📓 Journals Scoates' Magma Red Emira

[scoates]

15.5s!? Man, I ran that in my Integra. I expected at least 12s.

Was it in track mode? It may have been quicker in normal or sport with some traction mode engaged. I noticed my GTI is actually quicker around the track with traction control on. The car is smarter and quicker than I am with everything turned off.

It probably would do 12s in the dry, there was just no grip at all, even the public road just outside the strip had better traction!

I was in sport mode, and that's how I discovered my traction control is completely off in all modes thanks to the ABS/ESC error.

 

[scoates]

Got a replacement numberplate delivered today, had to buy one myself as the dealer was unable to help as the car was not supplied by them, and I've not contacted Customer Care yet as I know how busy they are so it would be a long time until I get a response. Put it on with super sticky 3M stuff this time, which is annoying as about 3 seconds after I stuck it down a realised it was about a half centimetre off centre... Oh well, at least it is driveable again!

I have also noticed a more concerning issue. There is paint beginning to bubble up on the passenger door. Just noticed today and can't think of anything to have caused it. I've not put any coatings on it, there has been nothing left on the paint to etch in, and only washed with a plain shampoo from Autoglym. Will definitely be getting in touch with customer care ASAP about this one!

Visible in the last image if you zoom in around where the shadow from the wing mirror is. Also some orange peel visible too...

 

[Peeltone]

Sorry to see that I noticed a thread on seloc someone’s Nimbus had the same. Bubbling was an issue in some Elise’s. You would think they would have it sorted by now.

SELOC Forums

 

[jamesbxxx]

Got a replacement numberplate delivered today, had to buy one myself as the dealer was unable to help as the car was not supplied by them, and I've not contacted Customer Care yet as I know how busy they are so it would be a long time until I get a response. Put it on with super sticky 3M stuff this time, which is annoying as about 3 seconds after I stuck it down a realised it was about a half centimetre off centre... Oh well, at least it is driveable again!

I have also noticed a more concerning issue. There is paint beginning to bubble up on the passenger door. Just noticed today and can't think of anything to have caused it. I've not put any coatings on it, there has been nothing left on the paint to etch in, and only washed with a plain shampoo from Autoglym. Will definitely be getting in touch with customer care ASAP about this one!

Visible in the last image if you zoom in around where the shadow from the wing mirror is. Also some orange peel visible too...

I had a similar issue with an Elise when left outside in the damp under a cover. Water coming from the inside through the porous body material and getting trapped under the paint. Most of the bubbles went away once the body dried out properly, without any lasting damage (only stretched the paint on one or two large bubbles)

 

[Magma]

Got a replacement numberplate delivered today, had to buy one myself as the dealer was unable to help as the car was not supplied by them, and I've not contacted Customer Care yet as I know how busy they are so it would be a long time until I get a response. Put it on with super sticky 3M stuff this time, which is annoying as about 3 seconds after I stuck it down a realised it was about a half centimetre off centre... Oh well, at least it is driveable again!

I have also noticed a more concerning issue. There is paint beginning to bubble up on the passenger door. Just noticed today and can't think of anything to have caused it. I've not put any coatings on it, there has been nothing left on the paint to etch in, and only washed with a plain shampoo from Autoglym. Will definitely be getting in touch with customer care ASAP about this one!

Visible in the last image if you zoom in around where the shadow from the wing mirror is. Also some orange peel visible too...

I would take orange peel over bubbling every single time. The last thing you want is a respray. This, honestly (along with all other issues), has made me really close to hitting send on the cancelation draft I have saved....

 

[scoates]

Took my car down to Lotus Glasgow last weekend as I was passing and left it with them for a couple of days to check out the paint bubbling, the ESC/ABS issue and install some updates. Updates installed fine as far as I'm aware, I asked if there was any way to know the version numbers or what each update actually does but they said there wasn't.

No update on the ESC/ABS warning, but it did disappear after the updates, only to reappear by the time I got to the end of the road. It has a new part to it this time though, a separate popup saying "ESC/ABS service required" in addition to the "temporarily unavailable" one. It so far has not disappeared and comes up as soon as I start the car every time I start the car. It also has disabled the auto-hold handbrake along with the ABS and traction control which isn't ideal...

Lotus Glasgow also recommended a bodyshop up here who they have used before and passed on my details re the bubbling paint. They said they have seen similar before in other composite bodied cars and as mentioned elsewhere on here it is likely to require a replacement door rather than just a repaint, so they've sent that info over to Lotus so just waiting to hear back now. With some of the delays in sourcing other parts I reckon a whole door could be a bit of a wait...

On the positive side though I still love driving the car and none of these issues is affecting my overall enjoyment of it. I just need to be careful where I drive that it isn't too slippy and that there's no hill starts needed!

 

[scoates]

Since my last update the car's still been driving fine and I'm and loving it!

Some small updates regarding the door, it has been approved for a warranty replacement so just waiting for a new one to be made and shipped up, but the bubbling is worsening... No news on the ESC/ABS fault, but can confirm that neither the traction control or the ABS are functioning at all rather than it just being a superficial warning with nothing behind it. I've also discovered at the weekend that the A/C has stopped working and an annoying rattle coming from the rear window surround inside the cabin has started. I'll just add these to the list of things to get sorted at the 1 year service.

I've taken the car along to a couple of events in the last few weeks:

The Paddock monthly event with Full Throttle (Facebook Link) which is always a good day, and they've used a picture of my car as the Facebook cover photo which is nice!

Just last weekend was the Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club Extravaganza at Glamis Castle which I attended with Club Lotus. It was a fantastic weekend with great weather (mostly!) and an amazing selection of cars. We had over 30 Lotus cars on the stand, and I think over 1500 vehicles were on display in total. The Emira got a lot of attention, the vast majority positive, but quite a few people pointing at, and some even poking at, the paint bubbling on my passenger door which wasn't ideal. I even overheard one person saying "imagine paying all that money for a car and that's what you get". Not ideal for the brand awareness!

Photo courtesy of John Walsh at Club Lotus NE Scotland

Unfortunately since the ABS/ESC error isn't fixed I don't feel confident in driving the car long distance so it will have to stay at home while I head down to Goodwood for the Festival of Speed. I'll be sure to discuss that fact with the people on the Lotus stand!

For shorter distances or spirited drives in the local area though, even with these issues, I still don't think there's much better out there than the Emira.

 

[scoates]

So that's my car a year old now, still loving driving it, and we've FINALLY nearly sorted all the problems!

The car was in with Lotus Glasgow over the last week or so where they carried out all the recalls and the first year service. There were several issues to be checked, some have been resolved, albeit potentially temporarily (bit of trim keeps popping out), and some I'm not sure if they saw the issue I'm seeing (rattle from the gearstick in 6th at 70mph and moderate throttle, said it was normal and all Emiras do it, I'm not convinced), but I'm pleased they checked nonetheless.

The ABS fault has been traced to a faulty ABS sensor and not the software issue they were telling me after all. They stated there was no code saved when they checked last time (a month after the issue started, hence thinking software) but now there is, despite nothing changing in the errors seen or the driving experience. Got the car booked back in in Jan to get this sorted hopefully once and for all.

The car is currently at the bodyshop getting the door replaced as well, so hopefully once it is done and the ABS is sorted then all will be good!

...other than the A/C which doesn't seem to be working, but when checked at the dealer they said it blew 12ºC and 14 is the threshold for issues. Of course it will blow under 14 when the ambient temperature outside is around 4ºC! Will need to get it looked at again in Summer...

Of course none of this affects the actual driving experience which I still love. Every time I get in the car it feels special and the feedback from the steering and the sounds and engagement through the gearbox reminds me every time I made a good choice in the car despite all the faults.

 

[Nova]

Thanks for the update! I'm glad to see that they are replacing the doors. I'm thinking there must have been a defect in the production process that caused the material to be porous. Lets hope they match the paint *perfectly*.

 

[scoates]

Update from the body shop, when they were taking off the old door there was apparently about an inch of water sitting inside it as the seals had failed. These are not normally replaced during the door replacement, and are also on back order. No estimate on when it will be completed...

 

[scoates]

Been a while since I updated my thread, and not a lot happened since last time but what has happened is generally not positive...

One positive thing that has happened, that I think I've posted about elsewhere, is the passenger door was replaced successfully and the paint blended extremely well so you can't tell the door has been replaced. The reflections and metallic flake under different lights all seem perfect which was my main worry.

Now onto the negative things...

ABS/ESC is STILL not fixed, that'll be 1 year as of next weekend. It went to the dealer beginning of the year and the ABS sensor in front left wheel was replaced but it didn't fix the issue. What they did see when they replaced it was the wheel bearing/hub or whatever it is called where it sits was EXTREMELY rusty, definitely not what you would expect in a 1yr old car, and so the next stage is replacing that. The part has been on order since with no ETA and no guarantee it will fix the problem.

Paint is bubbling on the driver's door now, filling me with confidence for the rest of the body panels!

Getting crazy amounts of condensation in the car, once to the point there were physical water droplets on the inside of the windscreen, a couple dripping onto the dash. The only other time I've seen similar was when my GR Yaris chassis plugs failed and there was about an inch of water sitting in the passenger side under the carpet. Not seen any leaks or water collecting inside and the dealer reassured me it is normal, but I'm not convinced it is. Also condensation on the chassis rails under the carpet in the door sill. Pic taken after a 45min drive on a dry day. Anyone else noticed more condensation than expected?

Another minor thing is a rattle coming from the gear linkage most audible around 70mph in 6th gear, if I accelerate it rattles then if I push the stick further into the gate it stops, then starts again when I let go. Dealer said it is normal, I'm not convinced on that one either...

The continued issues are definitely starting to sour the ownership experience. I've been trying to be positive and enjoy the car as much as possible but beginning to struggle... Conversely I got my GT86 out of storage after 9 months or so, and it instantly put a smile on my face, and after charging the battery, has ran flawlessly. It is 9 years old and had zero issues. It is the car that, in my opinion, is the closest driving experience to a Lotus I have seen and having nearly 7/10ths of the driving experience of the Emira at less than a quarter of the cost has me beginning to question whether the Emira is the long term keeper I hoped it would be...

 

[Raskits]

Planning to daily mine. Post like this makes me want to cancel it and look somewhere else...thanks for the update!

 

[Shahaf2911]

Been a while since I updated my thread, and not a lot happened since last time but what has happened is generally not positive...

One positive thing that has happened, that I think I've posted about elsewhere, is the passenger door was replaced successfully and the paint blended extremely well so you can't tell the door has been replaced. The reflections and metallic flake under different lights all seem perfect which was my main worry.

Now onto the negative things...

ABS/ESC is STILL not fixed, that'll be 1 year as of next weekend. It went to the dealer beginning of the year and the ABS sensor in front left wheel was replaced but it didn't fix the issue. What they did see when they replaced it was the wheel bearing/hub or whatever it is called where it sits was EXTREMELY rusty, definitely not what you would expect in a 1yr old car, and so the next stage is replacing that. The part has been on order since with no ETA and no guarantee it will fix the problem.

Paint is bubbling on the driver's door now, filling me with confidence for the rest of the body panels!

Getting crazy amounts of condensation in the car, once to the point there were physical water droplets on the inside of the windscreen, a couple dripping onto the dash. The only other time I've seen similar was when my GR Yaris chassis plugs failed and there was about an inch of water sitting in the passenger side under the carpet. Not seen any leaks or water collecting inside and the dealer reassured me it is normal, but I'm not convinced it is. Also condensation on the chassis rails under the carpet in the door sill. Pic taken after a 45min drive on a dry day. Anyone else noticed more condensation than expected?


View attachment 40370

Another minor thing is a rattle coming from the gear linkage most audible around 70mph in 6th gear, if I accelerate it rattles then if I push the stick further into the gate it stops, then starts again when I let go. Dealer said it is normal, I'm not convinced on that one either...

The continued issues are definitely starting to sour the ownership experience. I've been trying to be positive and enjoy the car as much as possible but beginning to struggle... Conversely I got my GT86 out of storage after 9 months or so, and it instantly put a smile on my face, and after charging the battery, has ran flawlessly. It is 9 years old and had zero issues. It is the car that, in my opinion, is the closest driving experience to a Lotus I have seen and having nearly 7/10ths of the driving experience of the Emira at less than a quarter of the cost has me beginning to question whether the Emira is the long term keeper I hoped it would be...

Sorry to hear about your experience and hope everything gets resolved.
In regards to the gearshift rattle I remember reading somewhere recently on the forum of 2 owners with the same issue, one of them advised the other to ask the dealer to adjust or tighten the exposed linkage which resolved his rattling (the other owner hasn’t updated on the matter since), hope it helps.

 

[Go Kart]

I’m wondering if the collection of water in the door contributed to the paint blisters, and whether others with paint blistering should check their doors for standing water…

The composite material is reportedly known to hold in moisture, so it would make sense to me that any unpainted surface on the interior of the door could essentially soak up moisture coming from standing water inside the door… maybe evaporation/humidity leading to absorption at the top part of the doo panels where the heated moisture would probably end up. Then the car sweats it out on the painted side causing blisters

We need Bill Nye to weigh in here…

 

[Peeltone]

Sorry to hear your continued troubles Scoates and good they managed to get the door fixed up.

I checked my car on chassis and also under the seat where the chassis is visible when you move the seat forward, no water droplets or condensation. My car is outside but its inside an air chamber so not directly exposed but not heated either, I haven't noticed any condensation inside at all when I have been away in it overnight and its been out in rain, for example, no internal condensation when I was in Scotland last week it was outside for a week and it was raining a fair bit.

My guess is that you might have a seal that's not quite right I had something similar on my R8 when I swapped my battery and didn't notice one of the windows hadn't reset, went off for a week came back and the car was full of condensation, dripping on inside of windscreen etc and it then caused a few electrical funnies until it dried out. I also had a leaky body seal on my R8 a few years ago and ended up stripping the passenger side trim and putting blue roll down to spot where it was coming in. I knew it was that side as the parking sensor controller is under the passenger seat and it kept killing it with water getting into the well that held the controller which was the lowest point. Frankly the Audi dealer were absolutely shit at finding it as well and had told me they had fixed it.....

If you are only getting condensation on one side mainly then that might show where the seal isn't working on the door for example some blue roll and lay it in the car under where the windows close at the roof and side of body and the footwells see if it catches any drips from water ingress when you put a hose on it gently or over a couple of days, you might have drips coming in. Might be worth also getting a small dehumidifier and shoving that in to dry it out?

Hope you get to the bottom of it but from my experience leaving the car out they don't get full on condensation in the inside. If the dealer is confident they do then I would go and ask to look into one of their cars parked outside to see if they are the same.

 

[Porter]

I’m wondering if the collection of water in the door contributed to the paint blisters, and whether others with paint blistering should check their doors for standing water…

The composite material is reportedly known to hold in moisture, so it would make sense to me that any unpainted surface on the interior of the door could essentially soak up moisture coming from standing water inside the door… maybe evaporation/humidity leading to absorption at the top part of the doo panels where the heated moisture would probably end up. Then the car sweats it out on the painted side causing blisters

We need Bill Nye to weigh in here…

I don't understand how these are collecting water in the door at all. Don't they have drain holes?

 

[Go Kart]

I don't understand how these are collecting water in the door at all. Don't they have drain holes?

Good question… all car doors should. The only time I’ve heard of water being collected inside a body panel was if a drain hole is clogged with debris… mainly leaves from parking outside.

@scoates can you snap a pic of the underside of your door and search for a drain hole for us?

Also, I recently read that some owners have the “whistling window” issue that is probably caused by a window that does not roll up all the way, so doesn’t seal at the top like was mentioned above. I watched a video where the guy said he only realized the window did not seal all the way when he was sitting inside and someone was pressure washing the car. He was unexpectedly splashed with water when they passed by.

Do you park it outside the majority of the time? Looks like it from your pics? The whistling window would cause condensation with a car that lives outside and is PROBABLY having water ingress imo. Even a small amount of moisture present in the car would cause this. Getting in a car in below freezing Utah winters without turning the car on will fog up the glass in less than a minute just from my breath… condensation (water droplets) will form on the interior windows shortly after.

The inside of your car will be warmer than the outside in almost all scenarios, so when you get in on chilly days and add body heat (or turn on the heater) it would get much, much worse. The same can be seen on an ice cold Coca Cola sitting out on a hot summer day… condensation… just from the tiny bit of moisture in the air.

You have water penetration somewhere in your cabin. Even if it’s a tiny bit. Look for a bad seal, and start with your windows not rolling up all the way.

Edit:
Just thought of another thing. If the rubber seals on the bottom of your window are/were bad, the water that collected on the inside of the door could also have caused the condensation on the inside of the car through the bad seal there. The car door itself would basically act like a humidifier with a reservoir, and the bad seal at the base of the window would allow the humid air to enter the cabin

 

[scoates]

If you are only getting condensation on one side mainly then that might show where the seal isn't working

Interestingly the side that had the condensation that day is the same side as the door with the new bubbling, and with the body shop finding loads of water inside the other door due to a failed seal, it could be something to do with this! Could be the window seal where it meets the upper roof frame bit that's letting it in, but could be getting into the door down through the window seal and collecting inside which then leads to the bubbling! Would be a neat explanation for both issues...

Edit:
Just thought of another thing. If the rubber seals on the bottom of your window are/were bad, the water that collected on the inside of the door could also have caused the condensation on the inside of the car through the bad seal there. The car door itself would basically act like a humidifier with a reservoir, and the bad seal at the base of the window would allow the humid air to enter the cabin

My thoughts exactly! More investigation needed...

 

[scoates]

@scoates can you snap a pic of the underside of your door and search for a drain hole for us?

Also, I recently read that some owners have the “whistling window” issue that is probably caused by a window that does not roll up all the way, so doesn’t seal at the top like was mentioned above. I watched a video where the guy said he only realized the window did not seal all the way when he was sitting inside and someone was pressure washing the car. He was unexpectedly splashed with water when they passed by.

Do you park it outside the majority of the time? Looks like it from your pics? The whistling window would cause condensation with a car that lives outside and is PROBABLY having water ingress imo. Even a small amount of moisture present in the car would cause this. Getting in a car in below freezing Utah winters without turning the car on will fog up the glass in less than a minute just from my breath… condensation (water droplets) will form on the interior windows shortly after.

I'll try and look for a drain hole, but not today, it's pissing it down and don't want more water inside

Not had any whistling from the windows so hopefully the seal from the door to the roof is good. I do keep the car outside so I think water must be getting in somehow.

 

[Blackthought_]

When I had my Evora GT one day I woke up and there was condensation on the inside windshield. Puzzled I open the door and found my carpet soaked. I Turns out the my passenger side window seal had a small leak due to a “cheater seal” shifting out of place. I tested this with recreating the leak with a garden house and confirmed it was the window seal. It was replaced by the dealer and it went away.