Lotus Eleven/Elise/Exige. Manual - part 21

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 24

The door latch mechanism is fitted inside the rear face of the door, which is reinforced by a steel plate

bonded to the glass fibre composite door shell.  The latch engages with a striker pin which passes through the
composite sill/'B' post moulding, into a captive nut on the roll over bar.  An external locking door release button
is mounted via a reinforcing plate, in the top rear of the door outer shell, and transmits its motion around the
rear edge of the door glass to the latch mechanism via two short link rods and a relay lever.

The interior release handle is mounted in the front of the door inner shell, and is connected to the latch

mechanism by a control rod.  No interior control of door locking is provided.

Interior Release Handle
-

Remove the window winder handle and door trim panel.

-

Remove the four screws securing the interior handle assembly and unclip the control rod end clip to allow
the rod to be unhooked from the handle.

-

On refitting, ensure that the control rod is located in the guide clips.

Exterior Release Button
-

Remove the access disc from the rear

face of the door, and the rod access grommet
lower down.
-

Release the two screws securing the lock

assembly and angle bracket to the tapping
plate bonded in the door shell.
-

Unclip the link rod from the relay lever,

and withdraw the lock button from the door.

Trim panel

Door shell

Release
handle

Rod guide clips

      b260a

Exterior release
button fixings
(use Permabond A130
A912E7033V)

Control rod access

             b255b

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 25

Latch Mechanism
-

Remove the window winder handle and door trim panel.

-

Unclip the control rod from the interior release handle, and unhook from the latch mechanism.

-

Unclip and disconnect the short link rod between the relay lever and the latch mechanism.

-

Remove the three M6 screws securing the latch mechanism to the door, and withdraw the latch.

Relay Lever Mechanism

The relay lever components comprise a

shaft with an integral lever on one end, which
connects to the exterior lock button, and a
second lever pinned to the other end, which
connects to the latch mechanism.  The shaft
is supprted in two fibre bushes housed on the
bracket connecting the rear end of the door
beam to the door shell. To remove the door
beam extension bracket complete with relay
lever mechanism:
-

Remove the window winder handle and

door trim panel.
-

Release the three M6 nuts securing the

door glass to the lift channel, and separate
the glass from the channel.  Do not attempt to
withdraw the glass from the door without first
removing the door glass waist seals.
-

Remove the access grommet from the rear face of the door, and unclip the exterior lock link rod from the
relay lever.  Similarly disconnect the link rod between the relay lever and the latch mechanism.

-

Support the door shell before removing the two M8 bolts fixing the rear end of the door beam to the end
bracket, and the two screws securing the bracket to the door shell.  Remove the bracket complete with
relay lever assembly from the door.

-

Refit the bracket in reverse order to removal.

Control rod to latch

Rod to

exterior

button

Plain & spring
washers

Pivot bush

Relay lever/shaft

             b256

Viewed through outer door skin

Plate bonded
inside
door shell

Control rod to
interior handle

Control rod
to relay lever

Rear

        b261

Outboard

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 26

BR.15 - CENTRAL DOOR LOCKING 

(Parts List 10.17)

On cars so equipped, the central door locking (CDL) operates on the driver’s and passenger’s doors in

conjunction with the Cobra 8185/8186 security alarm system.  For full details of the alarm system, see sub-
section MP.1.

To lock the car, remove the ignition key, close both doors and check that the engine cover and front body

access panels are secure.  Arm the security alarm in the usual way by pressing once, for a full second, the
larger of the two buttons on the transmitter key.  This action will both arm the alarm and electrically lock the
driver’s and passenger’s doors.

If it is desired to lock the doors from inside the vehicle, for example to deter highjack attempts, a CDL

rocker switch is provided on the front of the gear lever shroud which should be pressed to the right to lock both
doors with or without the ignition switched on.  Alternatively, the doors can be locked individually by depressing
the button at the rear end of each door sill.  Note that whichever locking method is used,  the doors will be
‘deadlocked’ such that the interior door release handles are inoperative.

To unlock the doors, press once, for a full second, the larger button on the transmitter key.  The alarm will

be disarmed and both doors unlocked.  Alternatively, from inside the car, press to the left the rocker switch on
the gear lever shroud to unlock both doors, or raise the sill button on each door.  Note that in the event of a
vehicle collision which causes the safety inertia switch to be tripped, the doors will automatically be unlocked.

Notes:
-

In the event of a flat vehicle battery, the central door locking will not operate.  The doors can be unlocked
only after opening the boot lid and restoring power to the battery by substitution, re-charging or ‘jumping’ to
a second battery.

-

To lock the car with a flat or disconnected battery, use the mechanical key in each exterior door button to
disconnect each release button from the latch.  This technique does not 'deadlock' the interior release
handles, but does allow continued key access to the car until restoration of battery power.

-

To deadlock the car with a flat vehicle bat-
tery, or without the use of the transmitter
or mechanical key, close and lock one door
using the sill button, and for the second
door, hold the exterior release button
pressed in and depress the sill button be-
fore closing the door.  Access is now avail-
able only on restoration of electrical power.

Door Locking Actuator

A CDL actuator is screw fixed to the door

shell below the latch mechanism, and uses a
link rod which passes through the rearmost
(shortest lever length) hole on the latch lever,
before continuing upwards to the door sill but-
ton.  The latch mechanism within the door is
protected from tamper attempts by a plastic
security shield fixed with screws through the
door shut face.  To remove an actuator, re-
move the door trim panel, security shield, re-
lease the two actuator fixing screws, unhook
the actuator from the link rod and disconnect
the harness.

Refit in reverse order to removal, noting

that no adjustment is required.

Door sill button

          b338

CDL
actuator

Rearmost
hole

         

        

Lotus Service Notes                                  Section BR

Page 27

BR.16 - INSTRUMENT BINNACLE & DASH PANEL 

(Parts List 14.10, 14.05, 14.05b)

The dash panel comprises interlinking alloy extrusions which join the chassis scuttle beam to the  base of

the windscreen pillars, and also provide a mounting for the fascia top trip panel.  The lowermost extrusion,
which incorporates a curved shelf, is keyed into a slot in the scuttle beam and is secured by rivets at each end
to the beam.  On non-airbag cars, two interlinking extrusions are joined by self tapping screws to form the top
part of the dash panel, which is divided into two sections by the steering column.  This upper dash is used to
house the face level vents and audio set.  On airbag cars, the two upper extrusions are combined into a single
extrusion, which profile and function is similar to non-airbag cars, and which bridges the steering column area
and includes an aperture through which the passenger airbag is deployed.

The upper extrusion(s) slots behind the top edge of the lower dash, and is secured at each end by two

screws to threaded inserts in the base of the windscreen pillars.  Additional location is provided by rivets
securing the speaker or door sill trim panel mounting brackets.

On non-airbag cars, a skinned foam fascia top panel, trimmed with suede material, joins the top of the

dash to the base of the windscreen and incorporates the demist ducting and four windscreen outlet vents, with
a moulded plastic capping panel around the front of the fascia top and surrounding the vents.  At each end of
the fascia, a moulded plastic panel joins the fascia to the door sill finisher, and is used to mount the front
speakers and lighting switches.

On airbag cars, the untrimmed skinned foam panel incorporates the ducting to the six fixed demist outlet

vents, and also houses the front speakers.  The face level vent outlets are housed in the moulded plastic
panels joining the fascia to the door sill finishers and in a central moulding also housing the audio set.

For access to the climate controls, or electrical components mounted on top of the chassis scuttle beam,

the fascia top panel must be removed.

To Remove Fascia Top Panel - non airbag cars
1.

Remove the steering column upper and
lower shrouds:
- Remove the four screws securing the
shroud upper section.
- Pull out the grommet from around the
ignition switch and remove the three
screws securing the lower
shroud to the column.
- Disconnect the trip reset button from
the lower shroud.

     Column upper shroud

Lower shroud
mounting
bracket

Column lower
shroud

           b258a