To confirm: Yes, old oil remains after an oil change. But we ARE using synthetic oil, and after a few changes most of the oil will have been replaced. So, the car is delivered filled with mineral oil. On the mandatory first service they switch to synthetic. That means you have 56% synthetic and 44% mineral oil after the first service?

And every time you do an oil change there's 44% old oil in there. I don't know if your numbers are correct (it's more like 2/3 new, and 1/3 old), but Yep. Just like with any car - you never get all the old oil out. It's taken in consideration in the maintenance schedule that Lotus recommends. Draining the oil out of the coolers is simple - refilling them is difficult and labor intensive. Draining and refilling the cooler/lines is more likely to cause problems than leaving the oil in there. Remember, the oil isn't really "dirty" - the filter is cleaning it - you are really replacing the additive package by replacing the oil with new.

Come to think of it, my Honda Accord works the same way (oil in the cooler and lines), and with 150,000 miles on it (most of that with dino oil), I've never had a problem. I don't know if your numbers are correct (it's more like 2/3 new, and 1/3 old)
My numbers are from the service manual. 4.4 liters capacity for refill with filter change and 3.5 liters additional capacity for cars with front mounted coolers. You do the math. I think my numbers are correct. it dosen't apply to the single cooler cars because I don't know what the single cooler capacity is. Y'all are forgetting all that oil in the sump when you are guessing how much oil is sitting where.
Im not sure what you mean by that, but the manual says the capacity (ie how much to expect to put in during a change) is 4.7 qts., with an additional 3.7 qts. needed if the front oil coolers have been drained (not recommended). This would imply that the oil in the coolers will not ordinarily just flow into the sump. I sit corrected... 4.7 + 3.7 Quarts = 8.4 Quarts or 4.4 land 3.5 liters = 7.9 liters. You are still changing only part of the oil, and it's what Lotus recommends. It shouldn't matter.

The difference in the actual amount of oil in the system because of the single cooler should be a very small amount. I would suspect that most of the oil is in the oil thermostat, the hose the runs up to the front, the hose that runs across the front, and the hose that runs to the back. The actual oil cooler should hold a small amount of oil as it's just a few tubes with lots of fins attached to allow the air to cool it. I sit corrected... 4.7 + 3.7 Quarts = 8.4 Quarts or 4.4 land 3.5 liters = 7.9 liters. You are still changing only part of the oil, and it's what Lotus recommends. It shouldn't matter.

The difference in the actual amount of oil in the system because of the single cooler should be a very small amount. I would suspect that most of the oil is in the oil thermostat, the hose the runs up to the front, the hose that runs across the front, and the hose that runs to the back. The actual oil cooler should hold a small amount of oil as it's just a few tubes with lots of fins attached to allow the air to cool it.
I dunno. Just hard to imagine a gallon of oil in twelve feet of hose. I dunno. Just hard to imagine a gallon of oil in twelve feet of hose. Maybe you are right... I just did some quick calculations, and I came up with a figure of around .1 gallon for the oil in about 20 feet of 3/8 hose. For 1/2 inch hose, it would be .20 gallon. I guess the coolers must hold more than I thought... just had my 100 miles service done at overseas motors in dallas last week.

was charged $281 incld tax and was told that regular oil change would be $69.95.
my questions r:
1) r we suppose to get a ecu report or do wwe have to request for it?
2) is texaco 5w40 synthetic 100% synthetic? was charged $281 incld tax and was told that regular oil change would be $69.95.
my questions r:
1) r we suppose to get a ecu report or do wwe have to request for it?
2) is texaco 5w40 synthetic 100% synthetic?
Both are good prices (relatively).
Usually you have to ask for the ECU report - not everyone is interested in it.
Texaco (Havoline) 5w40 synthetic is the specific oil that Lotus recommends - don't know if it's 100% synthetic.

From Texaco Havoline's web site:

Today’s top-of-the-line luxury sedans, SUVs and high performance sports cars represent a serious and substantial investment. Precisely why you should consider Havoline Synthetic Motor Oils. They offer you protection for your automotive investment. Formulated using 100% synthetic base stocks, you gain an extra measure of performance and protection. Result? Maximized engine life, reduced maintenance costs and improved resale value. 2) is texaco 5w40 synthetic 100% synthetic?
Yes Both are good prices (relatively).
Formulated using 100% synthetic base stocks[/i] now that can be a very tricky sentence...

i could add/mix 1/10th of 100% synthetic base with 9/10th bottle of drinking water and it is still FOMULATED using 100% synthetic base, true?
not trying to pick on things but just a thought.

btw, i forgot to mention in my last post, that the last time i ask the service advisor at overseas what oil do they use he told me castrol synthetic... but yet the invoice shows texaco.
i also ask if they do mobil 1 and he told me yes but that would be abt $12~15 more. You don't change the oil every 3 months-it's every 7500 miles after the first service. And they don't change the oil in the coolers-ever. It's considered to be changed over time with regular engine oil changes.


The maintence record thing says every 4,000 or 6 months. Thats what prompted me to look to change my oil at 5,000 miles.

I think fact of the matter is some dealers are more reasonable than others. The ones that quoted reasonable prices have been known for excellent service, just points out how some dealers really try to get the customer, imho. The maintence record thing says every 4,000 or 6 months.
No, it says 7500 unless your use falls into the severe service category. now that can be a very tricky sentence...

i could add/mix 1/10th of 100% synthetic base with 9/10th bottle of drinking water and it is still FOMULATED using 100% synthetic base, true?
not trying to pick on things but just a thought.

The whole synthetic definition has become a bit convoluted. Just be aware you're not going to get 100% polyalphaolefin or polyol ester for 4 or 5 bucks a quart

Hey, it's a 4 cyl Toyota engine. Texaco Havoline Synthetic is good enough and fully endorsed by Lotus. The maintenance record thing says every 4,000 or 6 months. That's for "Special Operating Conditions". Normal usage is 7,500 miles.

I'll probably be changing my every 5,000 miles, simply because it's easier to keep track of... I'm lazy but this car is so damn easy to change to oil on! I have owned cars that had free maintenance for the past 4 years (Audi TT - Hard to change) so I've gotten soft in this department but last weekend I changed the oil on my Elise and when I was done I thought, "Damn, that took 30 minutes." Every 3K for me-cheap insurance. If the car used synthetic oil, I'd consider going 7500 miles between changes. However, keep in mind that (based on what I've heard at least) it does NOT come from the factory with synthetic installed, and during a normal oil change, the oil in the coolers and hoses is not drained. Thus, there is a mixture of synthetic and regular oil in the car for quite some time, until eventually the regular oil has degraded to the point of irrelevance (I'm really not sure what will happen to it over time in the Elise, turn to sludge, be filtered out, or just always present in decreasing amounts?). So for now, I'm sticking to a 3700-4000 oil change interval. For those considering changing their own oil (HIGHLY recommended --
you need to bond with your car, after all):
Be absolutely SURE that you drive the car moderately / sorta hard for
ten miles or more to get the oil temp high enough to open the oil thermostat
and actually circulate oil through the cooler(s). This will flush the "old" oil
from the cooler loop and help reduce the content of original-fill oil as fast as
possible. It's unlikely that a lube change at the dealer will be this thorough
(yet another reason to DIY).
Jim Add me to the list of happy owners that changed their own oil (at 7000). Between the shops that didn't want to touch the car to the dealer that wanted $250, I found $19.97 for Mobil 1 5w40 and $10 for the K&N filter a much better deal.

The service guy told me they had to "take apart the whole underside of the car". That pretty much sealed the deal. What a load. And the car still works after 700 more miles. Hooray. Here is a tutorial on how to change your own oil in a Lotus Elise.

Some of us have been working on cars for ever... Some of us have tried, made mistakes, and tried again. It is fun learning, at least it was for me.

Some of the stuff we talk about assumes more than basic knowledge. I decided to try and help the new comers with a tutorial on how to change your own oil. The Elise is more complicated than many cars but the skill required is still basic. You will learn something and have fun doing it. That and you will save almost $300! It should take about an hour.

For you pros, please comment on my process. I am sure I made some mistakes or something is not clear. (Please send a picture of the drain plug gasket, I forgot to take one.)

http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/elis...oilchange.html

Michael