I’m guessing this is either a holed oil cooler or a leaking pipe or fitting. (The puddle was quite small and the oil level has only dropped a couple of mm on the dipstick.)
I’ve heard this is a pretty common problem with Exiges 
Can anyone let me know whats involved in getting access to either tighten up the fittings or replacing the cooler itself?
Sods law says it’s clam off!
I’m sure we’ve had similar symptoms recently…although I think it was on the n/s…hopefully op will be along soon or you could do a search…
Ahh, just found that post (I think), looks like it’s a clam off job - bugger!
Oh well, it was good while it lasted! (almost 4 months of trouble free motoring)
As its going to be a week or two before I can pull off the clamshell, can anyone tell me what I’m likely to find? Are the actual coolers prone to leaking or am I more likely looking at a dodgy hose or fitting?
Cant you get at it by removing the front wheel arch liner?? I would say it ill be the hose fitting, unless something has been through the rad.
Sean, no idea but all the posts I’ve seen seem to point to the clam having to be removed.
If its a hose fitting, does that mean the hose will need to be replaced (new one pulled thru the sill?) or can a new fitting be put on the existing hose?
If you remove the wheel arch liner you may be able to assess the problem if not repair it. Liner has to come off to remove clam, So I would remove liner and take a looksee first.
Likely to be the hose leaking (All cars in USA are being recalled for oil cooler hose replacement) However the Oil cooler comection is alloy and the hose connecteer is steel, most times when the oil cooler hose union is undone it pulls the threads off the oil cooler union. We usually have genuine oil coolers in stock as well as aeroquip oil cooler hoses.
It would be very difficult (I would say impossible) to replace the cooler without taking the clam off.
This was my story (it was on the nearside):
http://www.exiges.com/ubbz/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=16004&Number=170372#Post170372
Yes, you can have a look by taking off the wheel arch liner, but of course if it is leaking from the front of the cooler, then you really cannot see that face. It is partially enclosed in a frame.
You might think that the grill would stop stones hitting the cooler, but I can only assume in my case that something got through at quite a pace.
wounder!!
lots are ditching the front coolers for a laminova
I havent got coolers anymore but i seem to recall that the top connection is accessible by removing the wheel arch liner and the bottom connection (forward facing) can be accessed by removing the front undertray / splitter. It’s worth having a look before taking the clam off.
Thanks for the replies guys.
I’ve had a really good look this evening.
It looks like the oil cooler itself is leaking.
There is a ^ (upside down V) shaped oil streak, starting around 2/3 of the way up the cooler and just off centre.
There’s definately more oil on the front face of the cooler than the rear.
The rear top pipe connection is bone dry.
The bottom front pipe connection is wet but this looks like the result of the bottom part of the cooler being full of pooled oil - where the vanes meet the bottom part of the cooler.
I can’t see any obvious damage to the cooler where the oil streak starts from but judging by the way the oil has stained the cooler body, it really looks like a leaky cooler.
I spoke to local specialist this evening who were very helpful. They may have a way of changing the cooler without the need to completely remove the clam. Fingers crossed!
Good luck Steve
Let us know how you get on
Well, I thought I’d update this thread as I got the car back from Back on Track today.
The problem turned out to be a holed oil cooler.
The guys at Back on Track took the car in and set to work removing the leaky cooler. They did this by teasing the oil cooler out via the wheel arch, which means the clam didn’t have to come off.
The top hose on the leaking cooler put up quite a fight! This is the hose that runs thru the sill back to the engine.
Lotus, in their ultimate wisdom had decided to use a steel hose fitting onto an ali cooler fitting, screwing the 2 x different metal threads together!
Fine when assembling the car in the factory - a complete bastard to get off once they have nicely seized together.
The top hose eventually came off by slowly turning the steel hose fitting back and fourth, using the internal steel threads to tear/wear off the aluminium cooler threads. This took over an hour to undo - with 3 people working on the car at the same time!
Once it was off, the cooler was removed via the wheel arch so that better access could be gotten to the bottom hose (the exposed one on the front that links the coolers together)
This was totally seized and the cooler gave up the fight before the thread did. Despite attempts to try and save the hose by drilling/tapping out the seized ali fitting, in the end the hose needed to be replaced.
The guys moved onto the other cooler and luckily the top hose on that one (which goes back to the engine) undid without any problems.
Unfortunately the botton fitting on this cooler was also seized solid so this meant both oil coolers had to be replaced in the end. (along with the link hose)
All in all, a bigger job than I expected but top marks to Back on Track as they managed to locate all the parts and get the car back on the road in 2 days.
I also asked them to service the car as it was due a 6 year service and while the coolers are new, I now know the oil is as clean as it’s ever going to be.
Being a bit paranoid about stones hitting coolers now (even though I’ve been told it’s quite a rare thing to happen), I’m going to fit some extra mesh in front of the coolers, just to be sure 
Crickey nasty job, well done to back on track for doing it with the clam on 
Good stuff - have you fitted OEM coolers? Just wondering if you found a solution to the ali threads vs steel coupling?
Yep, OEM coolers were fitted, although Stefan did say that Lotus have now changed the cooler fittings slightly.
I think they may still have ali fittings but do look different to the old ones.
Make sure the extra mesh does not stunt air flow too much. Or coolers will not work
My plan is to use an slightly finer secondary mesh but to make it easily removable for track use.
AFAIK, the only other time the oil will really benefit having a cooler is when doing a sustained motorway trip.
As some Exiges run reasonably happily with only one cooler, hopefully a little more mesh won’t have too much of an adverse effect.