Air con known issue -no fix yet [EDIT: now with official fix]

[3A3968M]

It would be nice if someone near a dealer could find out what the VIN range is for the cars this TSB applies to.

I can inquire when I get my car back some time this week or early next week

 

[tnbuilder]

Here you go!

 

[Go Kart]

Here you go!View attachment 44097

Looks like my wife’s Emira is not affected and the shield was likely added on the production line.

This is probably the single most useful post I have seen in this forum in the couple of months I’ve been a member.

THANK YOU

 

[seriously]

Not affected amazing!

 

[Lotustoronto]

Here you go!View attachment 44097

Great information! Thanks!

 

[VL3X]

@VL3X recommend merging with

Air con known issue -no fix yet [EDIT: now with official fix]

Has anyone on here had the air con issue and had it resolved/still waiting on lotus? Air con worked for 2 days, failed, took it to service, they reset it, but explained its a known fault lotus are working on and it would probably go again. It did a couple of days later. Doesn’t need regassing...

www.emiraforum.com

Done - thanks!

 

[freefall_junkie]

Does anyone know if there is going to be an official recall for this in the UK?

 

[Go Kart]

Does anyone know if there is going to be an official recall for this in the UK?

A recall is typically only issued if deemed a safety issue.

An HVAC problem is a safety issue imo when the HVAC is not able to defog windows sufficiently in cold weather… but other than that I’m sure Lotus would just leave it a TSB that is addressed when a car comes in for service.

Here’s an article explaining the differences between a TSB and recall:

The Difference Between Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins

They seem similar, but there are key differences.

www.roadandtrack.com

 

[KCMO68_510]

All I need to know is if I call my dealer about this TSB and say my car is listed as one that is affected, will they fix it since the car is obviously still under warranty even though I currently am not experiencing any AC issues?

 

[Kimmax]

HVAC is not able to defog windows sufficiently in cold weather

That's definitely the case with this one. Emira tends to fog up like crazy and there's almost no chance to get it free without HVAC. Been there, done that.
Do I think Lotus will handle it like a safety issue? Absolutely not.

 

[Go Kart]

That's definitely the case with this one. Emira tends to fog up like crazy and there's almost no chance to get it free without HVAC. Been there, done that.
Do I think Lotus will handle it like a safety issue? Absolutely not.

My thoughts exactly. Recalls tend to only be issued when the issue results in a real world reportable incident like the Cybertruck gas pedal sticking recently, or something similar. The news reported it and it was not a good look for Tesla. The recall is either initiated by the manufacturer voluntarily because they want to do the right thing, or can foresee a government agency walking down their halls to get involved. Or they ignore the issue until the government agency steps in and MAKES them recall something. There are examples of both in the news going back decades.

Seems to me Lotus would wait until there’s a significant sample size of accidents, and even then still only do something about it when a government agency (U.S. or other) steps in to straighten them out. I’d like to be wrong about that.

 

[Martylemoo]

Does anyone know if there is going to be an official recall for this in the UK?

When I took mine into Hendy for a new Airbag module they told me my car was due this update and fitted it at the same time. So I assume dealers are aware.

 

[Go Kart]

All I need to know is if I call my dealer about this TSB and say my car is listed as one that is affected, will they fix it since the car is obviously still under warranty even though I currently am not experiencing any AC issues?

I believe if you’re aware of a documented TSB the car manufacturer will correct the issue upon your request. Otherwise, they will fix problem cars as they come in for maintenance or other issues you might be bringing your car in for that are unrelated to the TSB (like a software update).

This is how my BMW dealer treated TSBs. I came in for a covered oil change once and they took care of the available TSBs associated with the car. I think there were two minor ones that I don’t even remember specifics for. I was not aware of any TSBs until they reviewed my VIN and told me they would be performing those fixes along with my oil change. They already had parts in stock in preparation for the cars with faulty components coming through. Hopefully Lotus operates this way as well.

 

[Biggles of Norwich]

That's definitely the case with this one. Emira tends to fog up like crazy and there's almost no chance to get it free without HVAC. Been there, done that.
Do I think Lotus will handle it like a safety issue? Absolutely not.

That's an interesting comment. My Emira has had the resistor replaced, so the HVAC works, but as soon as I turn the AC off it starts to mist up, drivers window first, then passenger then windscreen. This is in not very cold conditions. There was some discussion in another thread about water gathering in the doors, and recently after heavy rain, with the car parked facing upwards on a slope, I opened the driver's door and lots of water came out underneath at the front. This isn't an HVAC problem but a door drainage issue. Anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[3A3968M]

Just picked up my car after the hvac tsb has been performed. A/C works as expected, the dealer - the Lotus of North Jersey - told me they are not delivering cars anymore unless the diaper (their term) is installed.

 

[Go Kart]

Just picked up my car after the hvac tsb has been performed. A/C works as expected, the dealer - the Lotus of North Jersey - told me they are not delivering cars anymore unless the diaper (their term) is installed.

My concern with this would be is the fan resistor pack already damaged when they put the protective diaper on it, or is it in working condition? I’d hope they’d replace the diaper AND the resistor just to be safe.

A lot of the cars are experiencing partial failures that aren’t really evident to the owners. Weak fan speed, intermittent functions, etc… There are a few people in this thread that didn’t realize a fully functioning AC fan should sound like a jet engine and not the weaker fan speed they were semi content with.

 

[Go Kart]

That's an interesting comment. My Emira has had the resistor replaced, so the HVAC works, but as soon as I turn the AC off it starts to mist up, drivers window first, then passenger then windscreen. This is in not very cold conditions. There was some discussion in another thread about water gathering in the doors, and recently after heavy rain, with the car parked facing upwards on a slope, I opened the driver's door and lots of water came out underneath at the front. This isn't an HVAC problem but a door drainage issue. Anyone else had a similar experience?

Yeah, in this instance you could have had a known Emira issue compounded by another known Emira issue. Glad your AC is fine

I’m honestly considering drilling holes in strategic places on these doors to avoid any issues related to improper drainage. I truly believe the water in the doors is a factor with the paint blisters the UK have experienced. Hopefully that has been addressed by Lotus and the blisters won’t be as prevalent in the U.S.

 

[Kimmax]

A lot of the cars are experiencing partial failures that aren’t really evident to the owners.

Absolutely. Mine was broken from day one and I didn’t know. Just thought the AC performance was subpar on this car. After it was fixed it almost blew me out the windows

 

[brainf18]

I spoke with my dealer yesterday. They are aware of the A/C resistor issue and are attempting to correct affected cars with updated parts prior to delivery.

What I'm curious about is if anyone with a VIN higher than 2178 has been affected? 2179 and above are supposed have the fix installed from the factory

 

[scarzie]

So I went through a touchless wash, and go figure my AC started working again... Still going to get it remedied by the dealer but you can't make it up