Cold start stalling

[Tobiasz17azs]

1200 miles .

How many miles you guys have in yours? Has this been a reoccurring issue since you got the car? I have over 5500 miles and haven’t come across this yet. I usually fill up at BP, 93 octan

 

[KAR120C]

2500. Only happened once. Never a problem before or after.

 

[GetawayDriving]

2400 miles. Mine started as soon as I got it back from the dealer after my break in oils change, which happened around 1500 miles.

 

[GetawayDriving]

You have cold start issue as well ?

I do. Called my dealer and they said they'd talk to their Lotus field rep. They got back to me and the field rep said he hadn't heard of the issue before. Meanwhile, it's a top post on the forum with over 200 comments.

 

[Tobiasz17azs]

I do. Called my dealer and they said they'd talk to their Lotus field rep. They got back to me and the field rep said he hadn't heard of the issue before. Meanwhile, it's a top post on the forum with over 200 comments.

Yeah, that’s nonsense. A lot of people have this issue, apparently

 

[chenner]

So mine just started doing this yesterday and then today.

I'm on a roadtrip and covered 1,300 miles before yesterday morning. Total of 3K miles on the odometer and never had a problem with starting. But yesterday it had a rough start with some stumbling but after a few seconds corrected itself and ran smooth.

This morning similar problem start but I did give it a little throttle and it corrected itself.

I'm out of town for the next two weeks and this will be my DD so we'll see if it continues.

 

[Tobiasz17azs]

So mine just started doing this yesterday and then today.

I'm on a roadtrip and covered 1,300 miles before yesterday morning. Total of 3K miles on the odometer and never had a problem with starting. But yesterday it had a rough start with some stumbling but after a few seconds corrected itself and ran smooth.

This morning similar problem start but I did give it a little throttle and it corrected itself.

I'm out of town for the next two weeks and this will be my DD so we'll see if it continues.

Exactly same . What gas and where did you fill up?

 

[Shahaf2911]

After a few days with my car again (before I export it) I refueled with 95, the first (and only) start after the refuel wasn’t smooth tough it didn’t stall, which does lead me to suspect the fuel quality has something to do with it (either way it doesn’t suppose to happen). In Italy there isn’t always 98, when I export it to Israel as it’s a small country and I have my regular gas stations with 98 I’ll only refuel with 98, and hopefully mitigate the problem entirely if the fuel quality is really the issue, only time will tell. Last (and only time) I had this issue (short period), where it actually stalled was more than a year ago which the dealer fixed it but idk if the “poor fuel” with the so called fix made it not stall this time.

 

[GetawayDriving]

I know I'm filling with top tier 93 every time, I don't know what the west coasters are doing where there is commonly only 91 available...

 

[LotusRising]

Yeah, that’s nonsense. A lot of people have this issue, apparently

Car and driver noted it in their review!

 

[T6061]

91 is our only choice here in CA. No issues for me so far (2600 miles so far).

 

[Tobiasz17azs]

For now, I’m testing my problem. The battery was charged, so that’s not the issue. Last time my car stalled was after a 300-mile road trip, about three days later. The next day, it had a rough start but corrected itself. The following day, using a workaround method, it started perfectly. The day after, without the workaround, it also started perfectly, but I didn’t drive it. I’m unsure if this is a fuel issue; I’ve been using 93 octane since the car was new and had no issues for the first 1,000 miles. I contacted my dealer and am still waiting for my seat. I’m going to drive the car and see what the problem could be.

 

[Steve24]

Let’s cut to the chase here. It can’t be a fuel issue.
It’s a Lotus issue.
I’ve run my car almost entirely on the best fuel available here in Oz.
The same fuel millions of others, including tens of thousands of other high end sports car users use every day.
The same fuel I ran my old Ferrari on every day without a single hiccup.

For all intents and purposes this is a pretty old and very well known Toyota engine that has been used in many, many other applications including previous Lotuses (Loti?)

I haven’t heard anything about any of those cars having this problem.

I don’t care that this issue popped up.

But I do care that Lotus still haven’t found a proper fix and are apparently still telling owners that they aren’t aware of it or it must be fuel related (total BS).

Get your shit together, Lotus.

This is not good enough.

 

[chenner]

Exactly same . What gas and where did you fill up?

I couldn't tell you exactly but it was somewhere in Michigan.

Yesterday, I filled up here in Ontario with 94 octane and this morning she started normally with zero issues.

Having said that, I can only get 91 at home in Colorado and have never had this issue.

 

[Blackthought_]

Let’s cut to the chase here. It can’t be a fuel issue.
It’s a Lotus issue.
I’ve run my car almost entirely on the best fuel available here in Oz.
The same fuel millions of others, including tens of thousands of other high end sports car users use every day.
The same fuel I ran my old Ferrari on every day without a single hiccup.

For all intents and purposes this is a pretty old and very well known Toyota engine that has been used in many, many other applications including previous Lotuses (Loti?)

I haven’t heard anything about any of those cars having this problem.

I don’t care that this issue popped up.

But I do care that Lotus still haven’t found a proper fix and are apparently still telling owners that they aren’t aware of it or it must be fuel related (total BS).

Get your shit together, Lotus.

This is not good enough.

I agree with this. My mind immediately goes to some sort of software issue that affects the car during the start up process. Fuel cannot be the issue.

 

[Tobiasz17azs]

Let’s cut to the chase here. It can’t be a fuel issue.
It’s a Lotus issue.
I’ve run my car almost entirely on the best fuel available here in Oz.
The same fuel millions of others, including tens of thousands of other high end sports car users use every day.
The same fuel I ran my old Ferrari on every day without a single hiccup.

For all intents and purposes this is a pretty old and very well known Toyota engine that has been used in many, many other applications including previous Lotuses (Loti?)

I haven’t heard anything about any of those cars having this problem.

I don’t care that this issue popped up.

But I do care that Lotus still haven’t found a proper fix and are apparently still telling owners that they aren’t aware of it or it must be fuel related (total BS).

Get your shit together, Lotus.

This is not good enough.

100% .

 

[m30rpg]

So mine just started doing this yesterday and then today.

I'm on a roadtrip and covered 1,300 miles before yesterday morning. Total of 3K miles on the odometer and never had a problem with starting. But yesterday it had a rough start with some stumbling but after a few seconds corrected itself and ran smooth.

This morning similar problem start but I did give it a little throttle and it corrected itself.

I'm out of town for the next two weeks and this will be my DD so we'll see if it continues.

Also had this happen for the first time the other week, its only done it once and gave it a little throttle, Almost like auto choke feature not working.... cant think why it did it, but just one of those odd quirks, likely software related.. who knows

 

[Nick Sticks]

I had no cold start problems for the first 650 miles or so but then it happened, it would start and run roughly for a few seconds then stop. The second start would be absolutely normal. This has happened for every cold start each day for about 500 miles.
I know the dealer filled up with something from BP but don't know what type of petrol.
I had always filled up with Shell V-Power (99 RON, E5) and from 3 different fuel stations.
2 days ago I filled up with BP Ultimate (97 RON, E5). Yesterday it had the cold start problem and I went for a 30 mile run.
Today when it started there was no problem - it started first time as it should!
So as long as it starts first time for the next week or two I'll be giving Shell V-Power a miss.
It may be a Lotus issue but on this one sample trial I'm hoping the change of fuel will solve it in the short term and hope Lotus do something to fix it long term.
Of course if the problem reoccurs next cold start I'll be back to square one!

 

[Rupes]

I agree, it’s not fuel related. So that means some mapping / software is not functioning as it should. And a change to that software might fundamentally alter the emissions on the car requiring CARB approval again.

For this reason, I don’t see Lotus fixing it.

Make sure you’re familiar with the “work around” posted above. That seems to be working for me.

 

[Motosera]

Mine did this for the first time today. Got half a tank of fuel in and haven't filled up since I last brimmed it a week ago.

Started perfectly on the second attempt. Interesting it also threw an error code and a check engine light. Plugged the code reader in, see attached.

Car had sat for a week since last start (not on charge and last use was a 55 mile drive) Cleared the codes and now all fine again.

Having built and mapped more than a few cars in my time the syptom seems to fall inline with the fuel pump not priming before start, and therefore not having fuel rail pressure to fire the initial injector priming pulse which is typically much longer than the pulse fired during running. You'd expect the pump to prime either when the drivers door is opened or closed (my old RS4, M140 and others have done this and you can hear it) or when the start button is pressed just before it cranks. This would also explain why it starts ok on the second button press as the fuel rails then have pressure and normally in a stall situation the pump would re-prime along with the priming pulse being delivered - and this kind of falls inline with the 'work around' where they are suggesting turn on the ignition and wait a few seconds before a second press to start.

Either way, if my thoughts are correct (which they may well not be as I don't know the exact set up in the Emira, yet) it would be software and not fuel related.