newbie question - water through louvers

[hepkat63]

HI All,

probably a stupid newbie question - but , whilst I am awaiting the arrival of my 'new' lotus..... I have been trying to do as much research as I can.  One the the PO told me via email is that you should not leave the car parked in the rain, and if you do, try to park it up hill.  When I asked why, he said water can go through the louvers and into the engine bay.    Given that I have just got out of my 911 Porsche, this was something that happened all the time and no big deal what-so-ever.    So, what is the difference on the Lotus?  I am assuming that the water has no where to go.   (on my Porsche, I - like 99% of other 911 owners, removed the bottom engine tray, so water just runs out the bottom on to the road).

[Bibs]

Keeping the car nose high, also when cleaning, is good practice as most water drains backwards on the car but the louvres have a small lip so you'd be very unlucky to have water ingress in the engine bay and it's not really a problem if it does. Water can pool in the spark plug wells but it's easy to soak out or will steam off soon enough, was never an issue on either of my Esprits.

[gregs24]

Never had a problem in either of my Elise's. I think even Lotus can design a car that is safe to be left in the rain !

Not so sure about door window seals mind - parking facing uphill in torrential rain would result in drips into the car - facing downhill the drips collect in the seal and drain away.

 

My wife always referred to the Elise as camping compared to the Evora as a hotel. S1 was camping in a very old tent.

 

[hepkat63]

8 hours ago, Bibs said:

Keeping the car nose high, also when cleaning, is good practice as most water drains backwards on the car but the louvres have a small lip so you'd be very unlucky to have water ingress in the engine bay and it's not really a problem if it does. Water can pool in the spark plug wells but it's easy to soak out or will steam off soon enough, was never an issue on either of my Esprits.

Interesting.  Ok, granted we probably don't get as much rain in Oz as you do in the UK, however - when it does rain here, it usually buckets down.  I read somewhere else that some G car owners have had their car out in the pouring rain and experiences 'mis firing' when water has come through and sat in the spark plug holes.   Seems to be a bit of a design flaw there and given that this was some 30 years ago, I am amazed that some smart owner hasn't worked out a way around this?  I did see somewhere (again, googling) where there was an option on the UK version (huh?) where there was a deflector of sorts built into the engine cover to prevent the water dripping on the spark plug holes?

[Andyww]

When I owned my first Turbo Esprit I used commute in it. I didnt have any other car and so it was driven and parked in Central London almost every day and I also didnt have a garage so it was parked outside 24/7 including once being almost entirely covered in snow.

Never had this problem. In fact I didnt ever have any "failure to proceed" at all.

The Europa I had before that, did have a problem though. If it had been parked in the rain and the engine cover was covered in water, the first time of heavy braking, the whole lot would cascade forwards and go down through the gap near the hinges and fill up the plug well such that the plugs were entirely under water and the car would stop! I fixed this with a deflector strip.

On a related note the first Ferrari 308s had a problem when any standing water on the targa top would run forwards under braking and pour into the drivers lap, such that it looked like the driver had wet himself. This was the subject of a factory recall and an 8-hour per car modification.

[molemot]

The second day of ownership of my 82 Turbo, I got out the hose and gave it a damned good wash. Then took the newly acquired pride and joy out for a run...and learned that there is nothing quite like a Lotus for turning one from Joe Cool to Joe C**t in nothing flat. Bugger would  NOT "pull" at all...fits and starts (or even stits and farts!) was all I got....opening the throttle produced gasping and naff all acceleration. She'd idle fine....but trying to proceed was very dicey. By now I was on the South Circular Road, near my place in Kew. I pulled off into a side road and investigated...the gap between the cam towers had filled with water and, as soon as there was any demand for real power, all the sparks went to ground and nothing much happened inside the cylinders!!

Thats how I learned to always carry a good tough black rubbish sack...and put it over the engine cover, sandwiched between that and the louvres, before washing or heavy rain.....but don't forget to TAKE IT OFF AGAIN!! ... and be careful getting it out, too, unless you want soggy trousers and/or feet.

[andydclements]

On my S3 somebody had altered the hatch and engine cover, giving it ways for water ingress and then a tray to catch said water and direct it onto the plugs.Not a problem too often, it would normally run well enough to heat up and boil it away but on one occasion I left work, turned right and the water rushed across the car, onto the plugs, had to wait for recovery truck to get me home, then leave it for a day or two to dry out. 

[hepkat63]

wow, great stories guys - thank you !    So, we go from someone never having an issue, to various problems !  I really like the carry a rubbish bag idea !   I like the altered hatch idea even better.  Do you have any pictures please Andy?  This seems like a better solution in the long run.

Question ( and probably stupid) - how far could you get if the engine was covered up (i.e the hole in the engine cover, covered over)?  Would it over heat - or is there enough air underneath?

[hepkat63]

So, I had an email from SJ's and they say that on the (turbo anyway), there is supposed to be an aluminium plate about five by seven inches integrated into the mesh grille that sits above the spark plugs to prevent water spilling down there.  I have only had my car for a few weeks - and it's the middle of summer, so no rain.  However, I have washed it twice and each time there is a pile of water goes through to the engine, and yes - the spark plug wells are full of water.  No big deal to 'sponge' out - but can see how it could easily turn into something crappy on the side of the road in a downpour.   

Might be time to get the modification hat on me thinks and do the mesh - as I don't thing that part is available.

[Mesprit87]

I now put a plastic bag over the engine when I wash the car, in my case it's about the only time anything gets wet.

 

[Andyww]

This is what the plate looks like.

 

[hepkat63]

2 hours ago, Andyww said:

This is what the plate looks like.

 

thanks Andy - doesn't look to hard to fabricate up.  Would it be four inches by 7 inches by the look of it?  Is it bent at one end?

[Andyww]

Here you go:

 

[hepkat63]

you're a star !  thanks Andy

[molemot]

Mine came with something similar. Didn't work.....(!) Although that one looks more likely to function....may have a try at making something that DOES work, once I get to putting the beast back together again....

[Steven162]

That's the heat shield over the turbo, nothing to do with water dripping onto the engine

[molemot]

Steven....just as I had previously assumed. Never seemed to do any good as a water repellant device!!

[Steven162]

On 3/17/2016 at 17:37, Steven162 said:

That's the heat shield over the turbo, nothing to do with water dripping onto the engine

Actually I think I was wrong, its not over the turbo, I just assumed it was. It probably is to deflect water, doesn't look very effective though 

[Andyww]

Its often said that the trouble with Lotus cars is the fact their owners are always slagging them off. This thread illustrates this perfectly.

This shield was quite obviously designed to cure the exact issue mentioned here and it is perfectly designed and works fine. Its located exactly above the plug well and covers the entire area of the well which is below the vent. Its angles towards the back so that any water entering through the vent runs down between the turbo heat shield and the turbo instead of going into the well. Lotus designers are actually quite clever despite what the owners sometimes think. 

If water is getting into the plug well then either this shield is missing or someone has made something up and got it wrong.