OIL WARNING LIGHT COME ON AND NOTICED SOME DIFFICULTY STEERING DUE TO SLICKNESS AS CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A SAFE HALT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. RIGHT SIDE OF CAR WAS COVERED IN OIL, APPARENTLY ORIGINATING AT OIL COOLER LOCATED IN FRONT OF RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WELL. CAR WAS TAKEN TO LOTUS DEALER AND OIL LINE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BURST. AFTER FIXING, WAS TOLD THERE WAS SOUND OF CYLINDER DAMAGE IN ENGINE. LOTUS WILL BE REPLACING THE ENGINE AT THEIR COST PER DEALER'S REPORT TO ME ON 4/3/2012.

DRIVING IN SECOND GEAR AND CHANGING INTO THIRD GEAR THE RADIATOR EXPLODED AND SPLASHED HOT COOLANT ALL OVER THE WINDSHIELD. FORTUNATELY I HAD THE ROOF ON, OTHERWISE THE HOT COOLANT COULD HAVE LANDED ON ME OR MY 8 YR. OLD SON. LOTUS USES A TERRIBLY DESIGNED RADIATOR THAT HAS PLASTIC EDGES, WHICH BECOME BRITTLE AND EXPLODE OVER TIME. THIS IS A COMMON DOCUMENTED ISSUE ON WWW.LOTUSTALK.COM. WHY THEY DO NOT USE AN ALL ALUMINUM RADIATOR, IS BEYOND ME.

WAS DRIVING MY 2007 LOTUS ELISE WHEN THE OIL HOSE PULLED OUT OF THE CRIMPED FITTING AT THE RIGHT REAR CONNECTION TO THE ENGINE JUST ABOVE THE OIL FILTER. THIS CAUSED ALL OF THE OIL TO QUICKLY LEAVE THE ENGINE AND COAT THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. I WAS LUCKY I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A HIGHWAY AT THE TIME AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A CORNER, WITH TRACTION LOST ON THE REAR TIRE THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT.

I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND MOVED INTO THE #2 LANE AND WAS ACCELERATING. I LOOKED OUT MY REARVIEW MIRROR AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A DUST CLOUD BEHIND ME. I LOOKED AT THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME EXPECTING TO SEE SOME DIRT ON THE ROAD, BUT THERE WASN'T ANY. I LOOKED BACK AND IT SEEMED THAT IT WAS LIKE A DIRTY BROWN SMOKE. I WAS MY CAR. (I LATER REALIZED THE CLOUD WAS A SPRAY OF OIL MIST.) I WAS GOING 65 OR 70 MPH AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL WITH THE DRIVABILITY. I LOOKED AT MY INSTRUMENT PANEL & NOTICED THE OIL LIGHT WAS ON. I SHOT OVER TO THE EXIT AND TO THE OFF-RAMP. THE CAR SEEMED TO BE STRAINING ON THE OFF RAMP AND ON THE VERGE OF STALLING BUT IT WAS STILL RUNNING. I COULDN'T STOP ON THE OFF RAMP AND LUCKILY I HAD A GREEN LIGHT SO I TURNED RIGHT AND THEN RIGHT AGAIN AT THE NEXT BLOCK AND PULLED INTO A COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAY AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. I PROBABLY DROVE A TOTAL OF ABOUT A HALF MILE WITH THE OIL LEAKING OUT. THERE WAS A TRAIL OF OIL ON THE ROAD AND A PUDDLE DEVELOPED UNDER THE CAR WHERE I STOPPED. WHEN I GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE CAR I FOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND BACK OF THE CAR (AND UNDERNEATH) WAS COVERED IN OIL. BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER WHEELS WERE COVERED IN OIL. NO OIL WAS ON THE DRIVER SIDE AT ALL. THE OIL LEAK / LOSS SEEMED TO BE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT WAS I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING ODD HAPPENING WITH THE CAR. IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HIT ANYTHING OR THAT ANYTHING??BROKE?? AS I WAS DRIVING IT. THE OIL CLOUD?? IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS MY FIRST SIGN THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. I LATER FOUND OUT FROM MY MECHANIC THAT THE OIL LINE COUPLING HAD FAILED IN THE FRONT WHERE IT CONNECTED TO THE OIL COOLER. AFTER THE EVENT I WONDERED ABOUT THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE FREEWAY AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THEM FOLLOWING ME AFTER THE RELEASE OF 10 QUARTS OF OIL ONTO THE FREEWAY AND THEIR WINDSHIELDS. *TR

1. NOTHING WAS OBVIOUS LEADING YOU TO THE EVENT. 2. FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED ONCE, BUT CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. 3. ENGINE WAS REPLACED ENTIRELY. *TR