To all S2 Exige owners - does your roof leak?

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:50 pm

Cisco - will give that a try the next dry weekend we get. Thanks!

Andy, I think I'm better sticking with the warranty route or Lotus/MMC will just claim it's my fault if I ask someone else to look at it. Might give them a call for some advice though in case they've seen it before as you say. Cheers.

Right, it's another phonecall to Neil Turner at Lotus tomorrow. No more mr. nice Dezzy!

r055 · Post by **r055** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:14 pm

looks like its the 'heritage' thats causing the problem Dezzy.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/01/28/abg-first-drive-hitting-the-road-in-the-tesla-roadster/ wrote: One other area were the Roadster demonstrates its Lotus heritage is the top sealing. When it started to rain, there was a drip from the top of the driver's side A-pillar. The lightweight, easily-installable hardtop should do better in this respect.

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:48 pm

I wouldn't go down the car cover route. You can't put them on if the car's wet (unless you get a v expensive one - fat chance you'll get that gratis from MMC!) or if dirty. Even if you keep your car clean - grit & dirt will get under the cover and will turn the cover to sandpaper on your nice shiny paint

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:38 pm

dezzy wrote: Andy, I think I'm better sticking with the warranty route or Lotus/MMC will just claim it's my fault if I ask someone else to look at it. Might give them a call for some advice though in case they've seen it before as you say. Cheers.

With you mate - just thought that one of the chaps might actually have a solution that works! Better than arsing about with the clueless crowd

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:55 pm

Hand the keys back in. It's not like your buying a soft top car - the exige isn't a convertabile it's a fixed head coupe. Just because they decided to manufacture the car in such a way that it can be removed doesn't exclude them from making sure it seals.

Can you imagine BMW or even Renault trying to sell a car with a leaking roof???

Mac (rant over)

RDH · Post by **RDH** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:00 pm

mac wrote:Hand the keys back in. It's not like your buying a soft top car - the exige isn't a convertabile it's a fixed head coupe. Just because they decided to manufacture the car in such a way that it can be removed doesn't exclude them from making sure it seals.

Can you imagine BMW or even Renault trying to sell a car with a leaking roof???

Mac (rant over)

Undoubtedly too late to hand the keys back - just because it's got a wee leak - doesn't mean its' not fit for purpose! That and the fact he's put several thousand miles on it!

Good luck Dezzy!

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:24 pm

It's a fixed head coupe car that leaks when it shouldn't.

The thousands and thousands of miles that Dezzy has put on the car is just a testimony to how easy going and amicable Mr Shanks really is

bertieduff · Post by **bertieduff** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:45 pm

If you spend that sort of money on any new purchase it's not too much to expect it to work properly.

(Ok, I know that generally doesn't apply to Loti, but it's the priciple of the thing

)

haggis catcher · Post by **haggis catcher** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:29 pm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/354070.htm

Titanium S1 111S (gla) · Post by **Titanium S1 111S (gla)** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:08 pm

Sounds to me like a fantastic problem to have.

Its called a depreciation buster.

Hand it back, get all your money back and buy another one. 8 or 9 months less depreciation / stone chips / thrashing.

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:22 pm

Well, the problem has been there from the very start, so it's definitely not too late. I've just been continuing to put miles on it since I first identified the problem, about 2 days after picking the car up.

It's been to MMC several times, had all the seals replaced, lining ripped out, and now has a new roof. If you ask me, that's definitely not fit for purpose. I think I've been very understanding with it so far, as Mac says!

Been chatting to one of the field engineers at Lotus who is flying up from Hethel to MMC tomorrow just to look at my car as he thinks he knows what it might be (although why did he not say that when he first looked at it??). You don't get engineers flying up for personal service with a BMW do you?! Although you don't generally get leaking roofs with them!

So, hopefully it'll be sorted tomorrow. But if it's not, I'm definitely pursuing the hand it back option. It's not fit for purpose and they've been trying to fix it for 5 months. I don't see how they can argue otherwise, regardless of the mileage on the car (just about 5000 now, although about 1000 of that is probably trips to and from MMC!!)

D

Titanium S1 111S (gla) · Post by **Titanium S1 111S (gla)** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:32 pm

I donâ€™t think they have much of an argument. I am dealing with a case just now which involves a £238K Bentley Azure which has been handed back with a few minor problems.

You are on pretty strong grounds legally and the mileage is irrelevant.

ExigeKen · Post by **ExigeKen** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:13 pm

dezzy wrote:Well, the problem has been there from the very start, so it's definitely not too late. I've just been continuing to put miles on it since I first identified the problem, about 2 days after picking the car up.

It's been to MMC several times, had all the seals replaced, lining ripped out, and now has a new roof. If you ask me, that's definitely not fit for purpose. I think I've been very understanding with it so far, as Mac says!

Been chatting to one of the field engineers at Lotus who is flying up from Hethel to MMC tomorrow just to look at my car as he thinks he knows what it might be (although why did he not say that when he first looked at it??). You don't get engineers flying up for personal service with a BMW do you?! Although you don't generally get leaking roofs with them!

So, hopefully it'll be sorted tomorrow. But if it's not, I'm definitely pursuing the hand it back option. It's not fit for purpose and they've been trying to fix it for 5 months. I don't see how they can argue otherwise, regardless of the mileage on the car (just about 5000 now, although about 1000 of that is probably trips to and from MMC!!)

D

I hope that they sort it for you Derek

RDH · Post by **RDH** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:11 am

Titanium S1 111S (gla) wrote:I donâ€™t think they have much of an argument. I am dealing with a case just now which involves a £238K Bentley Azure which has been handed back with a few minor problems.

You are on pretty strong grounds legally and the mileage is irrelevant.

Good to know!

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 8:43 am

Well, the Lotus field engineer was up on Wednesday and so far . . . no leaks! Woohoo!

It's something to do with the way the lining material is attached at the edge of the roof. He takes a rubber bit at the edge of the roof off, cuts the lining back a bit or something like that, re-seals it, then puts it back together. I get the impression it's a known fault but Lotus just won't admit it, but at least it's sorted now! No need to hand car back!

Cheers,
D