John Martin

Hi Jim.... I drive an S3. I'm 5'9". My warning lights are on the bottom, so I can see them nicely, but I cannot see the top portion of the tach or the volts and fuel without bobbing my head a bit....

Hi Chris My fans did not turn on with AC, but did turn on at temp. I re-seated the old fan relay and it worked, then just decided it was time for a new one, no problems since. It might have just been a little corrosion at the connection, but I feel good with the new part....

Thanks Steve....whats the name/website of your company? It is the heal pads that are the most worn, but I think the whole floor mat is in order. Thanks, John

Did you find the relay? In my 1985 S3 RHD, it is the most outboard one in front of the windscreen fluid container. I just replaced the original 1984 Wherle with a 40 amp Hella. Try to get your fans running by jumping the two Otter switch wires. John

I cannot seem to find any new floor mats. Does anyone have a source, preferably in the US? Otherwise I'll take mine to the upholstery shop to have some made. Thanks, John

Thanks.....10th char is F....so model year(MY) 85. I'll check the front brakes in the near future... John

Thanks....I got the aerial switch figured out...it works! My car, 1985 RHD S3 N/A the relay is up near the left headlight. I replaced with a new Hella 40Amp. John

I've seen some parts referenced with "prior to 85 MY". How do I tell if my "new" 1985 Lotus Esprit S3 is "prior" or "1985 MY onwards"? Thanks, John

Update...I found the fan relay (a vintage 1984 Wehrle from West Germany) and just re-seated it and seems to work as it should now. I think I'll replace it though with a nice new Hella relay.

Thanks for the feedback....I ordered the hot climate switch and thermostat. John

....I finally found the fan relay...buried below the windshield fluid reservoir. I'll check it out... Still, what about the diode, and cooler thermostat? Also considering the cooler Otter switch. Thanks

OK....I've been digging around in my car (1985 Esprit S3). To summarize, all three fans kick in with the temp sensor, but they do not turn on when the AC is switched on. Actually, it is intermittent, every now and then the fans kick in with the AC... According to the Lotus Esprit Service Notes, page 457, the AC compressor relay should be under the dash below the steering wheel (RHD). No relay there, just some biggish box (wiper delay, I think), and some mystery switch, which is difficult to trace to where it goes, and doen't do anything noticeable. . Also, according to the wiring diagram that came with the car, there should be a double contact relay that gets power from either the ACU or the temperature sensor switch (this is the Otter switch, right?). Basically, I cannot find this double contact relay. Could it be in the binnacle, where the AC control is? I hope not because this panel seems difficult to get off without serious disassembly... I'm not an electrician, but looking at the schematic, could the diode between the ACU control and the double contact relay be intermittent or failed? Also, I live in Phoenix, AZ, very hot...should I put the cooler thermostat in? Thanks, I've only had this car for a week, love it, but just a couple little bugs. RelayLocation.bmp

What is normal operation of the three fans when the AC is turned on? I would expect the fan behind the condenser fans to come on when the AC is turned on. It does not come on and I get the Fan Fail light until the coolant gets hot enough then all three fans come on and the Fan Fail light extinguishes. 1985 Esprit N/A