Elise S3 Newbie - Paint protection, security measures and solar trickle charger

[Fred D]

Following my previous post earlier in the year I am now about to push the button on an Elise S3 subject to sealing the deal, so excited. I will be joining the club once purchased and I'll try and get to the "meets" once my kids Sunday football has stopped (hopefully the weather will have improved by then). A few questions/topics I'm interested in:

1 - My car will unfortunately be on the drive, not in a garage, is ensuring the car is polished/ceramic coated enough to protect the paintwork or is it worth getting paint protection film to stop moisture in the paintwork (a known issue on early Elise's). I will get a full cover for winter hibernation.

2 - Car security - being as most Lotus' are a bright colour and noticeable has anyone had any security risks of owning one? My wife is worried about it being targeted and whilst we live in a quiet cul de sac in a nice area a lot of high end cars are going missing locally (mainly BMW/JLR keyless entry and start stop being the culprit). Is it worth using a stoplok and getting a security post/wheel clamp (potentially for when left whilst away on holiday). I know if they want it they'll still get it but want to make it less of an attractive proposition. 

3 - Can anyone recommend a solar trickle charger? Want to put a permanent connection to the battery so I can quickly fit it to keep the battery topped up for when it is not being used in the rubbish British weather.

Thanks all, hope to see you soon!

[Lithopsian]

1. Thought osmosis wasn't such a problem on the S3s?  Don't know if PPF would stop it.  Car covers are definitely risky.  If you trap moisture against the paint, even when you think it is dry, then blisters can appear almost overnight.  Better for the paint to be well-ventilated so moisture coming through from the back has somewhere to go.  On the other hand, being out in the rain will accelerate rust on the rest of the car, especially if you don't drive it very often.  For an aluminium and plastic car, there are an awful lot of bits of mild steel.

2. The Elise isn't known for getting nicked.  Probably no safe market for them; too niche and everyone that would want parts will know if some have been stolen.  Or maybe just no good for four kids looking for a jolly.  Might want to pre-check with insurance companies in case they want a tracker or other expensive security addon.

[hartleyj]

6 hours ago, Fred D said:

Following my previous post earlier in the year I am now about to push the button on an Elise S3 subject to sealing the deal, so excited. I will be joining the club once purchased and I'll try and get to the "meets" once my kids Sunday football has stopped (hopefully the weather will have improved by then). A few questions/topics I'm interested in:

1 - My car will unfortunately be on the drive, not in a garage, is ensuring the car is polished/ceramic coated enough to protect the paintwork or is it worth getting paint protection film to stop moisture in the paintwork (a known issue on early Elise's). I will get a full cover for winter hibernation.

2 - Car security - being as most Lotus' are a bright colour and noticeable has anyone had any security risks of owning one? My wife is worried about it being targeted and whilst we live in a quiet cul de sac in a nice area a lot of high end cars are going missing locally (mainly BMW/JLR keyless entry and start stop being the culprit). Is it worth using a stoplok and getting a security post/wheel clamp (potentially for when left whilst away on holiday). I know if they want it they'll still get it but want to make it less of an attractive proposition. 

3 - Can anyone recommend a solar trickle charger? Want to put a permanent connection to the battery so I can quickly fit it to keep the battery topped up for when it is not being used in the rubbish British weather.

Thanks all, hope to see you soon!

Hi and welcome.

I am on my second Elise. The first, bought from new in 2006, was an excellent car, but I soon suffered from the dreaded paint chips. That car was in Ardent Red. I ignored the chips to a point, until even I had to admit defeat. The respray of the front clam was duly done then after a winter of 'resting' I had PPF fitted to the front clam, which I had on for 5 years or so and had no problem with chips. The cost of the respray was not cheap, and the PPF doubled that.

So the next one, a 2020 Heritage model, got the PPF treatment from new and has been fine for 2.5 years, free from chips etc.

Lessons? Well perhaps Ardent Red, being a solid paint, is possibly less robust than a metallic? I don't know. And as for Ceramic, I have no experience but I understand that there are usually no guarantees regarding stone chip protection. I would only say make sure the car is prepared properly before applying a ceramic coat because once it's on you wont be able to correct any underlying paint defects.

As far as a trickle charger goes, yes aways plug mine in when unused, but it's garaged so its easier. The problem with a solar trickle charger is that an S3 engine cover seals very firmly and I doubt a wire from a trickle charger would be able to exit the engine compartment. The vents are wire mesh so that won't work. My previous 111R had slats which allowed the wire to feed through the gaps. The cigar lighter is a 'live' connection so the trickle charger could plug into that, but then you'd risk water entering the cabin through the window. Unless of course you have the solar panel on the dash and then you're away! 

Theft: My 111R had a removable steering wheel which works well, but the S3 has airbags so I haven't even gone there. As mentioned above, thefts are luckily relatively rare.

Post some pics of the car when you get it!

[Jonathan E]

I use an Optimate 20w solar conditioner on my Elise into the 12v socket but the cable is thin enough to go to the boot and still be able to close it. So far it has been really good and has kept the battery topped up even on the dullest days, it’s a Lithium battery so might be different on a traditional battery?. Specialised are the people for covers, they’ll even put a window in for a solar charger panel. I’ve never had a problem with any of the Lotus I’ve kept under a cover but I always remove the cover on nice days even in winter,  which as said above gives the car chance to breathe. 
Security wise, most thieves will struggle to get themselves in the car let alone know how to steal it, very rare for an Elise to get stolen, in all the years I’ve owned one I can only remember one being stolen and that was on a trailer. One of the up sides of a Lotus is they tend to stick out like a sore thumb and get noticed, not what you want if your a car thief.

[Fred D]

20 hours ago, Lithopsian said:

1. Thought osmosis wasn't such a problem on the S3s?  Don't know if PPF would stop it.  Car covers are definitely risky.  If you trap moisture against the paint, even when you think it is dry, then blisters can appear almost overnight.  Better for the paint to be well-ventilated so moisture coming through from the back has somewhere to go.  On the other hand, being out in the rain will accelerate rust on the rest of the car, especially if you don't drive it very often.  For an aluminium and plastic car, there are an awful lot of bits of mild steel.

2. The Elise isn't known for getting nicked.  Probably no safe market for them; too niche and everyone that would want parts will know if some have been stolen.  Or maybe just no good for four kids looking for a jolly.  Might want to pre-check with insurance companies in case they want a tracker or other expensive security addon.

Thanks all, feeling reassured! May get the underside protected with Lanoguard or other similar product, particularly the suspension connections which I've heard are susceptible to rust. Cheers

[Lithopsian]

Suspension certainly prone to rust.  As for the paintwork, I thought the S3 didn't suffer from osmosis as badly as some areas on earlier cars.  Not sure PPF would be the answer to that anyway, but useful if you don't want stone chips on the low forward-facing bits.  The cover would be a mixed blessing: nice to keep water from creeping in where you don't want it and never drying out because the car isn't driven too often, but will accelerate any issues with osmosis to the point where blisters can appear almost overnight.  Lotus recommend not to cover it, ventilate well, but ideally have it under a roof of some sort to keep off the worst things that might fall from the sky.  You don't have the open grilles over the engine, do you?  Having the engine bay constantly wet on earlier cars eventually caused lots of little but important things corroding.

Security-wise, the Elise does seem fairly safe.  Obviously anything left in the car will be very easy to snatch, but the car itself is not a target for most thieves.  Check what requirements your insurance might have though, some want trackers or attach restrictions because of the soft top.

[CherryBomb]

In a similar and tricky situation with my S3 re storage and exposure to elements... (first Lotus I had and got it 4'ish months ago. Consulting more experienced Lotus owners, and luckily with the paint in good condition being a low mileage 2019 car, I moved quick to have it polished, ceramic coated and guarded with a "track pack" PPF solution. The PPF can heal if it does pick up much debris, and the ceramic treatment does at least help dispel much water sitting on the car, not forgetting some added protection against grime/bird poo/UV damage. I do my best to use the car even if a short drive to dry it off and get some warmth in there if its just had a wash or something like that. 

Mine is a hardtop as well, so that's a big help outdoors. 

Ultimately having to suck it up that it's not the ideal way to leave an Elise, but not much else to do until I have storage - I am very likely going to pay to get it in secure storage over winter 23/24 though, some good companies my way fortunately, surely is your way as well.

I would advise getting a couple of Pingi dehumidifying pads though, they really help control the interior.

Enjoy the car when you get it, know you will..! 👌

 

[CDM2018]

My Evora sat out over my 5 years of ownership , tried a cover and thought it was causing more issues than solving 

outside it not just rain or snow but I also have to contend with tree sap birds cats 

I regularly clean car I know my suspension has a rust built up but after 12 years it’s to be expected ? 

[lotus111]

22 hours ago, Fred D said:

Thanks all, feeling reassured! May get the underside protected with Lanoguard or other similar product, particularly the suspension connections which I've heard are susceptible to rust. Cheers

I have used Dynax on my past lotus’s suspension fantastic product.

[CDM2018]

“have used Dynax on my past lotus’s suspension”

can I ask a silly question but my mechanical knowledge is restricted to thimble !
what is Dynax ? Can it be applied without removing the wheels etc ?   

[Lithopsian]

12 minutes ago, CDM2018 said:

“have used Dynax on my past lotus’s suspension”

can I ask a silly question but my mechanical knowledge is restricted to thimble !
what is Dynax ? Can it be applied without removing the wheels etc ?   

Dynax UC is a spray-on waxy coating that prevents corrosion.  Other similar products are available, some harder waxes, some more oily.

You could have a squirt at the wishbones with the wheels on, but really you want them off to make sure you get all the right bits covered.  There's also Dynax UB, which is dark-coloured.  Dynax UC is more or less transparent, although it may pick up dirt if you drive before it fully hardens.  On the downside, it isn't so great on surfaces that are already rusty, it will stick to the rust and then flake off with the rust, so you'd want to thoroughly brush down your suspension if it is already going rusty.  And if it isn't already going rusty, you might not want to go to all that effort

[CDM2018]

Fab thanks 

I think I need to get wheels off and scrape the rust off to get maximum effect? Beyond my capabilities and I don’t have the equipment like wheel ramps etc 

perhaps I get the work looked at next service ? I guess one of disadvantages of keeping car out in all Elements ?

[Lithopsian]

You can get similar products that don't need the same level of preparation.  Corrosion Block spray is used by many people on Lotuses.  It is oily and only slowly semi-sets so it will pick up dirt.  Your wishbones *will* go black, doubly so if you apply it thick.  But it creeps everywhere, heals itself, and will happily cover rust or metal.  Ideally you'd still wipe down the wishbones and also use a rag to wipe the spray around.  Good for a winter or two on the suspension, depending on how much use it sees.  You can have a general squirt with the wheels on and it will spread, but unless you've got ramps or a jack, it is a tight squeeze to get under an Elise.

[duncx]

I've previously used ACF-50 on my Elise but I found it to be horrible sticky stuff that was difficult to spray, I ended up wiping it around the be certain that I had covered all areas.

More recently I've used Lanoguard on my GR Yaris and it was very easy to apply. I bought a gallon container of the stuff (far too much!) and then decanted some into an ordinary plastic spray bottle, the sort that you have for kitchen surfaces or spray plants with etc. I placed the spray bottle into a bucket of hot water in between bouts of spraying, keeping it warm/thin, and it went on beautifully - I really feel confident that it got into every nook and cranny. If possible you need to not drive the car for a couple of days to allow the stuff to properly dry, leaving a fairly robust waxy surface. The other positive for Lanoguard is that it's a completely natural product - gets lots of good reviews 👍

Outdoor covers? I wouldn't routinely use one, plenty of reports of paint pimples appearing when moisture gets trapped and held underneath the cover. I would however use one if you are expecting snow or very hard frosts, these conditions can cause problems in a matter of days. It's a tricky one, plenty of people leave their cars outside 24/7 with no problems at all, some people are not so lucky. For me, it's only snow/frost that would be a concern, spring/summer/autumn weather no problem. 👍

 

[Trebor_UK]

I've been using this solar charing kit (and earlier 20W version) for 7-8 years on 2 or my cars, they have prevented a flat battery and cars have always started. Have the solar panel mounted on south facing wall and extended the cabling into the garage. Use the CTEK quick release connector. 

https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en/catalog/full/142-30W-12V-solar-charging-kit-with-5A-solar-charge-controller-and-battery-cables-with-crocodile-clips.html

Rob