Hello. New Elan owner from S. Wales

[Alan M]

Hi folks, just picked up my first Elan SE on Saturday to add to my Excel SE.

It’s a good running car, but there are areas I plan on improving, hopefully with the help of this forum - so expect a few new threads coming up from me

Ran well on its 300 mile journey home and a hoot to drive, even in the wet.

[alan e]

Welcome great cars but keep a towel in the car for your right leg when driving in the rain .

[Alan M]

Welcome great cars but keep a towel in the car for your right leg when driving in the rain .

LOL. I was told by the seller that the roof was water tight, however driving it home, admittedly through some serious wind and rain especially over The Shap, I did get a wet knee and shoulder !!
Also a nice leak in the passenger foot well, seemed to be coming from behind glove box and near fuse box. From a little reading on here it could be the seal for the air intake in the wheel arch?

[Rambo]

Hello and welcome Alan

Good start. Correct diagnosis for your passenger foot well leak

[Alan M]

Hello and welcome Alan

Good start. Correct diagnosis for your passenger foot well leak

PS I take it you live in or north if Cumbria given your ref to The Shap. If you update your location in your profile you might find someone who is local to you

No, live in South Wales as per thread title but purchased car from Scotland and drove it 300 miles home on Saturday.

[Rambo]

Was updating my previous post as you were typing then my internet went down. Is this one of Jamies white ones or did you get it from a dealer ?

[Alan M]

Was updating my previous post as you were typing then my internet went down. Is this one of Jamies white ones or did you get it from a dealer ?

I bought it privately from a guy called John, he only had this one ASFAIK. He’d owned for about 8 years.

[Rambo]

Hello and welcome Alan

Good start. Correct diagnosis for your passenger foot well leak

Actually, I think it might be the heater intake foam seal. I think this might be the part you want (A100P0096F foam connector, wheel arch duct to heater) but check it out first

[Alan M]

Hello and welcome Alan

Good start. Correct diagnosis for your passenger foot well leak

Actually, I think it might be the heater intake foam seal. I think this might be the part you want (A100P0096F foam connector, wheel arch duct to heater) but check it out first

Thanks, that was the bit I was thinking of. Fixed I believe, with some inner tube and tie wraps.

[Alan M]

Having had the car a few days now a list of all the things I need/want to do is evolving and getting longer

Adjust throttle cable - looks awfully slack at throttle body
Make cable for elanscan and work out how to use it
Sort saggy seat base on driver’s seat
Sort loose instrument binnacle
Stop steering wheel squeak on column shroud
Carry out full service including cambelt
Sort bouncing near side headlight pod
Adjust alignment of near side pod to body
Fix central locking
Stop leak from washer bottle
Replace squeaking wiper blades
Re colour leather seats and door trim
Stop as many leaks as possible
Replace bulb in speedo
Tidy up engine bay
Possibly convert to closed loop with Everest chip

Ok I need to stop looking now !

[Rambo]

Possibly convert to closed loop with Everest chip

Don't you mean O2 sensor ?

[Steve A]

Welcome to the forum Alan.
Not a bad list of faults to start with.
You'll be finding this forum invaluable to fix all of them.
There's also some excellent videos on youtube.
Have fun

[Alan M]

Possibly convert to closed loop with Everest chip

Don't you mean O2 sensor ?

Sorry, I meant convert to closed loop (Lambda sensor added for this) and also an Everest (or maybe Kilimanjaro) chip to tune and allow use of the closed loop rather than standard open loop chip

[Alan M]

:D Welcome to the forum Alan.
Not a bad list of faults to start with.
You'll be finding this forum invaluable to fix all of them.
There's also some excellent videos on youtube.
Have fun

Thanks. I have already spent many hours reading the forum and watching videos, but I’m sure I’ll have a few questions as time goes on.

[dapinky]

Alan,

Don't apologise to Mark - he's bloody Scottish, and can't read properly worded Welsh!!!!! (I understood exactly what you were saying).

The list you have sounds (mainly) like the sort of stuff many of us have tackled over the ownership time, and there shouldn't be anything on there which is likely to be impossible (some maybe not even necessary).....

..... for example, the throttle cable does have quite a bit of slack in it when adjusted correctly - easily checked with an Elanscan to tell you the percentage of throttle open with the pedal depressed - but until you have that up and running, an assistant inside the car pushes the pedal all the way down, and as long as there is no more possible movement on the throttle operating cam on the inlet body, it is fine!

Oh, and don't be shy about asking if there is anything you want to know, or need to check.

[Alan M]

Alan,

Don't apologise to Mark - he's bloody Scottish, and can't read properly worded Welsh!!!!! (I understood exactly what you were saying).

The list you have sounds (mainly) like the sort of stuff many of us have tackled over the ownership time, and there shouldn't be anything on there which is likely to be impossible (some maybe not even necessary).....

..... for example, the throttle cable does have quite a bit of slack in it when adjusted correctly - easily checked with an Elanscan to tell you the percentage of throttle open with the pedal depressed - but until you have that up and running, an assistant inside the car pushes the pedal all the way down, and as long as there is no more possible movement on the throttle operating cam on the inlet body, it is fine!

Oh, and don't be shy about asking if there is anything you want to know, or need to check.

Well I’m half and half. Born and bred in Wales, but with Scottish father. So spent a fair bit of time visiting Scotland when younger - up with the teuchters.

I’ve checked throttle cable against workshop manual, and where there should be a 3mm gap I have about a 15 mm gap. Left it at current setting at the moment as I want to see via Elanscan what % of full throttle I’ve been getting.

It’s door and hood seals I’m doing most of my reading about at the moment.

[Rambo]

Don't apologise to Mark - he's bloody Scottish, and can't read properly worded Welsh!!!!!

Oooooh, wash your mouth out with Fairy Liquid Dave. You'll have ScottJ and JohnW breathing down your neck if you don't

I am actually English but born not far from Offa's Dyke. Herefordshire and the Welsh Marches were my stamping ground in my formative years. But I have spent over two thirds of my life in Scotland so I describe myself as a self naturalised Scot, but definitely not a Sturgeonite

[dapinky]

Mark, I know your herritage, hence my comment...... as I am only Welsh by (chosen) residence, it was very tongue-in-cheek.

That said, my maternal grandparents were born and lived in this town until 1926 when the Naval Dockyard closed and his job as a blacksmith meant they moved to the industrial areas of the Black country, where my mum was born in 1927..... hence, I am a Brummy who has returned to the family herritage.

[Alan M]

Some progress - Elanscan cable made and working
Throttle cable adjusted (only getting 86% throttle Max), now giving 94%. Still need to adjust TPS to get 100%
Parts ordered from Rockauto for cambelt service.

Added to list - small leak from CAS to fix