Lotus Elan Central

by **kev356** » Sat 13.10.2007, 18:25

Hello all

My battery has gone flat (not using the car enough) and I am going to get a new battery. I'm a little confused as I've had conflicting advice and the handbook does not seem very clear on this point. Do I get a 027 or 075 spec battery - there's only a slight difference in the height (I think) of the battery between the two?

Thanks

Kevin

by **clemo** » Sat 13.10.2007, 18:33

this may be of little use but..

if you have not tried removing you battery yet the give it a go and take it with you..

the holding bracket is a git to get to..
also use the battery cover to prop bettween the roof and the hood stowage it will make things much easier..

back to my point.
take the battery as even though the dimentions may read correct the footprint of a battery can be different.. i had to take mine back twice and eventually took the original with me..
also some places will take your old duff battery , which means you need not have to take a trip to the tip to despose of it correctly..

all the best

clemo

ps have you thought of buying a conditioner?

by **clemo** » Sat 13.10.2007, 18:35

http://www.lotuselancentral.com/forum/v ... highlight=

batt chat one this section.
along with a clemo kicking..

by **Specky** » Sat 13.10.2007, 18:40

What is the battery spec?

It's that big lead acid thing behind you.... :roll:

I know...

Coat...

taxi...

I'm leaving...

TTFN

by **Specky** » Sat 13.10.2007, 18:45

clemo wrote:the holding bracket is a git to get to..

What bracket... :shock:

Ok... the boy who creid wolf an all that...

any one got a pic...

Infact anyone got one...

TTFN

by **clemo** » Sat 13.10.2007, 18:54

it is a standard vauhall battery mount with 12 or 13mm bolt head. located the seat side of the compartment...
will remove skin in the usual lotus way

by **dapinky** » Sat 13.10.2007, 20:44

Specky wrote:
clemo wrote:the holding bracket is a git to get to..

What bracket...

Ok... the boy who creid wolf an all that...

any one got a pic...

Infact anyone got one...

TTFN

This surprised me as well - mine just sits there under the force of gravity to hold it in place :oops:

by **Specky** » Sat 13.10.2007, 20:51

Like any MOT Station asks where it is, or how to get to it...

TTFN

by **RayD** » Sat 13.10.2007, 21:54

Kevin,

Mine is an HCB 075 Calcium Technology, 9.5” long x 7” wide x 7” high. £70 from Halfords.

Ray

by **clemo** » Sat 13.10.2007, 21:57

I HAVE A bosch silver and it was £35 from a motor factors. had it for 5 years now... and as for the size ...... well ..

by **kev356** » Sat 13.10.2007, 22:01

Thanks for the info....it's just that, I am struggling to remove the battery due to the f***ing holder and the inaccessibility of the battery. You would have thought someone would have thought through how awkward it is to get to the battery what with carpets in the way etc

I have got a battery conditioner, but the battery is so dead that it does not have any effect on it.

Reckon I will otherwise jump start the car and drive it to someone who can change it for me. Any recommendations in West London?

Cheers

by **clemo** » Sat 13.10.2007, 22:05

USE A DOUBLE extention bar on a socket set. as i said i think its a 12 or 13... it will go and yes it is a pain ..

you could alway try changing a headlight in the dark for a real git of a job !!

by **kev356** » Sun 14.10.2007, 15:25

Thanks everyone. I ended up jump starting the car - the hardest thing was having to beg the other half to rev the engine on the other car as I tried to start the Elan. All good news, took the car for a blast along the M4 and have now hooked up the battery to a conditioner. It looks as if it is charging, so fingers crossed! The last time I tried to connect the conditioner, the battery was too dead to be charged from it.

Cheers

Kevin

by **M100 TWO** » Sun 14.10.2007, 18:08

60A heavy duty Type 027

by **clemo** » Sun 14.10.2007, 22:05

i have fears about reving when jump starting.. we have fragile ECU's.
still at least you have it sorted now..

by **GeoffSmith** » Sun 14.10.2007, 22:56

clemo wrote:i have fears about reving when jump starting.. we have fragile ECU's.

You need to, to overcome the losses in the jump leads. Provided it is just a flat battery you are dealing with and not some other problem, the situation is little different to when you rev your own car - alternator output is self limiting and in any case there is a humping great batttery (or two if you're jumping it) to snub out any transients. Problems with fried ECUs, I think, are as a result of overvoltage caused by such as earthing problems or alternators dying and loosing regulation.

by **DeeAitch** » Mon 15.10.2007, 12:59

Getting the clamp off is the easy bit - wait 'till you try getting it back on :evil:

I took the opportunity of extending the bolt up to the height of the battery - Clio's have a nice one you can adapt :wink:

Still a barsteward tho'
Why oh why didn't they put the clamp to the rear of the battery

BTW an unclamped battery is an MOT failure, although no tester has ever asked me where the battery is

by **rip** » Mon 15.10.2007, 13:22

DeeAitch wrote:
BTW an unclamped battery is an MOT failure, although no tester has ever asked me where the battery is

My guess is that most testers would feel a bit stupid not knowing.

by **dapinky** » Mon 15.10.2007, 16:04

rip wrote:My guess is that most testers would feel a bit stupid not knowing.

My MOT was done at an independant Lotus specialist - the bloke there knows all about elans (and othr models!) but it never occurred to me that the battery would not have been clamped - and probably didn't occur to him to look

I suppose that's one advantage of having it 'hidden' behind the seat.

by **GeoffSmith** » Mon 15.10.2007, 17:05

dapinky wrote:I suppose that's one advantage of having it 'hidden' behind the seat.

If it came to it, I'd prefer to have an unclamped battery rattling around in the engine compartment rather than in the passenger compartment!

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