Intermittent failure to start

[VT24SEP]

This happened to me for the first time today, at 3,000 miles.

For clarity, I've had the cold start stalling issue, but that has weirdly gone away. It did it consistently for a couple of weeks, and then stopped. It did stop with a new tank of fuel (I only fill it with Mobile 93 or Shell 93). Has been starting strong every morning now. That's a different issue though.

But today, I went for for a drive and then pulled over in a parking space to take a phone call. I turned the engine off but the infotainment remained on and was on the call for about 20 minutes. After the call, I went to start and nothing happened. It was like I was just pressing the ignition button without pressing the brake, turning only the accessory position on. Everything came on like normal, it's just the engine didn't start. No noises aside from maybe a single faint click. No warning messages or errors or engine lights.

I tried various things for 5-6 minutes. Lock, unlock, get out of car, lock, unlock, etc. I called Lotus service and said I might need some assistance and then 30 seconds later it fired up like everything was totally normal.

At the time I assumed that I confused the immobilizer somehow, but I don't really know. It's been fine for the rest of the after

I had this last year and lost the car for ~5 months. It's now done it again just over a month ago and they have my car (and I have a shite CLA180) it is also in for replacement doors as they both were bubbling up.

Apparently it is a software issue (again) but I don't udnerstand how it could be fine and then suddenly come back again, it's not as if these update over the air. Mines done 3.3k and is a March 2023 car based in the UK.

The same happened to me once (but never again, the restart. getting out and back after a couple of mins worked.
Also, once recently at a traffic light as I hit "P" as it was a big one and would not ally take

Coming up on 500 miles, two weeks after taking delivery. One issue I've had multiple times is a failure to start - the symptoms are a bit strange.

I haven't been able to figure out a complete reproduction scenario yet, but what happens intermittently is that I will go to unlock the car, get in sit down seat belt on, and hit the start button in the car - only nothing happens. The infotainment is somewhat on, but the car doesn't start. It feels very similar to what happens when the battery is dead.

However, if I get out of the car, lock it - wait a few seconds, unlock and then repeat the same procedure - the car starts up just fine.

It's happened 3 times so far, enough that I feel like a have a common "fix" identified.

1) Is anyone else experiencing this?

2) I wonder if it's some kind of issue where the car doesn't see the key as being inside the car somehow?

I had it a couple of times - ditto.

Another embarrassing one happened at a giant traffic light. I had hit the "P" to relax the foot on brake as the traffic light was long. When it tuned green , the gear won't change (AMG auto box) , whatever I hit. I was there for two turns of traffic lights going red and green and them it had pity and just decided to move to D when it just decided to move.

 

[GetawayDriving]

Update on this, the issue mostly went away for me. I was not a believer in the gasoline theory but starting with a tank of Mobil 93 (what I normally fill it with anyway but this was a new station) the issue stopped. It has happened only twice since (over ~3 weeks) and one of those times the car started it just a rough start. If I haven't driven the car in a couple days I'll do the workaround with turning on accessory first and it seems to work reliably.

 

[JimyFloyd]

Update on this, the issue mostly went away for me. I was not a believer in the gasoline theory but starting with a tank of Mobil 93 (what I normally fill it with anyway but this was a new station) the issue stopped. It has happened only twice since (over ~3 weeks) and one of those times the car started it just a rough start. If I haven't driven the car in a couple days I'll do the workaround with turning on accessory first and it seems to work reliably.

I just can't imagine it is fuel. Mine has always run on Tesco 99 (so slightly better RON than your 93) and I've had the problem...it's annoying as hell!

 

[JimyFloyd]

The same happened to me once (but never again, the restart. getting out and back after a couple of mins worked.
Also, once recently at a traffic light as I hit "P" as it was a big one and would not ally take

I had it a couple of times - ditto.

Another embarrassing one happened at a giant traffic light. I had hit the "P" to relax the foot on brake as the traffic light was long. When it tuned green , the gear won't change (AMG auto box) , whatever I hit. I was there for two turns of traffic lights going red and green and them it had pity and just decided to move to D when it just decided to move.

Do you have the i4 then? Surprised it would be happening in that too which suggests that Lotus have cocked the software up as that would not happen in an AMG merc...

 

[s2kmunpo]

Just an updated on my issue as well. I had this once in a while but then when I started driving it to work every day it happened literally every single day when I would leave the office. For almost 2 weeks straight. What I started doing was getting in, putting seat belt on, and sit and wait till my android auto connects and my pandora starts to play. Then I hit the start button. Since I have done that I haven't have it happen again, and I'm going on 2+ months without the issue.

 

[Kimmax]

it is also in for replacement doors

Don’t wait for the doors to show up, according to my dealer itself at least a 2 month wait time for the parts

 

[MoBoost]

Just an updated on my issue as well. I had this once in a while but then when I started driving it to work every day it happened literally every single day when I would leave the office. For almost 2 weeks straight. What I started doing was getting in, putting seat belt on, and sit and wait till my android auto connects and my pandora starts to play. Then I hit the start button. Since I have done that I haven't have it happen again, and I'm going on 2+ months without the issue.

I think you’ve hit on something. The other day when I at first had a no-start, it then connected to my phone and the car started. I didn’t do the lock/unlock process. I will try and repeat this.

 

[Blackthought_]

I think you’ve hit on something. The other day when I at first had a no-start, it then connected to my phone and the car started. I didn’t do the lock/unlock process. I will try and repeat this.

Yup there is likely a software issues that doesn’t allow the car to start until the software “connects to the mothership”.

 

[Six Speed Stephen]

Yup there is likely a software issues that doesn’t allow the car to start until the software “connects to the mothership”.

That doesn't make sense. The car doesn't need internet connection to start.

 

[Blackthought_]

That doesn't make sense. The car doesn't need internet connection to start.

The cars that won’t start apparently do not connect to some sort of network (i don’t know what type, but when you turn on the car it will display on the infotainment screen “connected to XXX”). Another poster made a video and found that when it connects to this network, the car will just like normal. If it doesn’t connect, it has trouble starting. The running joke was it “needed to connect to the mothership before starting”.

 

[Six Speed Stephen]

The cars that won’t start apparently do not connect to some sort of network (i don’t know what type, but when you turn on the car it will display on the infotainment screen “connected to XXX”). Another poster made a video and found that when it connects to this network, the car will just like normal. If it doesn’t connect, it has trouble starting. The running joke was it “needed to connect to the mothership before starting”.

If I get in the car and I don't turn on the electronics, does that message appear on the screen? Or does that message appear only if the electronics are turned on first?

I ask because I have this Intermittent issue, and I never turn on the electronics before starting the car. I just hold the ignition down and it either will start or wont.

 

[Blackthought_]

If I get in the car and I don't turn on the electronics, does that message appear on the screen? Or does that message appear only if the electronics are turned on first?

I ask because I have this Intermittent issue, and I never turn on the electronics before starting the car. I just hold the ignition down and it either will start or wont.

Hmm it’s a good question I need to double check the next time I’m in the car. But, to my recollection that message comes on the moment you open the door after the car has for a while.

My method is I always get into the car, give it several seconds for the infotainment to do its thing and then start the car. Works every time. I did the same think in my Evora.

 

[GetawayDriving]

The cars that won’t start apparently do not connect to some sort of network (i don’t know what type, but when you turn on the car it will display on the infotainment screen “connected to XXX”). Another poster made a video and found that when it connects to this network, the car will just like normal. If it doesn’t connect, it has trouble starting. The running joke was it “needed to connect to the mothership before starting”.

My car is parked 5 levels deep in an urban parking garage. There is no data or satellite signal down there. If it needed a connection to start it never would.

 

[Blackthought_]

My car is parked 5 levels deep in an urban parking garage. There is no data or satellite signal down there. If it needed a connection to start it never would.

Network is probably the wrong word for but the car connects to something as it boots up. Look at the infotainment as it boots up.

 

[s2kmunpo]

Yeah ultimately it's trying to connect to something. Either a network or simply just another system in the car. If you don't let it fully do its thing then it will fail to start. This is clearly not the case for every car so it's still a software glitch that some cars don't experience at all. But if you do have the issue, waiting till literally everything finishes its start up and needed connections, seems to eliminate the issue, at least for my car.

 

[marc1adrien]

my dealer told me always to wait for the center screen to load -- as in after the graphic of the car's profile animates and then goes away. I haven't had the issue since.

 

[EmirOfDenmark]

Here’s another solution to the no start problem:
Open the car, get out, lock the doors, (throw the keys away), walk into a Porsche and turn the ignition- the car starts.

Seriously Lotus, read this thread, it’s like the CTRL+ALT+DELETE joke of cars but for real.

I had it occur once, the weirdest thing: I went to pick up my son and when I switched the ignition the car threw an “ABS failure” error. Then the screen froze. It wouldn’t start. (Does an ABS failure stop the car from starting?) Then did the lock/unlock dance - no good. Then left the car, closed the door, car display still on. 30 min later, the car reset itself somehow, the screen was off. Then it worked fine.

The only thing I remember different was that my son was plugging in my iPhone into wired CarPlay (because wireless CarPlay just never works), while I was switching on the car and changing drive mode to Sport. Could all this activity “overwhelm” the system, so it times out on something and gets in a weird state? So confusing…

Still loving the car though… two years in…

 

[Rupes]

Did you do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around? That's what it's all about.

 

[Kimmax]

I'm gonna go +1 on fuel being the clue.

I've driven about 7000 kilometers (4350 cheeseburgers per eagle) without a single stutter when starting.
I usually fuel up on German "JET" Super 98 = Euro RON 98 approx. US 94.

2 days ago I had to go with "Aral" which sells "Aral Ultimate 102" here.
Their fuel ends up as a theoretical Euro RON 102 (No such norm) approx. US 98.

Tank was almost completely empty. 2 days of spluttering starts in a row now. Besides the rough starts the car seems to adjust to the different octane value just fine.

 

[Nick Sticks]

I'm gonna go +1 on fuel being the clue.

I've driven about 7000 kilometers (4350 cheeseburgers per eagle) without a single stutter when starting.
I usually fuel up on German "JET" Super 98 = Euro RON 98 approx. US 94.

2 days ago I had to go with "Aral" which sells "Aral Ultimate 102" here.
Their fuel ends up as a theoretical Euro RON 102 (No such norm) approx. US 98.

Tank was almost completely empty. 2 days of spluttering starts in a row now. Besides the rough starts the car seems to adjust to the different octane value just fine.

I agree.
I stopped using Shell V-Power 99RON octane because of the spluttering starts (would run ok once started) and switched to BP Ultimate 97RON octane with no starting issues.