• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Lotus Turbo Esprit Issue

Trb57

Freshman Member
Offline
Hi Guys, new to this forum. My name is Tim Beaubien / TRB57 and have a 1977 MGB, a 1952 MG TD and just recently picked up a 1988 Lotus Turbo Esprit. I actually chased this car for 10 years and we finally came to a price.
The car has 19,000 original miles and is very clean. I bought from the second owner and he put very few miles on it. He would start the car about once a year and do about a 10 mile drive then back into heated storage.
Recently the car is running rough on start up but levels off after about 5 to 10 minutes. Still runs very sluggish and then stalls after about 20 minutes and will not start until the next day. I’m thinking fuel pumps??? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks, TRB57 / tim B.
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
Platinum
Country flag
Offline
Your first guess seems to be spot-on. Fuel pump first, run time suggests a possible cat-converter too. Remember that ethanol clogging things can also be involved.
 

Alfred E. Neuman

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Very quick test for CAT is to hit the thing and see if it rattles. Could be a broken piece of the CAT clogging the exhaust. If not conclusive and the FP checks out, pull the front O2 sensor so the exhaust has somewhere to go and then take it for a drive. If it pulls strong with the O2 sensor out, bad CAT.
 

TomMull

Darth Vader
Silver
Country flag
Offline
I have no knowledge of the Esprit but just started following this forum since I have an Elan Plus 2 on the way which should arrive this week. However, I have and have had several cars from this era and have to say that the fuel pump guess certainly fits the symptoms. Has the Esprit got an OBD port? I know the early OBDs weren't all that good but might be a place to start in the unlikely event that the FP is not at fault.
Tom
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
Platinum
Country flag
Offline
Tom said:
Has the Esprit got an OBD port?
not likely.

Ethanol fuel and time in static could be a factor. Not so much the fuel pump as ethanol gumming up jets and small ports in the fuel delivery.

But the run-time still suggests a CAT-converter clog.
 
Last edited:
E

Esprit2

Guest
Guest
Offline
TRB57 / tim B.
Did you ever resolve this issue?

Regards,
tim. E.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
M turbo-charging Lotus? Lotus 15
J Lotus Elise can be had with a sequential shifter and the new turbo tech supercharger Lotus 6
J New lotus offshoot Vauxall version of elise with turbo pulls 4.5 second 0 to 60mph! Lotus 0
AngliaGT Lotuses,Loti,er a Couple of Lotus? Spotted 4
DrEntropy Good video with Emmo and Lotus today Lotus 2
I Lotus Elite wiring diagram Lotus 6
T Lotus 7 - help identifying parts Lotus 5
Basil Oh wait, that’s not a Lotus Spotted 11
DrEntropy Bit of Historic Lotus News Lotus 0
D New Lotus Elise video on YouTube Lotus 1
M Lotus Europa Spiral Pins Lotus 9
S For Sale Lotus Elan Factory Workshop Manual on CD/ROM - Type 26 - 1963 - 1965 Other British Classifieds 1
P Lotus 7 Spotted 3
P For Sale 2005 Lotus Elise Other British Classifieds 2
H Lotus Super 7 series 2 Race car for sale Lotus 0
TomMull CHASSIS SHIPPING Lotus Elan Plus 2 Lotus 22
D Lotus Elan S4..Bodywork evaluation..Strip & Paint? Lotus 10
D Lotus Elan S4, From water pump...to a strip down.. Lotus 2
Lotus Club SoCal LCoSC - Supercar Sunday Lotus Marque Day Meet Lotus 0
G 1990ish Lotus Esprit Spotted 0
Lotus Club SoCal Supercar Sunday Lotus Marque Day Lotus 2
prb51 Lotus Elise...2005-6 Lotus 11
P Lotus Elan Spotted 3
Lotus Club SoCal Supercar Sunday Lotus Marque Day Meet, Drive, Lunch & Wash Lotus 3
Lotus Club SoCal Sage Lotus of West Covina Cars and Coffee, Feb 18th, 2017 Lotus 1
69MGC Early 60s Lotus Elite Lotus 7
Lotus Club SoCal 2nd Saturday Breakfast – Lotus Club of SoCal Activities Planning Meetings Lotus 0
kennypinkerton Lotus Esprit in alabama. Spotted 2
Nunyas Salvaged Lotus Evora rebuild video series Lotus 8
Lotus Club SoCal SoCal Lotus Club - Backyard BBQ Lotus 0
Lotus Club SoCal Supercar Sunday Lotus Marque Day Meet, Drive and Lunch Lotus 0
Lotus Club SoCal Lotus Club of So Cal Kick off Event & Contest!!!! Lotus 1
Lotus Club SoCal Lotus Club of SoCal Lotus 6
Roger Lotus Elan S3 - Rev Counter [Tachometer] needed Lotus 4
Gray_Cat Lotus Elan Fixed Head Coupe FS Malibu CA Lotus 3
catfood Lotus Ambulance on the BBC Spotted 1
Basil Lotus and Jags second try Spotted 3
Basil Lotus and Jags Spotted 14
K Lotus Espirit Lotus 1
T 550HP Audi Engine in a Lotus Elise-Exige Lotus 1
K Lotus Elite Lotus 3
toysrrus Lotus in PICKENS, SC Spotted 0
J Lotus europa 5 speed need recommendation for transmition work [Flordia] Lotus 3
glemon Business Opportunity [Not Spam, Lotus Related Lotus 4
H 63 Lotus Super 7 Lotus 4
aeronca65t Lotus Racing East Lotus 2
aeronca65t Lotus 7 renovation Lotus 2
K Heigt of a Lotus Europa? Lotus 5
Basil Lotus Evora S Lotus 5
JPSmit Vauxhall Viva Gt & Lotus 7 of sorts Spotted 3

Similar threads

Top