[Brake Light switch problem?]

I've had my Exige S for a couple of weeks now and I have to say it's brilliant in almost every way  

As with all Loti however, there's always something to do / get fixed...

My wife (who followed me home when I picked it up) noticed that the brake lights didn't come on much. Much as I'd like to say that's because I didn't need to brake very often, it was actually rush hour traffic - lots of stop/start, queues etc.

Got home and tested them - it seems they don't come on for the first inch or so of pedal travel - and they only work when I reach the 'firm' bit of the pedal.

I've asked a couple of V6 owners I know and it seems theirs may be similar - but to me this is a safety thing, with idiots looking at their phones in traffic etc the last thing I want is some pillock driving into the back of me because my brake lights didn't wake him/her from their smartphone slumber.....

Silverstone fitted a new brake light switch before I picked it up, and to be fair they've told me to take it back for them to look at.  But as they are a good hour away, I'm just trying to get a feel for whether this issue is normal or not (if it is, I'm not impressed!).

So - what's the consensus......to me it needs fixing, but if it's a TADTS thing.....

[Now in the club...]

Congrats - stunning in Matt black.  I know the "new car feeling" very well at the moment - happy days!

[Lotus Number 4...]

11 hours ago, French Frie said:

Great ! Now, take it to the proper roads, and you’ll be in love forever  :

 

Stunning scenery - I see you and your passenger have matching blue scarves....!     I intend to do a European trip in the car at some point.

[Lotus Number 4...]

Another day, another photo...

Had a fantastic blast in it yesterday, what a car....

Thanks for all the positive comments - makes it feel even more special 

 

[Lotus Number 4...]

3 hours ago, 21gg said:

Very nice mate!

Cheers Gav - I trust you and the mighty GTE are keeping well..?

[Exige picture & video thread]

Great thread - endless Exige pics....

Here are a few of my recently acquired Roadster.

More here:

 

[Lotus Number 4...]

Here's a couple of the interior - I've always been a fan of red leather with grey, black or silver.  When I saw this car advertised in this colour combination and spec I knew I was on a slippery slope....

[Battery Conditioner - Wiring question]

Thanks - yes that's the one I have (it's a Tamiya style connector inside the rubber boot).

[Lotus Number 4...]

Cheers for the comments....I must confess I didn't take the photos in my original post - but I did take these on my phone the other day - slightly less inspiring backgrounds (and the quintessential litter bin shot!)..

[BC Forged Wheels]

Stunning.  Looking forward to seeing them fitted.

[Battery Conditioner - Wiring question]

Thanks, good to know

Does anyone connect theirs to the 'Auxillary" / jump terminals in the front compartment?

[Lotus Number 4...]

After owning 3 Elise S1s over the last 17 years, I took the plunge recently and sold my beloved Elise Sport 160 (gulp!) in favour of an Exige S Roadster.

Two test drives about a month ago at Silverstone sealed it - thanks Aimee and Matthew for putting up with my overly-thorough tendencies - I decided I prefer the clean lines and slightly softer ride of the Roadster to the Coupe, and I'm not ready to give up my roof-off motoring for an Evora just yet.. 

I picked it up about 10 days ago, and although I haven't put many miles on it yet, it's clear that it's a big step up in terms of performance, quality and creature comforts.   I'll miss the S160 - it was a special and iconic car for sure - but hey ho, we all know when the time is right to move on I guess.

It's Carbon Grey, with the contrasting Venom Red interior.  It was actually one of the Lotus press cars originally when launched, and just the second Roadster off the line, so has benefitted from a decent spec (Premium and Convenience packs, Air Con, Heated Seats, Rear parking sensors, and also the Two-part performance disks) and being a demo, mechanically it been kept tip-top and has wanted for nothing according to the chaps at Hethel I spoke to at length (as part of that thoroughness thing I mentioned......!).

Looking forward to sharing my experiences (and experience, eventually) with the Exige V6 owners on here..

Here are a few photos - I'll add some more in the near future when the sun is shining 

[Battery Conditioner - Wiring question]

I've had my V6 for all of 10 days now and already I'm planning my first (very) minor mod....

I have a Ctek battery conditioner, which has served me very well over the years.   On my Elise S1 I made a charging lead that was permanently attached to the battery terminals, so I could hook up the Ctek really easily.

On the V6, I was all ready to remove the battery in the boot and do the same - but them I remembered the 'auxiliary' battery terminals in the front compartment.    Is there any reason I can't simply attach my charging lead to these (permanently) rather than attach them directly to the battery?    The power socket I use in my garage for the Ctek is directly opposite the bottom of the windscreen - so ideal for this, rather than at the back of the car...

To be clear, my charging lead has ring terminals on the battery end, and a Tamiya-style connector on the other (inside a waterproof rubber cover).

Also, the manual says to wait 30 minutes with ignition off before disconnecting the battery - I presume if I do this, with the alarm disarmed, it won't send the alarm crazy when I disconnect the first terminal.....?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[AIB Insurance, Markerstudy Underwriter and Defaqto ratings / Reviews]

Thanks for all the help with this.  I've decided to go with AIB, the quote was the best by far and the cover suits my needs perfectly.   I can't say I'm particularly worried about claiming and the process around it right now, and speaking to a few people it seems that AIB would step in if there were any difficulties with the underwriter anyway.

[Alarm / Immobiliser question]

Thanks for all the replies.  

So put simply, storing it at my Dad's it's likely there will be say a week with the battery conditioner turned off, then 1 day with it switched on.  

So I can assume that with a fully charged battery, leaving the car either locked, alarmed, and immobilised, or unlocked and immobilised, won't drain the battery and cause the alarm to start going off?

[AIB Insurance, Markerstudy Underwriter and Defaqto ratings / Reviews]

Thanks Bibs, that would be really helpful.   I'm probably being overly cautious about it to be honest.

[AIB Insurance, Markerstudy Underwriter and Defaqto ratings / Reviews]

Thanks,  my experiences of AIB have been very positive so far - very professional, responsive to emails and phone calls, and of course a great price.

My concern lies with the underwriter, Markerstudy, as the only reviews I can find online are dreadful.  This is of course from people who have had to claim, and clearly there are always more poor reviews online than good ones, but even so it isn't a good sign.

I suspect there are lots of owners on here who are insured with AIB, probably underwritten by Markerstudy, who are none the wiser, as they haven't needed to claim.

What would be useful to know is whether, in the event of a claim, all dealings are with AIB rather than dealing with Markerstudy directly.    If the former, then perhaps it isn't something I should be concerned about..

[Alarm / Immobiliser question]

4 minutes ago, Kristof Thys said:

IIRC I got them from here: http://vsic.lotuscars.com/

 

Thanks that's great.  So there are 22 sections for the Exige S - do you reckon they could all be downloaded in an hour subscription (or is the bandwidth limited somewhere)? 

[Alarm / Immobiliser question]

1 minute ago, Kristof Thys said:

Oliver,  the doors should automatically lock but only if you unlock the car but don't open any door.  So unlock, wait 2 minutes and they lock again.

If you open and close a door, they don't lock automatically.  Doesn't really make sense, I know 

 

As per the service notes, Section MV, page 4:

 

Alarm Operation
Disarming the Alarm/Unlocking: When approaching the car, it is likely that the vehicle is locked and the alarm armed.  The alarm red tell tale lamp in the speedometer face will flash once every 3 seconds.  
To disarm the alarm and unlock the doors: Press the central, unlock, button on the transmitter key.  - The    first    press    will    unlock    just    the    driver’s    door.        Two    presses in quick succession will unlock both the driver and passenger doors.  This command will be acknowledged by a double flash - of the hazard lamps. The engine will be mobilised (see below).- The interior lamp will fade on, and remain lit for up to 2 - minutes (if set to the 'courtesy' position). The alarm tell tale will be extinguished.- 
If a door is not opened within 2 minutes, the doors will passively re-lock and the alarm system re-arm. 
 

Thanks........are the service notes downloadable?   I have them for my S1, would be great to have them for the Exige...

[AIB Insurance, Markerstudy Underwriter and Defaqto ratings / Reviews]

Just now, internets said:

Really....and that's on a Exige S? Assume your not bothered with track events then?

How much are we talking about as my renewal will be coming up soon and not tried AIB for a while!

Yes - £329.  No track cover.   £400 excess, garaged, agreed value, choice of repairer.   I'm 46 next week.

[AIB Insurance, Markerstudy Underwriter and Defaqto ratings / Reviews]

3 minutes ago, internets said:

Out of interest what companies have you tried?

Have you tried ClassicLine? I found AIB expensive on my old Evora S plus they won't cover track days but CL allow up to 6 within the UK. From memory I pay around £500 with 5k miles garaged. Guess it will depend on your circumstances though.

Also Henderson Taylor, Competition car insurance and Manning are worth trying.

Thanks, I have tried all of those, plus REIS, 1 Answer, Need to Insure, CCI.  AIB are the cheapest by a good chunk, and with the agreed value looks good, but I'm a little concerned about the reviews of Markerstudy...!

Edit - I should add that Henderson Taylor are second and Matt has been brilliant.

[AIB Insurance, Markerstudy Underwriter and Defaqto ratings / Reviews]

Just now, andydclements said:

Defaqto is designed simply assuming that everybody needs everything, or as much of everything as you can get.

If you need less than 4000 miles / year, or don't need the things that other policies can offer then it may well be the policy for you. Logically, if there was a  Defaqto rating for cars, the Evora would be at the bottom of the list, along with 911 and every other sports car / super car etc.reason being, the don't to lots of mpg, don't have big luggage carrying boots, don't have 7 seats, don't have lots of ground clearance for off-roading.

If this was insurance for a boring daily driver or similar then Defaqto would probably have more meaning, but I think in this case you should check the features meet your needs, check the ratings for service and satisfaction, rather than a generic rating based on the average needs of insurance for an"average" car.

Thanks, that's really helpful.   I've just edited my original post to add a line about online reviews of Markerstudy, and it doesn't look good.    I'd welcome some balance on this, as AIB are the cheapest by some way (with the policy features that I value and need).

[AIB Insurance, Markerstudy Underwriter and Defaqto ratings / Reviews]

I've been getting insurance quotes over the last few days for the Exige, and the best quote I've had so far is with AIB Insurance.  Thumbs up so far then.  

The policy they have proposed is an agreed value policy, with choice of repairer etc and 4,000 miles per year, and a reasonable excess - so ticks all the right boxes.

It's underwritten by Markerstudy.  I decided to have a look at www.defaqto.com to see what their rating is - and it's only two stars!

Can anyone comment on this?   The Defaqto rating seems to be about how the policy features compare to other policies in the marketplace, but I was wondering whether anyone else has noticed this and decided to research it further?  

Plenty of people on here seem to be insured with AIB so I'm hoping someone can assist.

Lots of poor reviews for Markerstudy here too https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.markerstudy.com so I'd really welcome people's views on this.

[Alarm / Immobiliser question]

Thanks, I have a Ctek already so will be using that.   I presume I can wire my charging connector from the Ctek onto the battery terminals (depending on what happens when you disconnect the battery......) ?

It surprises me that the doors lock themselves after closing the doors (after a delay) though...

[Alarm / Immobiliser question]

I'm due to pick up my Exige S soon (look out for the new car thread!) , and have a question about storage.   This may be planning in advance, but next year the car is likely to be stored at my Dad's for a few months while we embark on the joys of having the builders in.

Whenever I've done this with my S1 in the past, I've left it safely in his garage without the alarm activated - so there's only the immobiliser to drain the battery.   Every week or so my Dad would switch on the battery conditioner for a couple of days to top it up.  I don't like leaving it on charge all the time because it's ultimately a fire risk, although I know it's a low risk.

Is there any reason why I can't do the same thing with the Exige?

I presume, like the S1, the immobiliser arms itself a minute or so after you remove the keys (even without locking it), and by locking it you then also automatically set the alarm?

Does anyone know typically how long it takes for the battery to drain, if left with (a) just the immobiliser on (it's about 10 days with my S1), or (b) both alarm and immobiliser?    I suspect nobody has tested this (deliberately, anyway!)...

Any help would be much appreciated.  It's a 2013 plate.