Download Service Manual PDF Here:

[f1karting]

IMO Perhaps if original Lotus manuals were distributed at a reasonable price there would be no need for anyone to even consider "copies". $450 is rediculous! Of course they will get copied and redistriuted at that price.. Lotus loses!

Thats just my opinion..I could be wrong. Jan

>> Edited by f1karting on Monday 7th February 01:24

[okc-esprit]

As an FYI, in the U.S., 17 USC sec. 504 provides for statutory damages in the amount of $750 to $30000. If the copyright owner shows willful infringement the amount may be increased to $150,000. Additionally, the court may award attorney's fees to the prevailing party. Finally, sec. 506 criminalizes copyright infringement when it is done for purposes of private financial gain.

I don't know what a reasonable price should be for these manuals. However, I would guess that a judge would find it peculiar that someone can afford to buy and maintain a Lotus but can't afford to buy a legitimate manual.

[driestone]

I tend to doubt that Lotus has all that much of a mark up on these items. Consider for a moment that even the service manuals for a non-exotic can easily cost $200.00 (I think the manuals for my Eclipse cost $175 ten years ago.)

The cost of printing something like this isn't cheap, and typically the major cost isn't the per-unit item, but the setup for the entire manual (creating plates and setting up the presses.) It costs $50-$60 per page to set this stuff up, and that's just printing. The labor spent actually creating the layout is significant too (assuming most of the material was created for other reasons, and they only had to "repackage" it.)

With my S3/TE manuals they did an excellent job of producing these things. They are laminated and placed in a three ring binder which is far above what I have seen for other shop manuals.

I agree that they are a little pricy, but as I mentioned earlier if you shop around you can find them in the sub $200US range.

[paul c]

So...

asking again ,

APART from scanning the factory manual
onto a PDF formatted disc yourself...

OR by getting hold of the CD manual of
PDF scans of the that everyone has 'seen'...

Then HOW do you get a legitimate and legal CD manual
for the older (pre S4) cars?

Based on the fact everybody and their dog is burning
copies of the scanned manual for the '88-'92 cars, i'd
really HAVE to assume nothing better exists anyway.

If say, you own an '88-'90 car, and you want a legal copy of the manuals on CD. Where can you buy one?

A link anyone?

?

[okc-esprit]

Write Lotus for permission to scan a manual owned by your local garage. Worst case scenario, they say no or ask for cash.

Why not just buy a hard copy and copy the pages you want to take out to the shop? If you scan the document, searching the disk may take longer than flipping through the pages.

[karmavore]

1) get the booleg CD
2) keep your mouth shut
3) think of the thousands of reasons Lotus "owes it to you"
4) sleep well at night.

Luke.

[andrewtuzzolino]

I recently purchases a 1988 lotus esprit turbo... I cant find the service manual pdf for this... There are tons of downloads for the up to 1987 but for some reason all i cant find the 1988 to 1993 service manual.. So much more convient to have a pdf. Any body point me in the right direction?

Thanks

[audi321]

I'm in the same boat, I have a paper workshop manual for the pre 88 cars, but not for my 89 Turbo.

Anyone know where I can buy one from? I have the Parts Manual thanks to my membership of 'The Lotus Forums.com' but even they don't have a workshop manual for an 89 car.

[nvubu]

Try South West Lotus Centre

[audi321]

I have a digital version now and if anyone would like a copy feel free to drop me a pm