Engine Stalling at junctions and when dipping clutch.

[Danny R]

I think I may already have found the answer on here, but I just want to check I've got my facts right:

I've just bought the Elan, done about 400miles in it so far, passed it's MOT and behaved itself impeccably until last Saturday night. I'd been out for the day in it to Doncaster, 30-40 miles there never missed a beat, parked it up - fine. Got in it to come home 7 hours later, started, ran and got me most of my journey home without problem (mainly motorway). Got off the motorway at my junction and it stalled at the roundabout. It then stalled every junction I had to stop at all the way home. It always restarted on the key, straight away.

Got to admit, I haven't tried it since - BUT........

last week I was fiddling behind the dashboard cluster. Fitting a new radio, and I had no seat belt warning and Check Engine warning lamps. I got the check engine light one to work, but can't get the Seat Belt warning light to work - bulbs seem fine and 'bell out' with a multimeter.
As I understand it there's a road speed sensor in there: If I've disturbed this could it cause the stalling? It had been fine since I've been in there though and also could all this be related to my not functioning Seat Belt warning lamp? There is no check engine warning light staying on when running or coming on until the car stalls.

Thanks in advance,

Dan.

[HJ2]

Hi Dan,


i am not entirely sure, but the first thing i would do is check is the speedo cable is seated properly in the instrument cluster.
If the speed signal does not come in OK, it might give symptoms as per above.

So yes, if you somehow ruined or shorted this part of the cluster, you're in trouble

Good luck
Henk-Jan

[Enright]

Does it do it all the time from cold now, or only when coming up to junctions and dipping the clutch?

The seat belt light is an ignition-controlled constant feed, and when the seatbelt is un-latched it simply makes the connection.
If you disconnect the wires under the back of the driver's seat rail, and then bridge them you should get the light on.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

If it is a duff Speed Sensor Module, the part number is A100N6005S and they are on the AfterSales list for £12.99 + VAT

If it only happens after the car has been running for a while, the injectors could also be considered as they could fail when warm and only 1 needs to be "off" to cause that symptom.

See: Erratic Running After 3 Miles Élan M100 S2: http://forum.lotuselancentral.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=22620&p=285124#p285124

[lotusgirlmarie]

This may be random but I had experienced something very similar to what you described. Did a long road trip the. When I got into the city traffic it stalked constantly when I'd fiddle with the clutch. Found it to be a synchro gear had slowly come undone in the trans. Easy to fix though and requires little disassembly. If you look at the end plate of the trans through the left wheel well you will notice it is an end cap held on by several bolts. Drain the trans, remove the cap and you will see two gears. They're easy enough to remove. On one of the gears is a synchro gear that is pressed on. The gap should be very narrow and the gear should fit tightly. If it's loose or the gap too big, 5th gear never disengages and hence the stalling. The synchro gear need just be re pressed into place and a new seal and the end cap reinstalled. Found this to be a common and fiddly issue with the trans. Don't forget to refil it with proper oil and should be right as rain. Just a possible solution. Hard to tell without actually seeing the car. The clutch thing is what signaled it to me.

[Danny R]

Thanks for the help and advice folks.

Does it do it all the time from cold now, or only when coming up to junctions and dipping the clutch?

The seat belt light is an ignition-controlled constant feed, and when the seatbelt is un-latched it simply makes the connection.
If you disconnect the wires under the back of the driver's seat rail, and then bridge them you should get the light on.

Just to be awkward, and I haven't touched a thing yet, the car started up first turn of the key and ticked over fine. I've ran the car up past it's normal running temperature and it's tick-over is solid as a rock. I've not driven it far, but it's fine at the minute.

I'll check the seat belt switch circuit when I get 5 minutes at the weekend then.

If anything I'm hoping if it's an intermittent fault it's the speedo sensor rather than a gearbox fault. If it was a injector fault would it have been running rough upto getting off the motor way too? At the minute I'm a little bit 'enamored' with the acceleration and didn't notice any problems or missing setting off and accelerating though the box.

Cheers, Dan.

[Danny R]

The Elan has not repeated any of the stalling, so I'm chalking it up to one of those things.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Dan.