Watch Out for Aftermarket Sensors

 Aftermarket sensor are not always assured to work.  We have an Elise in here that was not running properly.  The client sent the car to two different shops including a Lotus Dealer and was unable to get it sorted.  

We got the car and after checking the usual components, Jorge noticed that the Oil Pressure sensor on the VVL looked a bit different.  Upon closer inspection, you can see the orifices are different sizes.  We installed a factory sensor and the car started to behave as expected!

Aftermarket on the left

Oil Pressure Sensors Are NOT Interchangeable!

 We discovered an oil pressure issue on a 2ZZGE-equipped Elise.  It turns out, there are two interchangeable sensors on the engine that will allow the car to start and run.  In other words, they can be screwed in and plugged into harness in either position!  But if they are switched, the car will throw a code when revved into the second cam.  

Other than being different colors and having different numbers printed on the sensors, both oil pressure sensors visually display very similar characteristics and use the same style electrical connection.  

They are boxed in red above

The black Pressure Switch sensor is supposed to be installed in the head and the gray Sending Unit goes into the oil filter housing.  

We found the Toyota part #s as well.  Se below:

Clam Alignment Trick

 Body fitment can be a challenge on a Lotus but there are some tricks you can use to help when you refit your front clam.  This picture shows an easy what to align the clam as you are shimming and tightening it down.  Simply apply the tape and draw lines across it BEFORE you remove the clam.  

Jorge came up with this nifty idea...

Evora GT Clutch, Flywheel & Delay Valve Replacement

 The Evora GT is an amazing sportscar that has true supercar potential.  We've successfully tuned one to 500hp and enhanced it's brakes and handling.  The feel and sound of this car is still quite thrilling and dramatically better than most modern sportscars on offer.  The Evora has one issue that should be considered before purchasing one - it's clutch.  If you are considering one of these cars, make sure to have the clutch operation inspected by someone who knows these cars.

We received an Evora GT from a new owner who bought the car from the East Coast.  Upon delivery, he noticed the clutch did not operate the way he expected.  He immediately sent it to us and we confirmed that the clutch needed replacement.

A clutch replacement is an engine out job which requires a rear clam removal.  We got to work...  

The clutch and flywheel both showed hot spots that caused the performance issues.  

We replaced the parts with factory parts but one key part we replaced was the Clutch Delay Valve with our Evora Clutch Line (Delete Pipe).  We Blogged about this previously: HERE.  

We believe the factory delay valve may have caused the previous owner to slip the clutch in response to the delay they were feeling when driving.  Or they were simply dumping the clutch and doing drag strip launches.  

This is much easier on a GT with the engine out but can still be done on cars with an engine still installed.

We installed our ESWkit as well to smooth out the shifting of the car.

Oil Cooler Delete - Highly Recommended

 Lotus fit two oil coolers to the 2005 Elise.  Oil Temp testing by the community revealed that we have an over cooling problem with our cars.  These cars have significantly more oil capacity thanks to the twin coolers and associated piping.  We firmly believe cold oil is contributing the cam wear that many have experienced.  

Lotus deleted one of the coolers starting in 2006 - unless you have a Sport or Track Pack equipped car.  They used a hard line pipe in place of the oil cooler (as shown above) on the passenger side of the car.  We have been purchasing these lines to delete the extra cooling in our own cars - including our 111RS.

The OE part is no longer available so we decided to create our own using some parts that we have used in other oiling solutions that we offer.  So we stole some bits from our ULTRAliteLINES and HOTplate to create our own oil cooler delete pipe.  We are installing this onto a good clients car.

We now have enough experience to recommend deleting one cooler on all street-only cars and most track cars.  As a result. we will create a part for sale based on this first article soon.

2024 Year End Summary & 2025 Projections!

 Another year has come to a close and I am grateful that we are still kickin' asphalt!  Purchasing a building in Temecula assures that we can continue to support this community for decades to come.  We introduced some new parts, completed several car builds, enhanced our services and either hosted, sponsored or attended dozens of events.  It has been a productive and fun year!

Parts

Tuning advancements were one of our biggest accomplishments in 2024.  We were the first to tune an EvoraGT to 500hp using the stock ECU.  Brent@Xclusive has made significant steps on both Evora and Elise/Exige ECUs.  Our CARB plans were delayed as the building purchase demanded money that we had saved - City Code compliance is an expensive investment!  We are excited to say that this partnership with Xclusive will continue to bear fruit as Brent plans to move out West in 2025!  

Our Nitron 46mm Singles - S111 Spec was a great hit for us.  This suspension has been on our 111RS for a couple of years and has performed well on the dozens of canyon runs, track days and road trips that I have taken.  Our batTRAY product is working out great for clients who want to run full sized batteries.  Our TEMPkit and OILPTkit are two solutions designed to integrate with the AiM MX2E and provide needed info.  

We redesigned and reintroduced the much requested V2subFIX2.  We've redesigned our baffled fuel tank with no moving parts (see above image).  Our 111tank is the right way to fix fuel starvation as it requires no modifications to your existing fuel system.  Our DW65c Fuel Pump is a natural upgrade to install at the same time.

We have also been looking for lower cost solutions.  We introduced a lower cost fix for the factory oil lines with our oilLINEfittings.  Plus we have a new supplier for 1 piece brake rotors that are a great low cost alternative to OE.  Our new 111Rcoil is an excellent value - we've been running it in our 111RS all year long.

Emira parts were added to our offering now that the cars are on the roads.  We have a CAI, Muffler, Decat, Nitrons, Wheels and Springs!  Now that the AMG-engined cars are being delivered, we hope to see even more excitement.

Service
We serviced over 125 cars which is a 25% increase over last year.  Our goal is to become the best performance shop in the Temecula Valley area for driver's cars.  We've added an additional lift and our own AC Machine which allowed us to develop a comprehensive diag service.  Clients from around the country continue to send us their cars.  We're humbled by their willingness to send us their cars.  Every car that comes here gets our TLC - and thankfully we stock so many of the parts needed to upgrade them quickly.  Though if I am honest, servicing old cars can sometimes be a real challenge!

Our new building has been key to our increased abilities and efficiency.  With a fully fenced in yard, with space for a 40ft container, we have the room to add the tools and equipment to properly service our clients cars.

Car Builds

We completed three 111RS builds this year and a Drakan (almost two)!  Refreshing the 111 platform is a key goal of ours.  Giving worn out Lotus a new lease on life is what our 111RS program is accomplishing.  These cars have been amazing and the tribute 111RS (see above) that we built to honor a fallen Navy Seal was especially heart-warming for us.

Drakan #9 was completed and shipped to her new owner in FL.  This was a new color combo that we had not done in the previous 8 cars.  It looked really fantastic in those colors and with the aero kit.  Did I mention it remains one of the most ferocious yet driveable car I've ever driven?  Clearly I am biased!  We plan to build 5 more in 2025 - supply chain headaches be damned!

An Electrogenic EV conversion was also a big accomplishment for our team this year when we completed a '66 Jag XKE.  We have another Series 3 car and a Defender 90 that we will be completing in early 2025.  They introduced a Miata and classic Mini kits that I look forward to installing soon - anyone interested?

Events

This was an EPIC year!  I had the chance to meet and drive with many of you around the country.  The highlight had to be the trip I took from Lotus of Detroit to the Lotus vs the Dragon event in TN.  Wow!  It was one of the best road trips I have EVER taken and will be lodged firmly in my grey matter forever.  I also attended LOG43 and WCLM which were wonderful events.  These events require so much planning and effort - kudos to all who slave away so that we can have so much fun.  

Hanging out with like-minded enthusiasts is something I truly enjoy.  I love the thrill of driving these cars but the comraderie that comes from these events is a close second!  I had the true priviledge of spending time with so many of you this year!

We hosted several events including our Grand Opening and 2econd Saturdays events at our shop this year.  This monthly gathering has been fun as we change up the format each month.

The Tech Seminar with Nitron was a treat for us tech geeks as Guy Evans took us all through the basics (and then some) of suspensions.  We hosted several artist exhibitions at these events in partnership with my other company Brand Assassins.  

Other

I have started many businesses since 2000, many of which launced on the coat tails of an existing business I had.  Sector111 started from Filter Market.  Drakan Cars came from Sector111.  Other companies, including Rev111 or KappaSphere were ultimately sold while others shut down.  Sector111 has been repositioned as a Lotus focused parts brand.  

InoKinetic continues to spawn other companies, including Brand Assassins and my wife's venture, Stacy Sorts.  Stacy has been pivotal to our success and longevity.  She start a professional organizing business a few years ago and it has found it's legs in 2024.  Stacy Sorts grew by 25% and continues to thrive with Stacy more energized than ever before.  She has found her calling and I could not be more proud of her!

We have been fairly active with new Youtube videos, IG and FB posts along with Forums.  Though I prefer to hang out and talk in person, I know that these other methods of interacting are critical.

2025 Projections 

I have a great team that I know will continue to provide premium parts and service to you.  Our Core Values: Integrity, Quality, Communication, Resuts and Persistance drive us to serve all of you.  We have plenty more new parts, car builds and events that we plan to commercialize, host or support in 2025.

Emira is high on our list for some TLC.  I think an AMG-engined Emira will make it's way into our garage for tuning.  It seems to the right choice for track use and Brent has already cracked the AMG engine ECU so we feel we have a good shot at it.  He is already working on the V6 engine car's ECU as well.  This will be first.

Alfa 4C parts and service are high on our list for the new year.  Jorge is one our techs that is Alfa/Maserati/Ferrari/Fiat Dealer trained.  He knows the 4C so we need to promote our capabilities!  

The other car that is going to get some attention is the C8 Vette.  This car impressed after a weekend of driving Nitron's Stingray.  We plan to invest some resources into these cars to provide support to the thousands of cars that are on the roads in SoCal!

The 111 platform will, no doubt, get more love.  We now have the space to scale-up our Lotus Boneyard effort.  These cars remain at our core and always will.  We believe that cars like them will not be seen, new, again.  I'm committed to help keep these cars on the roads/tracks for as long as I am alive.

Your support and enthusiasm keeps us pumped and glad to be working on things we love.  Thanks to all of you.  Never hesitate to reach out with your questions, comments and suggestions!  Have a great New Year!

sonicFURY Fitment on S3 Elise with 2ZR engine

 A client of ours from the Eurozone, David F., installed our sonicFURY DE, in his S3 Elise with the 2ZR engine.  It fits!  Needless to say, we are stoked..and so is he!

Fuel Cell Are A Consummable!

 We're servicing a race Elise and noticed a strong smell of fuel.  Turns out the car had a fuel cell and it was leaking.  

This particular tank was made way back in 2009!  Generally they will have a 5 year life so inspect yours.

This client wisely chose to have us install one of our baffled 111tanks so this would no longer be a headache.  We also upgraded his stock pump to our DW65c Fuel Pump.

Of couse, his car was missing some key bits but we were able to source the parts and plumb up our tank so it would be effective and safe.

HVAC Cavity Drain Holes

In the last year, we have seen a few Elise/Exige cars with drain holes that were either not drilled or not fully drilled out.  We would encourage you to inspect your car to confirm that the holes were drilled correctly.  Your fan blower is in jeopordy of failing if this is not done.

What?

The S2 Elise and Exige should have drain holes drilled into the chassis.  This was a Dealer installed Technical Service Bulletin 2007/01 issued by Lotus Cars.  The TSB is posted at the end of this Blog post.

Why?

These holes allow water to drain from the HVAC cavity.  If water is allowed to collect in this space, the electronics for the blower will begin to corrode and then fail.

How?

At the front of your chassis you can inspect to see if these holes are present.  Take a 6mm rod and see if it will go all the way into the cavity.  If not, you can drill it yourself with a 6mm drill bit.  Note the 10mm limiter suggested by the TSB below.