My new S4s has let me down!

[Chillidoggy 4,388]

I was very interested in buying this S4s when it was at Snow's, but got beaten to the draw, thereby inadvertently dodging a bullet.

Stimpy, I owe you a pint.

[Stimpy 14]

Thanks to the positive responses who can actually read - LOL

Just to repeat what I said "Can someone recommend someone/ a garage  in the south east to fix my Esprit so I can start enjoying it again, please?".  It's quite funny here - I'm a member of several car forums (eg mini, stag) and only this one is hostile to people asking quite a simple question just asking for advice which gets totally misread 🙂.  I get it! I'm not as clever technically! LOL 

Thanks - Gibbie - thats very handy I'll check it out

Chillidog - you owe me an entire pub 😄    Seriously though - I won't shock you with the things they did.  And they're a dealer. Just wow.

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Stimpy

[Sparky 2,862]

I take offence to that.  You have done nothing but prevaricate for years. You have asked this same question time and time again and done nothing about it.  Why has the car been at Steve's for so long without a fix?

[Dan E 1,582]

Hostile on here 😂 go try the Mercedes owners club 

[Bibs 11,394]

Steve Williams knows the Esprit inside and out. I'd like to hear the answer to that question too as I'm sure he could replace some liners and swap the head gasket in a matter of some hours, not months. 

What progress has been made in the last 5 years since this thread...

 

[Barrykearley 6,974]

Ok - here it is then - I’ll stick my hand in the air and offer you £9k for the old scrap heap

[Trevsked 771]

Question is, how much are you expecting and prepared to pay to fix it. What’s the mileage? If it’s 60k or more I’d think you’d just as well look at a full engine strip and attend to anything that needs it and that’s probably most things, £8.5-£10k inc labour? There will be a lot of work needed on the suspension without doubt along with the brakes so unless you are happy to part with £18-£20k I’d advise just selling. 

 

Trevor.

[Chillidoggy 4,388]

An update from 2015 - 2020 would be helpful so we can all understand what is going on.

 

[Stimpy 14]

19 hours ago, Sparky said:

I take offence to that.  You have done nothing but prevaricate for years. You have asked this same question time and time again and done nothing about it.  Why has the car been at Steve's for so long without a fix?

How many times have I posted?  Is it real noise I'm making?

As to the second Q I'll send you a message

[Stimpy 14]

It's complicated, personal and involves a family incident

[Barrykearley 6,974]

You need to pull the head off that engine to find out what the problem is. Could just be a simple head gasket that needs changing. Until you do - frankly you are guessing.

budget for a new clutch kit as well - you might as well pull the whole engine out to find out exactly where you are at.

the trouble you will have with any garage is this car will be an utter pain in the ass ramp blocker if you and they are not very careful.

[Nelly 186]

Just read this thread, and gone through the original 14 page thread linked above (which didn't actually take that long, there was an awful lot of filler).

Weirdly, I think I was down at Snow's on the Saturday morning the S4S had just been dropped off - certainly a blue later Esprit.  I reckon it was when Chris was running the Lotus side who Ken took over from, so the car had been at the dealer longer than he had.  It was dirty and needed a damn good valet, and did have an air of being uncared for now I think about it (the rear shelves by the quarter windows had leaves in, god knows why I remember that detail).

As someone who bought an Esprit and spent a lot of money on it since, I feel your pain but I went into mine knowing it was going to need this and know several people in the same boat. You never find out fully until you enter ownership.

Going back to Snow's, they did do a basic repair on my S2 Esprit but other than that I personally (just my opinion) wouldn't let them work on an earlier car - you have to remember they were not a Lotus dealer until recently and have no experience of the older cars, being Lotus trained on anything with a Toyota engine.  Despite living 5 miles from them, I still took my K series Elise to Sportomotive for that reason (and as a bonus they were cheaper).   Obviously it was difficult in that they supplied this car and although I would have insisted they look at it, the above would always  have been in the back of my mind.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do.  I would echo Esprit Engineering or Cos at Sportomotive in Bournemouth if you are willing to come this far.

 

[pete 1,906]

Has the car been off the road all this time

[pete 1,906]

Don't know that you will ever be happy with this car and no one will give you a price to do it so maybe best to cut your losses. Possibly auction on eBay or even Mark at Stocks

[Chillidoggy 4,388]

Stimpy, as an S4s owner, I’m specifically interested in what problems have arisen with your S4s from a technical standpoint. This is because it might help not only me, but other forum members. And TLF has a proud tradition of helping people.

[Stimpy 14]

5 hours ago, Nelly said:

Just read this thread, and gone through the original 14 page thread linked above (which didn't actually take that long, there was an awful lot of filler).

Weirdly, I think I was down at Snow's on the Saturday morning the S4S had just been dropped off - certainly a blue later Esprit.  I reckon it was when Chris was running the Lotus side who Ken took over from, so the car had been at the dealer longer than he had.  It was dirty and needed a damn good valet, and did have an air of being uncared for now I think about it (the rear shelves by the quarter windows had leaves in, god knows why I remember that detail).

As someone who bought an Esprit and spent a lot of money on it since, I feel your pain but I went into mine knowing it was going to need this and know several people in the same boat. You never find out fully until you enter ownership.

Going back to Snow's, they did do a basic repair on my S2 Esprit but other than that I personally (just my opinion) wouldn't let them work on an earlier car - you have to remember they were not a Lotus dealer until recently and have no experience of the older cars, being Lotus trained on anything with a Toyota engine.  Despite living 5 miles from them, I still took my K series Elise to Sportomotive for that reason (and as a bonus they were cheaper).   Obviously it was difficult in that they supplied this car and although I would have insisted they look at it, the above would always  have been in the back of my mind.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do.  I would echo Esprit Engineering or Cos at Sportomotive in Bournemouth if you are willing to come this far.

 

Re - Snows.  It was Ken who sold it to me.

An example of how I was treated.  I told them that the CEL had to be fixed (it was lit during the test drive).  Months later when I grappled behind the dashboard I found that they used a black sticky substance to stick the light bulb to a section away from the CEL 'window'.  I dont know how they've achieved dealership status.

I bought it without a service history.  I was on another planet at the time (a different story).  I should not have bought it but it was the exact same model (colour etc) as an S4S I had some years earlier which was perfect.

 

As per the initial post - I dont want to sell it - I want it fixed - so thank you for your suggestions re: the 2 places you mention

 

 

5 hours ago, pete said:

Has the car been off the road all this time

Its been off the road for about 2 years.  I took it to SW - then got it back - but it broke down on the way home.  So it went back,   To be honest I tend to forget the timing of this sorry story

[Stimpy 14]

9 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

You need to pull the head off that engine to find out what the problem is. Could just be a simple head gasket that needs changing. Until you do - frankly you are guessing.

budget for a new clutch kit as well - you might as well pull the whole engine out to find out exactly where you are at.

the trouble you will have with any garage is this car will be an utter pain in the ass ramp blocker if you and they are not very careful.

So far its been diagnosed as having coolant in one of the pots.

I've been told its either a H gasket or a split cylinder.

I will want a new clutch as part of the work as the current one slips during boost

[Barrykearley 6,974]

Unless you filled that car with stone cold water whilst it was glowing red - it’s more likely to be a head gasket failure. Given the age of your ownership and the extended off road before your ownership- it’s very possible it has been previously fitted with an incorrect gasket on previous remedial works. You need that head off.

[Nelly 186]

Appreciate Ken sold you the car, just relaying my memory and sure the car was already at the dealer when Ken started there - not that that is any excuse for anything bad which happened.

To reinforce my recommendations, Cos at Sportomotive and Dave at Esprit Engineering used to run the garage at what was Haydon Lotus in Salisbury who were Lotus dealer for this area when the S4S would have been new.  They know Esprits.

 

[Bibs 11,394]

8 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

Unless you filled that car with stone cold water whilst it was glowing red

They did that, it' a fairly standard engine test and the Esprit engine passed. The engine is bench run at max RPM for a sustained period of time and the coolant then immediately replaced with almost frozen water. The engine must complete the test fully intact and continue working and it did and that's what was happening in this quite well known picture.

[Barrykearley 6,974]

Yup - seen that - hence my post. 
 

Id love to know what’s actually wrong with this car.

[cweeden 176]

Well, @Barrykearley if you offer to open it up you could find out, everyone knows you're not very busy. 😇

[Barrykearley 6,974]

My next hen shed which is almost finished commissions on 10 August - other than a few odds and sods I do actually have space in my diary to do something.

[Stimpy 14]

On 05/07/2020 at 23:20, Nelly said:

Appreciate Ken sold you the car, just relaying my memory and sure the car was already at the dealer when Ken started there - not that that is any excuse for anything bad which happened.

To reinforce my recommendations, Cos at Sportomotive and Dave at Esprit Engineering used to run the garage at what was Haydon Lotus in Salisbury who were Lotus dealer for this area when the S4S would have been new.  They know Esprits.

 

I've written them down!  Thanks

[Stimpy 14]

On 06/07/2020 at 07:20, Barrykearley said:

Yup - seen that - hence my post. 
 

Id love to know what’s actually wrong with this car.

When I had it last it would work but if you floored it , it would turn into a tractor just as the boost came in.  Drive with a gentle foot and it was ok

However the coolant needed constant topping up and when the temp dial got into the hot zone the fans would come on sometimes but not always.  That always used to frighten me - why did the fans come on every so often and not in time with the dial?  The t/stat sensor had been replaced for the fan switch.

So I drove it home from SW and it stopped.  SW came out and withdrew the soapy water from the spark plug channels left there after the car was washed!  I managed to drive it back to his garage.

After that SW could start the car but it "wasn't well at all".  Its been so long I cant bloody remember the whole story but thats most of it