RE: Why our Elise went into limp mode

RE: Why our Elise went into limp mode

Author
Discussion

MB 1

525 posts

185 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
I'm a bit disappointed there's been 3 main page features on this issue. Whilst one has served to clarify, it's negative press which Lotus don't really need. I've owned 2 Exiges, and they have been far more reliable than the 997 GT3 I owned! Most cars throw a CEL in their lives. That said the trail braking issue is of interest but could have been highlighed in a less dramatic way.

otolith

56,144 posts

204 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
I'm guessing that it's a feature of the engine management of the newer Toyota lump which Lotus would have to explicitly choose to remove.

MagicalTrevor

6,476 posts

229 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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Robert Elise said:
h&t is when gear is in neutral, so i hope this will never be affected?
But sports cars should have an override.
Eh?

piquet

614 posts

257 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
MB 1 said:
I'm a bit disappointed there's been 3 main page features on this issue. Whilst one has served to clarify, it's negative press which Lotus don't really need. I've owned 2 Exiges, and they have been far more reliable than the 997 GT3 I owned! Most cars throw a CEL in their lives. That said the trail braking issue is of interest but could have been highlighed in a less dramatic way.
so because as a company they're in trouble it should't be mentioned?

they in trouble exactly because of this kind of thing, the real question is if it wasn't pistonheads if they would have been so helpful, i suspect as journalists they receive a level of care that the poor people who actually pay for the product can only dream of

kambites

67,575 posts

221 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
piquet said:
so because as a company they're in trouble it should't be mentioned?

they in trouble exactly because of this kind of thing, the real question is if it wasn't pistonheads if they would have been so helpful, i suspect as journalists they receive a level of care that the poor people who actually pay for the product can only dream of
They're in trouble because they produce a car with a feature that just about every other car on the market has? As opposed to Porsche are are in rude health because they produce cars which only catch fire? hehe

otolith

56,144 posts

204 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
Those are very efficient and conservatively styled German flames, though.

braddo

10,485 posts

188 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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MentalRental said:
I left foot accelerate and brake every time I drive as I have no right foot. Maybe that's why I walk around in limp mode.

Amputee humour. Whatever next
hehe Do you get a little foot-shaped version of the spanner light flashing at you when you take a corner too fast?


Small Car

877 posts

199 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
Maybe as well as chipping a car for more performance, you will be able to chip it to remove this glitch (aka safety feature). This happens in other VAG products not just DSGs I think? I was trying to left foot brake (rally practice you see!) the wife's Touran FSi and it cuts off the throttle. Painful!

peter450

1,650 posts

233 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
It's a good job there's a flashing light on the dash to tell you the engine has stopped making power, otherwise you'd never know...tongue out

MB 1

525 posts

185 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
piquet said:
so because as a company they're in trouble it should't be mentioned?

they in trouble exactly because of this kind of thing, the real question is if it wasn't pistonheads if they would have been so helpful, i suspect as journalists they receive a level of care that the poor people who actually pay for the product can only dream of
You miss my point. Personally I feel this is a minor issue made into a news story, mainly due to reliability issues which are well in the past (as an ex owner)

I'm sure many PH cars have thrown a CEL unreported.

But I'm glad the have now clarified it's the same on all modern cars.

BBS-LM

3,972 posts

224 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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Lotus should have put an override system in the car for track days at the very least.

curley

432 posts

219 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
This sort of system has been around for years .

If you try driving my 997.2 GT3 down the road with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake to dry out the discs after washing the car the engine cuts out until you release the brake .


Not many people criticise this particular cars track behaviour .

anonymous-user

54 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
RacerMike said:
Not really understanding the need to put the car in to limp home. It's somewhat overkill on a car that will drive on track. A better strategy would be to reduce engine power after a time period (say around 1s) of both the TPS reporting greater than 10% and the brake system reporting greater than 10bar. Once the conditions are removed (i.e. once both throttle and brake are removed) have another timer upon which full power is restored. Then there's no need for an ignition reset. This is exactly how VAG have achieved the fail safe for the last 15 years!
This^^^ I suspect the "Limp home and spanner lamp" were NOT caused by the throttle logic!

No other car i have every driven (or calibrated) goes into hard limp due to a throttle/brake arbitration clash, they just ramp the throttle plate angle back to idle (or if there is a throttle fault, cut the fuel to prevent a positive torque output) for around 5 sec, then when the arbitration clash is resolved they ramp the throttle plate back to the drivers torque request.

Olivera

7,144 posts

239 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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Quite sad that you can no longer buy a Lotus or Porsche that allows you to left-foot brake.

kambites

67,575 posts

221 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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I wonder if any fully type approved road car will let you, these days?

Thorburn

2,399 posts

193 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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Robert Elise said:
There are several Elise mules with IPS system fitted, dating from a few years back i think. Somebody with me on a track day thought the development was aimed at the far east market. None came to production.
SPS - a hydraulically operated version of the Toyota EC60 gearbox (in the Elise SPS) or EA60 (in the Evora GTE). Both were canned as they couldn't get them to work well enough afaik.
IPS is the Evora system which uses the Toyota U660E torque-converter automatic.

I BELIEVE the Elise SPS mules were converted back to manual cars by Stratton Motor Company and sold off. They certainly had one for sale a while back.

Robert Elise

956 posts

145 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
Thorburn said:
Robert Elise said:
There are several Elise mules with IPS system fitted, dating from a few years back i think. Somebody with me on a track day thought the development was aimed at the far east market. None came to production.
SPS - a hydraulically operated version of the Toyota EC60 gearbox (in the Elise SPS) or EA60 (in the Evora GTE). Both were canned as they couldn't get them to work well enough afaik.
IPS is the Evora system which uses the Toyota U660E torque-converter automatic.

I BELIEVE the Elise SPS mules were converted back to manual cars by Stratton Motor Company and sold off. They certainly had one for sale a while back.
can't really add much to that reply!

windy1

395 posts

251 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
Most people with any sense use the clutch and the gear stick into neutral to overcome any throttle sticking issue, then key off the ignition.
The same rubbish was spouted when we had the spate of sticky throttles on, was it Hondas in the US? Turn the key off you morons!!!!!

We don't need this sort of override on our sports cars, especially not Lotuses!!!!!

405dogvan

5,326 posts

265 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
So let me get this straight - car manufacturers are putting digital logic into cars to deal with pensioners who get confused!?

There's a say which covers this

"Don't bother idiot-proofing things - nature will always find a better idiot"

Hitch78

6,106 posts

194 months

Monday 14th April 2014
quotequote all
MB 1 said:
You miss my point. Personally I feel this is a minor issue made into a news story, mainly due to reliability issues which are well in the past (as an ex owner)

I'm sure many PH cars have thrown a CEL unreported.

But I'm glad the have now clarified it's the same on all modern cars.
Why so sensitive?