Elise help req!

[bruiser777]

Hi guys,

My 111s is making an alarming "ping" noise from the front end when i hit a bump or pothole in the road. It is like a loud knock from the suspension but resonates and is quite a high pitched "ping" sound. I have only noticed at low speeds (<30mph)

It is only when i hit a bump.

Anyone have any ideas what this could be - or if it is a common fault? The car is Jul 05 with 2500 miles and no accident damage.

Thanks for any ideas or suggestions....

[bruiser777]

no ideas anyone? Has nobody had a similar problem.

Regards, Bruce

[bogie]

no idea...but as its under warranty Id just take it back to the dealer and let them have a look

[TonyHetherington]

Sorry bruiser, seems nobody has an idea (which would be why you haven't had many replies - if there had have been some thoughts, you can guarantee everyone would have chipped in for you).

As mentioned, as the car is under warranty, get it to the dealer, they're there for a reason!

Sorry can't be of more constructive use

Good luck and be sure to let us know how you get on!
Tony

[bruiser777]

sure, thanks. I will send it back of course - I was just trying to tap some knowledge and avoid losing the car for a couple of weeks if it was something fixable

[GTRene]

maybe a broken spring? your car is not that old but I guess it has something to do with your spring, see picture...but its a very rare thing(and you can try to hear it when you just try to push in the suspension!), maybe just bad luck or bad spring?
Or the spring is not right fitted and that way that sound...



Just a idea...
GTRene

[piooly]

My series 1 does the same thing. I contacted lotus HQ and they reckon it the actual shock when the air is compressed. Still works but Still not resolved and bery anoying.

[bruiser777]

i dont think it is the spring, as the first thing i did was push down on the front end to check if i could replicate the noise.

Could be a shock - but I thought the sound was too high pitched for a shock. It is like a very high pitched "doink"

I will send it back.

[piooly]

sounds like the exact same sound I have. I'm putting up with it till I can afford a set of Nitrons or Ohlins...

[RIXGE]

Have you ruled out the fact that it could be a vibration further away from where you think its actually resonating from ?

[bruiser777]

no, not really.

I have bounced up and down on the bonnet to see if i can replicate the sound, but cant. It is not really a sound that could resonate from any distance from the source - the noise is quite an acute and high pitched "doink"

I am fairly sure it is something within the front suspension setup, but at this point cant see what. I may find out more over the weekend.

[sja]

I had the same on my 05 111s.. It was a shocker I'll try and find the thread...

Found thread, not much help though dealer just replaced a shocker. Took them ages to find fault and had to take it in a couple of times as they were just going down the TADTS route..

>> Edited by sja on Friday 10th March 10:46

[enjybenjy]

I've got a similar sound on my 111s, almost like a rattle over bumps at slow speed which turns into a metallic 'clacky ping' noise going over stuff at speed (like a drain or an expansion joint). I took it to Miles and he couldn't find anything (track rod ends, ball joints, drop link, bushes etc even rear toe links which he says can resonate through to sound like they are coming from the front). This is definately coming from the pass. side front wheel, no doubt about it and it 's driving me potty not being able to find it. I am very close to changing the shock, but worried that it will make sod all difference.

Mine also doesn't do it so bad when I have someone in the passenger seat.
Bruiser, if you take it back to the dealer and they fix it, please let me know what they did?!
Ta

[GTRene]

Seem to me its an 111S "problem" then....most of you have that on such car, so I think its certainly the spring/damper unit... maybe because they use other brand units then "normal" elises? what brand schock/spring do you all have on the fronts?
GTRene

>> Edited by GTRene on Friday 10th March 11:35

[enjybenjy]

think all S2s (non 135R, 111R etc) use the same Bilstein/Eibach setup...correct me if I'm wrong, in which case GTRene may have a point.

[bruiser777]

it is booked in to go to lotus dealer on the 25th, and I will leave it with them for at least a week to find and fix the problem. Could well be one of the dampers...

I thought I had adjustable bilsteins on my 135R, and on the MY 05 111s, we have Konis...

I have to say there was no build up of the problem getting worse over time - it was all of a sudden just there every time i hit a bump.... "doink"

[shangani]

bruiser777 said:

it is booked in to go to lotus dealer on the 25th, and I will leave it with them for at least a week to find and fix the problem. Could well be one of the dampers... I thought I had adjustable bilsteins on my 135R, and on the MY 05 111s, we have Konis... I have to say there was no build up of the problem getting worse over time - it was all of a sudden just there every time i hit a bump.... "doink"

The 135R LSS suspension was ride height adjustable, not adjustable for damping like eg nitrons. I have never heard of Koni's on an S2 - they had bilsteins.

[GTRene]

I have heard they use them both...?? don't know that much, but found this thread, and they say S1 used Koni, and later S2 bilstein, maybe the early longroof used still the Konis but as they say later on bilsteins...but also they talk about relation with koni anyway, its al in English and I'm Dutch so hope you can find that answer in this link...

www.elises.co.uk/components/s1/suspension/index.html

Anyway, if its Koni or Bilstein your shocks are the problem I think...
GTRene

[bruiser777]

my car was booked in to have the problem fixed, but for the last 150 miles I cannot replicate the problem any more

Maybe it was a stone wedged in one of the springs?

Maybe it was due to under-use over the winter?

I am not sure why - but the problem has ceased. Not sure if that is good, or bad!!!

Bruce

[mac65]

I had this problem, here's non-tech description of how I sorted it...reach behind the wheel and you can feel thin piece of aluminium that shields the central part of wheel. This sometimes ends up too close to wheel after time, making the pinging noise. Just bend it back away from wheel..takes a bit of knuckle scraping but worked for me