Issues with engaging reverse gear

[Exx]

Hi

I have a 350 sport 2016 with 15000km (approx 10000 miles)

Quite often i can t engage reverse at the first try and i need to go back to neutral, press clutch pedal again and push firmly the lever to engage reverse.

It happens when i stop the car after having a drive then put reverse gear in order to park

If i start the engine cold i have no issues with pulling the reverse gear directly 

Otherwise the gearbox and clutch are perfect 

[Mark030358]

Sounds like a Dragging clutch if all other gears OK? You could try adjusting the gate at the bottom of the stick first, then the cables.

Try going into 3rd gear, then into reverse see if that helps.

cheers

[Exx]

What do you mean by dragging clutch ?

I did some tests and really most of the time reverse is quite hard to engage, and sometimes simply impossible without going back to neutral and release/press clutch again .. and it happens only with reverse

What i noticed also is when i put reverse then went back to neutral without releasing clutch i could reengage reverse in a very smooth way

Do you have in general hard time to engage reverse with your V6 ? I mean you need to push firmly lever and feel it is not engaging in a smooth way like other gears

[Mark030358]

@Exx

Hi,

Drag is where the clutch does not release fully. As I said, if it does not go in, try putting it into 3rd they try again, don’t force it too much.

I have exactly the same issue and I’m having a new clutch fitted this month, my clutch has 8000 miles on it so not very happy. Even though I have the KT upgrade (from 4000 miles) the car has not been abused ever.

Cheers

[Exx]

So you mean that my clutch need to be changed ?

My car is under warranty i would need to send it back to Komotec then, but it s far away from home

[Mark030358]

@Exx

I'm not saying that. I would get it checked out by a specialist first. Mine has been looked at and thats the diagnosis.

 

cheers

[Mark030358]

Thread bump.....

After 8K miles clutch replaced (could not engage reverse without some chew).

Turns out two of the six rivets in the plate had gone. Pictures to follow...

[MrD]

8k for the clutch to go, that's some going!

Do 380s come with the upgraded clutch or was it from 410 onwards that Lotus changed the part(s)?

[Mark030358]

56 minutes ago, MrD said:

8k for the clutch to go, that's some going!

Do 380s come with the upgraded clutch or was it from 410 onwards that Lotus changed the part(s)?

No, standard clutch, however packing a KT460 upgrade, and in truth the car has never caned. Now fitted with the upgraded parts from the 410/30.

cheers

[Exx]

So you only had some issues in reverse like me but clutch needed to be change ?

Otherwise it was close to do not work at all ?

 

I asked komotec about my issue and they answered that :

 

yes, the first point is more or less a standard a few cars a bit more a few cars a bit less. It is, because of the teeth of the reverse. So a few have to put the clutch sometimes to get in first other to get in reverse. So this is nothing new.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Exx

[Mark030358]

Ok, pics as promised.

 

Clutch worked fine in all gears, but selecting reverse was a pig....

 

Think I was a lucky chap as it happened retuning rom a Swiss Alps trip too.

 

[Arun_D]

Shall we compare notes?

My very first V6S (2013) which i bought lightly used had a complete clutch failure, with the same failure mechanism. Consider this happened at 1800miles and the car already had one clutch change before my ownership! I rejected it after a complete hash of a repair job and funnily enough heard it had a subsequent failure with the next owner. No idea why that car was such a lemon (well it was yellow!)

 

That being said, we were all told early clutches were improved, so I'm certainly surprised to see a similar mechanism on a later car at 8k. Count yourself lucky it didn't go completely!

 

[Exx]

So a V6S/350 without clutch issue should not have any trouble with engaging reverse ?

[Mark030358]

51 minutes ago, Arun_D said:

Shall we compare notes?

My very first V6S (2013) which i bought lightly used had a complete clutch failure, with the same failure mechanism. Consider this happened at 1800miles and the car already had one clutch change before my ownership! I rejected it after a complete hash of a repair job and funnily enough heard it had a subsequent failure with the next owner. No idea why that car was such a lemon (well it was yellow!)

 

That being said, we were all told early clutches were improved, so I'm certainly surprised to see a similar mechanism on a later car at 8k. Count yourself lucky it didn't go completely!

 

wow.....

I remember us talking about that when I had my V6S which was replaced at less than 500 miles....

2 minutes ago, Exx said:

So a V6S/350 without clutch issue should not have any trouble with engaging reverse ?

correct..