Caterham Aftersales

Hi Guys, Having just seen this thread re IVA guide I would just like to add that the guide is now available via the caterham website for download : http://www.caterham.co.uk/assets/html/technical/download.html This version will be updated with any new requirements on a monthly basis and we hope it is useful to you. Alternatively we would be happy to post / email the guide to anyone who is interested. Please email jamesg@caterham.co.uk Regards James Gibson (Caterham Aftersales) Edited by - Caterham Aftersales on 18 Feb 2011 13:35:57

Hello Roger, Just to correct a couple of facts: - Roadsport B engines cannot be rebuilt by Minister (unlike Grads engines). Only Caterham can do this work; not because we want to grab all your money, but in order to keep costs in check. The Sigma and Duratec engines don't perform better after a refresh or rebuild like a k-series does; which was clearly proven in the '09 R300 season. - CR500 tyres have been specifically designed to provide uniform performance through their wear cycle (the blocks actually increase in size as they wear down). The dearth of part worn tyres available from teams for trackday use (ie - when I've tried scrounging them) proves this point. They run them from new all the way down, then bin them. No-one puts new tyres on for each race! Regards Simon Lambert Motorsport Manager...who hasn't forgotten the Aftersales logon...

OWNER TECHNICAL UPDATE NOTICE Update number 004 Date of release 17/07/08 Applicable to all Sigma powered models Engine oil type : Comma X-TEC 5W-30 Semi Synthetic (or equivalent to WSS M2C913-B ) Part order code : 5W30 Also Suitable (as stated in owners manual) : Ford Formula E SAE 5W-30 Please use the below procedure for oil level checking. Procedure: Run the engine until water temperature is above approximately 80 degrees. Stop the engine wait 10 – 30 seconds then dip the oil. In between dipping the oil please leave the dipstick in place for 30 seconds as this will ensure a correct reading. Coolant type : Comma X-STREAM (RED) Part order code : XSM5L Fuel type : The Sigma engine is suitable for use with 95 Octane (and above) unleaded fuel. News : (150 Only) A revised ecu map and engine calibration have now been released (Sigma 150 Only). All production cars post 17/07/2008 will be supplied with the latest map and calibration settings. Map and calibration can be checked and updated with any service type. These updates are available free of charge to all genuine Sigma vehicles fitted with original equipment. James Gibson Service Manager Caterham Cars Ltd Edited by - Caterham Aftersales on 18 Jul 2008 12:00:43 Edited by - caterham aftersales on 18 Jul 2008 22:04:57

OWNER TECHNICAL UPDATE NOTICE Update number 003 Date of release 20/02/08 Applicable to all Sigma powered models Build period – up to January 2008 FUEL GAUGE INACCURACY Caterham Cars are aware that the early Sigma engine variants suffer from an inaccuracy in fuel reading, the symptom being a gauge reading of a ¼ of capacity when the tank is in fact nearing empty. The cause has been identified as a fault in the original supply of rev counters (through which instrument readings pass, due to the nature of the latest Ford electronic system), therefore these early production units will need to be replaced. Cars affected are all pre Jan 08 Sigma variants. This relatively easy update which only requires replacement of the rev counter unit can be either carried out by the vehicle owner or at the Caterham Factory. Caterham Midlands will also be available to carry out this free of charge update. Please contact Michelle Stevens on 01322 625 800 to check if your cars is affected, quoting the last 5 digits of the chassis number. A replacement unit on an exchange basis can then be supplied. These updates are available free of charge to all genuine Sigma vehicles fitted with original equipment. James Gibson Service Manager Caterham Cars Ltd

OWNER TECHNICAL UPDATE NOTICE Update number 002 Date of release 07/01/08 Applicable to CSR200 and CSR260 Build period – all CSR ENGINE MAINTENANCE With the new year here, it won’t be long before the days get longer and the weather warmer, meaning that the trackday season will soon be in full swing. With this in mind, we would like to remind owners of the additional maintenance requirements of the high-performance Cosworth engines in the CSR200 and CSR260. The Cosworth engines are hand-built race-tuned units and as such require a little more attention than a mass produced engine. However, with this attention, the engine will continue to be a strong and reliable power plant, as proven in the CSR Masters race series, where the near-identical specification regularly runs at race speeds in extreme heat, on slick tyres and for extended periods with only routine checks and top-ups – clocking up thousands of circuit miles. The key criteria for the Cosworth engine is the oil level. A special revised dipstick was introduced in 2006 and issued to all original owners, along with detailed instructions for checking the oil. As CSRs may now be with second owners, below is a summary of the procedure. The dipstick is identified by its single-piece metal design, looped end and machined flat section. If you do not have this item, please contact Caterham Parts. The oil level should be at the top of the flat section. However, on the CSR260 engine which uses a race piston, and in common with other hand-built engines, each engine will vary slightly and if the engine is not breathing some oil into the catch tank (which it should), we would recommend finding your own level above this. After a track session, you should expect just a small amount in the bottom of the tank. If you’re not getting this, overfill the engine at approximately 250ml a time, until you get this. Oil levels should be checked after every track session (assuming 20 minutes of track time), which is good practice for all cars! We would also recommend checking the oil level every 500 road miles. Thankfully, owner vigilance means that engine failures are a rare occurrence. However, vigilance under the bonnet needs to matched behind the wheel, as the driver can dramatically reduce engine longevity or cause an immediate failure, through the process of a mechanical over-rev. As all Caterhams are fitted with a rev limiter, this condition only occurs through downshifting caused by pilot-error; usually by getting the wrong gear on the downshift (getting 3rd instead of 5th) or doing the same when going up the ‘box. CSRs, which have significantly more traction through tyres size and suspension design will be less forgiving of this than lower powered Caterhams. All current UK Caterhams have a datalogging facility within the ECU which enables us to establish the degree and duration of over-rev(s) – this information is available on request during servicing. In summary, please take care when changing gear! Whilst these notes may read a little negatively, the positive purpose of this information is that taking care with the gearbox and conducting proper maintenance will ensure that your CSR provides you with trouble free trackdays throughout the year. Enjoy! James Gibson Service Manager Caterham Cars Ltd Edited by - Caterham Aftersales on 7 Jan 2008 10:33:52 Edited by - Caterham Aftersales on 7 Jan 2008 10:34:55 Edited by - Caterham Aftersales on 7 Jan 2008 16:16:01

Welcome to the first Owner Technical Update. These will appear on our website in due course, in pdf form, as and when available. In the meantime, below is the main text which will be self explanitory. OWNER TECHNICAL UPDATE NOTICE All updates are available from either Caterham Aftersales, Dartford or Caterham Midlands, Leicester. Update number 001 Date of release 31/07/07 Applicable to CSR260 Build period Up to March 2007 Caterham Cars are aware that the early CSR260 engine variant may suffer from shunt on light throttle, reducing driveability. The route cause has been identified as the throttle return spring not being sufficient to prevent the driver’s foot reacting from inertia when driving on light throttle. A revised spring specification with increased spring stiffness is now available to resolve the shunt issue. In addition we have revised the calibration to improve general drivability. These updates are available free of charge to all genuine CSR260 vehicles fitted with original equipment. They are not suitable for DIY installation. For further information or to book a car in for an update to be fitted, please contact Caterham Aftersales (01322 625 804) or Caterham Midlands (01455 841616). James Gibson Service Manager Caterham Cars Ltd Edited by - Caterham Aftersales on 7 Jan 2008 10:35:30

Fred, After our conversation this morning when you mentioned Blatchat I decided to take a look and came across this! It's probably worth me restating what I said in case you have misinterpreted me... If you feel there may a fault with your silencer that should be covered under warranty, I would be happy to look into this for you (and have it repacked if necessary) - I just need the silencer sent here. Alternatively, if you don't wish to send the silencer to us and just want to repack it at your own expense, you should be able to source the material from any performance exhaust specialist local to you. I hope this information is of interest and should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. SIMON LAMBERT Aftersales Manager

Dear All, I was contacted by Steve Foster on behalf of you all, advising me that we (Caterham) should take a look at this thread, which I duly did and replied to Steve. Having had another look at the thread today, I'm sure the reply would be of interest to you all - so I have decided to post it here as well: Dear Steve, Thank you for your email - I have read the comments on the thread you directed me to with interest. It saddens me to think that the members of the forum feel that Caterham have no interest in owners problems. In the recent past we have recalled significant numbers of cars for *potential* problems eg: driveshafts, rear hubs etc. We could have dealt with the cases that have arisen individually, but chose to act in the interest of our customer base and offer free of charge replacements for everyone potentially affected. You will probably have seen that I have used Blatchat as a medium for this, most recently the 'R' clip on the brake pedal. De-dion tube failures are rare. We have investigated those that have been presented to us and found the common factor to be the damper being loose (ie 'an installation issue') Moreover, we inspect the tube as part of regular servicing and would be aware of any further problems. Compared to the isolated few, many thousands more are working completely satisfactorily. It is a shame that any improvement we make in the product is seen as an admission that the previous part was not suitable. In reality, suppliers, production techniques, legislation and applications change, and where possible we use these changes to make our product faster, lighter and stronger. This is, and continues to be, the case with the de-dion tube so it is likely that it will be revised at some point in the future for these reasons. The recent improvements to the tube have been carried down from R400 race series development. The tube was made wider to accomodate a new slick (which has more deflection and would have fouled the watts link). More width means more stress, so the specification of the material was increased to match the SV tube. Finally, the redundant bush was removed to improve integrity, reduce weight, reduce confusion, and remove some cost. None of these improvements have been as a result of failures. The latest tube actually costs us more to produce, yet we have not increased the retail price. Whilst Blatchat is an excellent forum for the exchange of information and social contact, it should be remembered that the messages posted are the views of the member and may not contain adequate or accurate information for a balanced judgement to be made by the reader. For example, having read this thread I made a swift scan of others and found statements by well known club members that are simply wrong (ie. re EU3 on roller barrels and the Supersport-R). Unfortunately, we do not have the resource to have an active presence on Blatchat, but we are here to answer any questions you may have. I hope this information has been of interest to you and I would not hesitate to reassure you that a properly maintained car is going to remain safe, durable and a lot of fun. Best Regards SIMON LAMBERT Aftersales Manager

See posting on ChitChat regarding the Supersport-R for the EU3 SIMON LAMBERT Aftersales Manager

1990 'G' Reg 24k Miles Full paint - Red Flared wings Leather Harnesses Revolution 5 Spokes with new tyres 2 Owners - present since 1991. Looked after by Caterham technician (family). Good condition. £9500 Being sold because never at home to use it ☹️ T. 07905 227288 or 01322 220874 Adam.

1990 'G' Reg 24k Miles Full paint - Red Flared wings Leather Harnesses Revolution 5 Spokes with new tyres 2 Owners - present since 1991. Looked after by Caterham technician (family). Good condition. £9500 Being sold because never at home to use it ☹️ T. 07905 227288 or 01322 220874 Adam.

Here I am just bored and browsing around the web. Can't help but make a few comments... Mike, depends who you talk to regarding the rear ARB as different people prefer different car setups. My two-penneth would suggest that with such a stiff front, removing the rear-anti roll bar is likely to introduce a shed-load of understeer. Arnie, is the ARB for the underslung position? The Rover engine actually sits a couple of inches further back in the chassis. Compare the position of Robert's gear lever gaitor to yours. Simon.

4 Point Harness - SOLD oh and err, 'boing'.

Rear Wheel Protection Bar - SOLD.

I don't remember saying 'free' anywhere Arnie. Sorry. Unfortunately, I seem to have upset a number of people with this 'advert' (and have been told off by Barry) - my apologies - I've asked for the thread to be withdrawn. As mentioned in ChitChat, please feel free to email or phone me at any time with feedback or queries, it is what we are here for. SIMON LAMBERT Aftersales Manager