At some
point the brake pedal felt rather different, it returned far more slowly. At
first I suspected air in the system, but after bleeding it still felt the same.
Sometime
later I remembered that a Lotus Technical Service Bulletin mentioned this
problem and suggested the addition of a brake pedal return spring. Apparently
my Esprit did have this spring but somehow it got disconnected. After an
inspection, I found it in the carpet of the footwell. Once reinstalled the brake
pedal felt as usual again.
Here is the
text from the Lotus TSB (#9):
Modifications
to improve stop lamp switching.
It has been
found that the brake pedal on some Esprit models can become, due to a variety
of factors, reluctant or lazy in returning fully to its' off position. In such
cases, the stop lamp switch may remain closed (brake lights on), and an ABS
fault code A034 may be set.
In order to
improve the consistency and reliability of stop lamp switch operation on such
cars, the spring pressure of the stop switch plunger can be reduced, and a
brake pedal return spring added. These revisions may be incorporated on any
Esprit model with anti-lock brakes where such symptoms are experienced.
If any ABS
equipped Esprit model is found to exhibit symptoms of the brake lights staying
on, or if an ABS fault code A034 is set, refer first to Service Notes section
JF.l7 (Date 1995/ 0l) to check the brake pedal height and stop switch
adjustment. If the symptoms are still apparent, carry out the following
modification:
Parts
Required: Brake Light Switch (modified) A082M50115 1 off and Brake Pedal Return Spring
A082J43975 1 off
1. Disconnect and remove (twist 1/4 turn
counterclockwise) the stop switch.
2. From the stop switch mounting bracket
on the pedal box, press out the plastic stop switch bush. Using a small round
file, make a shallow groove in the top notch in the bracket, of sufficient
depth to anchor the new return spring. Refit the bush.
3. Hook the round loop of the new brake
pedal return spring into the bracket groove, and hook the other end around the
front of the brake pedal.
4. Fit the modified stop switch into the
bracket and adjust as detailed in Service Notes section JF.l7.
Note that in order to prevent over stretching,
the spring should be disconnected before a brake bleeding operation. !!!!!!!