Scottish Elises

Not sure if this is an issue or not, I'd appreciate your comments. 6 month old 111R, I seem to have always suffered from rattles from the (rear) suspension when going over minor bumps at low (30 ish) speeds. No noises when going over larger bumps at higher speeds. I'm used to S1 suspension (ie. snooker ball impact noise from the dampers) but one of the reasons I went for the 111R was the quietness of the suspension in comparison. Nothing appears to be loose underneath, is this a common trait ?. Don't want another long trip to MMC unless I can avoid it.

Cheers

My 111R is defintely quieter in the suspension dept than my original S1. Don't have any of the clunks you describe. Mind you since I fitted the stage2 exhaust, I haven't header very much...

Does it make a kind of strange pinging noise? My S2 does this when its really hot... apparently it's fine as long as the nosie isn't there when its cold.

The noise is just a "loose rattle" as you go over ripples in the road surface (even driving over a series of painted lines in a car park). Potholes/drains don't produce the same noise. It could be as simple as the brake pads but I doubt it. I'll just need to give it a good going over to make sure nothing's loose. Thought maybe the dampers could have been rattling internally when they're not compressed by much, ie. over small bumps ?.

111Robin

Sounds like you have the same problem as me. Little bumps create a rattle, large bumps dont. Roof off - cant hear any of them. Mind you I just read something about disc covers and that could well be it as it sounds like something light and metalic is rattling rather than big suspension bits.

Find a road that makes this happen all the time, then drive along it with the handbrake on (well not too tight, obviously) and see if it stops. Release handbrake and drive along again, this time with left foot applying some pressure to brake pedal.

If it doesn't stop in either case, it's nothing to do with the brakes, probably

If it stops with the handbrake but not the foot brake then it's the handbrake cable or load balancer (undertray off, try again - if noise goes away now, the cable was banging on the undertray - if it doesn't then cable is banging on the floor of the car).

If it stops with the handbrake and footbrake it's the rear brakes rattling in the calipers - this is very unlikely.

If it stops with the footbrake but not the handbrake it's the front brakes rattling in the calipers - quite likely, except you think noise is coming from rear.

Cheers,
Robin

Took the car to MMC, needs 4 new dampers. Seems to have happened a few times due to faulty batch from Bilstein.

111Robin wrote:Took the car to MMC, needs 4 new dampers. Seems to have happened a few times due to faulty batch from Bilstein.

Hmmmmmm....

Well, if they are putting 4 new dampers on the car for nowt - great. We'll see if it fixes the problem though.....

Mine rattles on large-ish potholes and it sounds like a losse washer or undertray bolt (Which it isn't) It did it before and after my upgrade to S2 suspention. Checked everything I can see, now I live with it...

I'm 100% confident that it's the dampers, it's not a "rattle" that you would get with something loose hitting the undertray, it's coincident with each wheel as you go over any small irregularity on the road surface (even as small as painted lines). No issues with larger "holes" it's only when the suspension is lightly compressed. Also diagnosed by MMC after several circuits around the estate and having previously removed the undertray to check for cables etc. rattling against it. I also have an S1 so I know all about suspension noises and this isn't a "normal" noise.

111Robin wrote:I also have an S1

2 Robins, both own an S1 and an S2 (ok so one's an Exige), weird

It's like a disease, just can't get rid of it (the S1), in many ways I prefer it to the S2 anyway so I guess it'll continue to occupy valuable garage space!!

Robin

Despite MMC diagnosing faulty dampers causing the rattling (backed up by the fact that they have replaced S2 dampers under warranty for the same reason), they called to say that the Lotus engineer would not agree to the warranty work as "TADTS". Well excuse me, he hasn't even seen the car let alone tested it so how does he even know what's wrong with it ? (he will be at MMC on the 9th but I can't make it down from ABZ in the middle of the week). So, if TADTS, then surely he can explain exactly what is rattling and why it is an inherent feature of the suspension design ?. I must reiterate, I know it's an Elise, not a Porsche/BMW, and it will rattle/squeak etc. and I fully accept this. However, this rattle isn't what I'd call run of the mill, even for an Elise. So it looks as though I've been fobbed off. If anyone else has an S2 with standard suspension, in the ABZ area, let me know as I would be interested to compare with mine to see if TADTS is the case or not.

Cheers

Robin

Lotus engineer phoned after I sent a whinging email to customer services. He reckons it's the damper valving making the noise and there are no cures. To fully satisfy myself, anyone around ABZ with a 111R with standard suspension care to give me a comparison to see if mine makes the same noise ?

Robin,

I'm around this weekend if you want to do a comparison. My suspension was 'checked' recently, and my recent west coast blatt highlighted nothing unusual.

Send me a PM.

Phil