Won't start half the time

[Mickeymo]

Hi Brains trust,

My car won't start about 50% of the time. Reading the forums, this seems to be unique to my car, as it's not just on cold start. Perhaps it's because mine is a v6 auto? It seems completely random to me. Here are my observations:

- Not just on cold start. On warm start too after driving a while.
- It's not a spluttery start. When I press the button, all the dashboard lights come on as if it's starting, but then the engine doesn't start.
- Does not appear to related to oil temperature. Can drive for two minutes or twenty minutes. Once I turn it off, and try to turn it back on again, it won't start.
- Happens about half the time I try to start
- It starts after a waiting period of between one minute and five minutes after I attempt to start it. Average wait time is between two and three minutes. Having to wait one or five minutes is a bit more rare, usually it's two to three minutes
- Does not seem to be related to the duration of time since last successful start. Eg starting the car after three days of no driving, or starting the car straight after turning it off.
- Started happening after about 500 kilometres in. I've done about 2000km now.
- Happens when the car is parked at all kinds of different angles, on a hill facing backward or forward, slanting sideways
- Had the spluttering start five to ten times too, though somehow my gut says this isn't related.

Things I've tried with no success:
- Changing fuel from Shell to BP (dealer suggestion)
- Holding ignition for 5 seconds, waiting a ten more seconds and then starting
- Getting out of the car, locking it, entering the car again (dealer suggestion)
- Tried parking it at all kinds of angles

Any ideas?

 

[dgrace]

No ideas on the solution, but I just wanted to commend you on the detail of the bug report and isolation steps, and hope you find an answer soon.

 

[Wonza]

I first reported the cold start issues back in July. It’s December now and no signs of any progress. I’ve paid 1 years finance for the pretty looking lump to sit on my driveway and splutter and break down intermittently. I’ve got another 2 years of free warranty left. I don’t think I'm gonna be a Lotus owner for long. What happens after the warranty ends?

 

[Lotustoronto]

Hi Brains trust,

My car won't start about 50% of the time. Reading the forums, this seems to be unique to my car, as it's not just on cold start. Perhaps it's because mine is a v6 auto? It seems completely random to me. Here are my observations:

- Not just on cold start. On warm start too after driving a while.
- It's not a spluttery start. When I press the button, all the dashboard lights come on as if it's starting, but then the engine doesn't start.
- Does not appear to related to oil temperature. Can drive for two minutes or twenty minutes. Once I turn it off, and try to turn it back on again, it won't start.
- Happens about half the time I try to start
- It starts after a waiting period of between one minute and five minutes after I attempt to start it. Average wait time is between two and three minutes. Having to wait one or five minutes is a bit more rare, usually it's two to three minutes
- Does not seem to be related to the duration of time since last successful start. Eg starting the car after three days of no driving, or starting the car straight after turning it off.
- Started happening after about 500 kilometres in. I've done about 2000km now.
- Happens when the car is parked at all kinds of different angles, on a hill facing backward or forward, slanting sideways
- Had the spluttering start five to ten times too, though somehow my gut says this isn't related.

Things I've tried with no success:
- Changing fuel from Shell to BP (dealer suggestion)
- Holding ignition for 5 seconds, waiting a ten more seconds and then starting
- Getting out of the car, locking it, entering the car again (dealer suggestion)
- Tried parking it at all kinds of angles

Any ideas?

When did you receive your Emira? Have you had any updates from the dealer put on? To me this sounds like a faulty fuel pump / ECU is not giving a command for the fuel pump. Most likely the ECU, IMO.

 

[Mickeymo]

When did you receive your Emira? Have you had any updates from the dealer put on? To me this sounds like a faulty fuel pump / ECU is not giving a command for the fuel pump. Most likely the ECU, IMO.

I received the car at the start of November. The dealer did routine check of everything at 1500km, but didn't add any updates as far as I remember. When they did the check, they said Lotus is aware of the problem and currently developing a fix.

 

[Porter]

Is there any change with firmer brake pressure during the start attempt, versus lighter pressure?

 

[Lotustoronto]

I received the car at the start of November. The dealer did routine check of everything at 1500km, but didn't add any updates as far as I remember. When they did the check, they said Lotus is aware of the problem and currently developing a fix.

Hopefully an update will fix the issue. Seems to be 90% of the problems with most Emira's is the software and how it interacts with the car. Apart from the safety recalls effecting early builds.

 

[BSC]

Is there any change with firmer brake pressure during the start attempt, versus lighter pressure?

This has happened to me once. And i realised that you need to put a firmer brake pressure to start the car. **TRY THIS**

Somehow with/after parking breaks on, the brake pressure seems higher, if there’s any reasons for it?

 

[Mickeymo]

This has happened to me once. And i realised that you need to put a firmer brake pressure to start the car. **TRY THIS**

Somehow with/after parking breaks on, the brake pressure seems higher, if there’s any reasons for it?

Yeah already tried this. Didn't make a difference unfortunately!

 

[Nick in Sydney]

Do you keep the car on a trickle charger when not in use for more than a few days?

 

[Mickeymo]

Do you keep the car on a trickle charger when not in use for more than a few days?

I drive it almost every day! Don't think there's been more than three days in a row that I haven't driven it

 

[Aero]

Next time it does it try to shift the car into neutral while its still 'on', then back to Park and try to start again. Long shot its the neutral safety switch. If helps issue consistently that could be issue rather than random Lotus quirk.

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

I just posted this on the Cold Start Stalling thread, but maybe belongs better here:
"I think it has nothing to do with fuel.
Mine only started doing it after the software update in October.
Dealer said they are expecting a Lotus software update in January .
Sometimes you wait a couple of minutes and it will restart perfectly, other times I had to wait more than 15 minutes, and it is not only on cold start. Totally random, that´s why I believe some programmer screwed up one line in the latest software script.
It never happened to me in the first 8.000 kms or so before the software update. now it´s been 6 or 7 times already and I am in the 11.000 kms.
I hope the find the glitch soon and update the software. It is making me nervous to run the car thinking next time I stop might not restart, so I am not using it much lately."

Bottomline, if it were anything related to mechanical/electrical/fuel, etc issues, why would it happen only after the latest software update in October and never before. This is the situation all the cases that have been reported as I understand, and Lotus is aware and communicated to dealerships that a software update to solve this problem is due in January.

Actually, the only case we know that has managed to have the software reverted to the previous one, (forgot who it was in here) has reported he didn´t have the issue anymore.
I am waiting for the software update instead of reverting to the previous version, because that version had the problem of going into limp mode sometimes, and was corrected in last version.

I guess sometimes with software issues, they fix one problem and create another one, even non related and unintentional.

FYI, my car is V6 Auto manufactured in Feb 23

We´ll wait and see.

 

[Lotustoronto]

I just posted this on the Cold Start Stalling thread, but maybe belongs better here:
"I think it has nothing to do with fuel.
Mine only started doing it after the software update in October.
Dealer said they are expecting a Lotus software update in January .
Sometimes you wait a couple of minutes and it will restart perfectly, other times I had to wait more than 15 minutes, and it is not only on cold start. Totally random, that´s why I believe some programmer screwed up one line in the latest software script.
It never happened to me in the first 8.000 kms or so before the software update. now it´s been 6 or 7 times already and I am in the 11.000 kms.
I hope the find the glitch soon and update the software. It is making me nervous to run the car thinking next time I stop might not restart, so I am not using it much lately."

Bottomline, if it were anything related to mechanical/electrical/fuel, etc issues, why would it happen only after the latest software update in October and never before. This is the situation all the cases that have been reported as I understand, and Lotus is aware and communicated to dealerships that a software update to solve this problem is due in January.

Actually, the only case we know that has managed to have the software reverted to the previous one, (forgot who it was in here) has reported he didn´t have the issue anymore.
I am waiting for the software update instead of reverting to the previous version, because that version had the problem of going into limp mode sometimes, and was corrected in last version.

I guess sometimes with software issues, they fix one problem and create another one, even non related and unintentional.

FYI, my car is V6 Auto manufactured in Feb 23

We´ll wait and see.

I also believe this is software related. Hopefully Lotus programmers find the issue sooooon!

 

[Joel]

Does your car have an aftermarket tracker/immobiliser fitted?

Is the car turning the starter motor and not starting, or is the starter motor not even kicking in?

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

Does your car have an aftermarket tracker/immobiliser fitted?

Is the car turning the starter motor and not starting, or is the starter motor not even kicking in?

No tracker/inmobiliser.
Starter not even kicking in.
First time you press the start button, it does for 2 seconds a sound that I think could be starting like a fuel pump, then you press again the start button and not even that, total silence. After a few minutes, you press start and everything perfect, maybe for a few hours or for a few days, totally random.

 

[Joel]

Sounds similar to an issue I've been having. Originally my tracker/immobiliser was fitted in an "incorrect" location so I was having real difficulty getting the car to start, would take many presses and a good few minutes to get the car started. That got moved and the situation improved, but it still takes me 2-4 times to start the car most times now. You don't have a tracker so that won't be part of your issue though.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Sounds similar to an issue I've been having. Originally my tracker/immobiliser was fitted in an "incorrect" location so I was having real difficulty getting the car to start, would take many presses and a good few minutes to get the car started. That got moved and the situation improved, but it still takes me 2-4 times to start the car most times now. You don't have a tracker so that won't be part of your issue though.

Was your Tracker factory fitted?

 

[Joel]

No, it was fitted by a third party after delivery. I've been having to press start 2/3 times since I got the tracker, then the latest software update made it really bad.

The tracker company sent an engineer who concluded the tracker was in the wrong place, moved it, and I've gone back to the original 2/3 attempts to start. So still not perfect but better than the 20 or so times it had been taking

 

[Andrew P]

I just posted this on the Cold Start Stalling thread, but maybe belongs better here:
"I think it has nothing to do with fuel.
Mine only started doing it after the software update in October.
Dealer said they are expecting a Lotus software update in January .
Sometimes you wait a couple of minutes and it will restart perfectly, other times I had to wait more than 15 minutes, and it is not only on cold start. Totally random, that´s why I believe some programmer screwed up one line in the latest software script.
It never happened to me in the first 8.000 kms or so before the software update. now it´s been 6 or 7 times already and I am in the 11.000 kms.
I hope the find the glitch soon and update the software. It is making me nervous to run the car thinking next time I stop might not restart, so I am not using it much lately."

Bottomline, if it were anything related to mechanical/electrical/fuel, etc issues, why would it happen only after the latest software update in October and never before. This is the situation all the cases that have been reported as I understand, and Lotus is aware and communicated to dealerships that a software update to solve this problem is due in January.

Actually, the only case we know that has managed to have the software reverted to the previous one, (forgot who it was in here) has reported he didn´t have the issue anymore.
I am waiting for the software update instead of reverting to the previous version, because that version had the problem of going into limp mode sometimes, and was corrected in last version.

I guess sometimes with software issues, they fix one problem and create another one, even non related and unintentional.

FYI, my car is V6 Auto manufactured in Feb 23

We´ll wait and see.

It was me. Dec 2022 registered car so presumably Nov build. Still running 100% fine after reverting back to the old software, so that was my issue. It sounds like there are a couple of other types of similar issue out there so not necessarily all the same. However if it started happening after dealer visit / software update then it is same. January for a fix was what I was last quoted