nigelh

Was any reason given in the TSB for the change? The Evora belts will be different due to the power steering, but it would certainly be interesting if they were changed on the Exige due to belt slip problems.

I updated the firmware on my INE-W990BT just after I got the car and don't remember it causing any problems. I think it did loose some settings, but nothing that couldn't be reconfigured easily enough through the UI. It takes a little while for the update to run, so don't start it when you're planning to go out somewhere. I've since replaced mine with a Pioneer head unit, and it's sitting in a box at home. Was fully functioning when I took it out a couple of months ago, and would be happy to sell it at the going rate if a firmware update doesn't fix your problem (ebay probably a good place to find the going rate?). Also worth mentioning that the main harness plug for the INE-W990BT looks to be identical to the IVA-W505R I took out of my previous N/A, so they should be a good candidate for an easy upgrade on the earlier cars.

This might not be relevant (I never had any problems with the belt on my N/A Evora), but thought it might be worth flagging up as it might be related to the change in service schedule. I've had ongoing problems with the aircon stopping working on my 400 due to tripping the 'belt slip' error code in the ECU. It's been looked at a number of times under warranty, and one of the things Lotus instructed the dealer to do was replace the S belt. This was done in May, but the problem resurfaced before the end of the year. I've just picked up the car from another attempt to fix the problem by, you guessed it - replacing the belt. The only difference this time is that they have switched belt design to one of the gatorback style belts (see attached). Not sure if this design is being used for all belt replacements now, or they are just trying it out.

It had a Pioneer SPH-DA120 when I traded it in, and the photos would suggest it's still in there. Gearbox choice will always be subjective, and largely dependant on your use. For me, the long box plays up to the Evora's comfortable GT credentials - 5th & 6th will only be used on a motorway cruise, whereas the close ratio plays more to the sports car side of it's character.

The phone mount I referred to is the Elise-shop bracket that you can then fix an actual mount to (Brodit in my case). It works well in an S1 Evora, but not suitable for a 400. Not sure why I can't edit my earlier post to fix the broken youtube link, but the video was just meant to demonstrate that the phone connects quickly over wifi when the head unit starts:

When I had my N/A Evora I swapped the original Alpine IVA-W505R head unit for a Pioneer SPH-DA120. I thought the Pioneer was a big step up from the Alpine, but with some limitations. Before I get into them - I've had both Apple & Android phones over the years and my current preference is an iphone, so let's avoid discussions about which of those is best eh? Carplay worked great, but a bit of a pain to have to plug the phone in for short journeys The SPH-DA120 didn't support android auto, so problematic if I switched phone platform. (Sounds like the newer SPH-DA230DAB resolves this issue) The SPH-DA120 doesn't have an in-built satnav - it's what makes it cheap. Not a problem if you can run satnav on the phone I prefer satnav apps with offline maps. Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze etc are fine, but I want something that works even when I don't have internet access At the time, 3rd party nav apps were not allowed be either carplay or android auto, which creates problems for point 4. This lead to me installing one of Yvos phone mounts and running the satnav on the phone, next to the big screen that was relegated to a media player When I swapped the N/A for a 400 it came with the OE Alpine INE-W990BT. This worked reasonable well, and whilst the satnav could be a little sluggish at times it was miles better that the old INE-W505R, so I've kept it for the last year or so. After a Euro trip this August I decided I wanted something a bit more up to date and after giving serious consideration to the Alpine INE-W710D (the latest offering from Lotus), I opted for the Pioneer AVIC-Z910DAB - mainly for the combination of wireless carplay plus in-built satnav. Pluses: Capacitive touchscreen that's bigger than the INE-W990BT and SPH-DA120 - same size as the INE-W710D Supports carplay & android auto Carplay now supports 3rd party nav apps Wireless connection Has an inbuilt satnav. Don't plan to use it, but useful if the phone stops working Negatives: Harness needs splicing to the Lotus short ICE harness Microphone & GPS antenna fittings are different Surround needs a little fettling for the head unit to fit Even after fettling, the surround it a tight fit - means I probably can't use the head unit CD player or SD card slot Expensive - maybe next year there'll be more head units with capacitive screen, satnav and wireless carplay, but not much choice at the moment. So, with help from this thread, this thread, and my previous experience with the SPH-DA120, I chopped & soldered the harnesses: I decided that I'd prefer to retain the existing microphone and GPS antenna if possible, so ordered a some adapters. The GPS antenna was not a problem, even though I could only find one in the US. The mic was surprisingly problematic - I tried at least 4 different adapter combinations before I found something that worked. GPS Antenna Adapter Microphone adapter I also order one of these - the INE-W990BT has a trailing lead for the antenna, but the AVIC-Z910DAB doesn't. I pulled on the antenna lead to see if I could make it reach, but it didn't want to move much, so just got the short extension instead. The results work pretty well. The phone connects very quickly at startup, so for short journeys I can leave my phone in my pocket whilst still having music/satnav driven by the phone. For longer journeys I'll still plug the phone in to keep it charged. Demo of wireless connection: Youtube Also worth mentioning - the plug from the INE-W990BT looks the same as the IVA-W505R, so should be a straightforward swap for earlier Evoras. Expect to see mine in the classifieds soon

The rear brace bar is certainly not a definitive fix for the creaking seats. Mine already had the rear brace bar, but I continued to have problems pretty much every time I went round a corner and my weight shifted in the seat. The car was/is still under warranty, and each time it went back the dealer spoke to Lotus who gave them a new set of instructions on how to try to fix it. It took 7 months and at least 3 attempts, but eventually after they stripped & rebuilt the seat it stopped creaking. Been ok for 8 months now, so hopefully won't come back.

Thanks Peter. There was no recurrence on my return journey, so will clean the sensor contacts and keep an eye on it for now.

I had this recently - twice on the same trip across Belgium. 2nd time I was on a motorway, so couldn't stop straight away and after a while it developed a hesitancy on throttle as though it were running mega rich. There was never any sign of it running hot before the fans and blue temp light came on and it booted me out of cruise control. I stopped and reset the codes and the car was fine straight away. Did your sensor replacement fix things permanently?

@PaulCP - I was wondering if it'd be possible to use the boot lid to trap the side / rear edges of a cover, but probably not. Any photos of your distorted door seal? - PM if you prefer. The velcro talk had me confused - there isn't any on the Elemental for the S1 Elise. It hooks into the holes in the buttresses used for the long tail soft top with a third point over the radio antenna. If fitting on top of the soft top, the same fittings just wrap over the tails of the roof.

Didn't seem much enthusiasm for this sort of thing when I enquired on a the playground thread. The A pillar and boot are areas I've had issues with (to varying degrees), so would want both covering. Under the wiper and round the mirrors works fine at the front on the Elise so don't see why similar couldn't be done for the Evora. Covering the boot would probably be more tricky. The full covers are just too much for an everyday car. P.S. I really think 'the playground' thing is really childish, regardless of how/why it started.

Well, if you insist on parking next to the bins.... 🤣

The 400 is still on the website at the mo, but as they're trying to drive the prices up and the GT410 can be specced as a 400 with 'touring pack' and 2+2 it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 400 disappear.

Yep. Only noticed this on long motorway runs on a recent Euro trip. Off motorway, it's easy to hide with the volume pedal.

Seems pretty common for garages not familiar with the Evora to try to adjust the handbrake with the rear brake shoe adjuster rather than the cable adjuster. A garage did it to my N/A when I let them replace the discs and pads while it was in for an MOT. Didn't take long for me to notice as the handbrake pads cooked up quite a stink as I was driving it home.