Gearbox/Clutch noise

[4exige]

HI

This weekend, I noticed on my Exige V6 what. If I turn down from 3rd gear on the 2nd gear , I hear going on while letting the clutch in 2nd gear a slight noise. You can hear it at the grinding point always the clutch. Just before you let go of the clutch. It occurs only when I switch from 3 to 2 transition. It also happens rarely. Only now and then. Does that have someone in his Exige? Should I be worried? I still have warranty until 2017. Should I leave Replace the clutch or even the gearbox?

The gearbox and the clutch otherwise run perfectly. The shifting of gears goes smoothly and noiselessly.

Thanks for your feedback
Stefan

Edited September 28, 2015 by 4exige

[MartynB]

Hi Stefan

Did anything come of this issue? I did a trackday a few days ago and coming back to the car again this weekend I find exactly the same thing you describe. 

Did yours go away or get worse? Did you need to get anything done?

[Mark030358]

Hi,

Could be the pedal assy. read somewhere else they sometimes need some WD40. Hope its not the clutch, I had it when mine had very few miles on the clock. What year is the car?

 

cheers

Mark

 

[RedViper]

I believe a lot of people experience similar issue and it's down to the clutch release bearing. Indeed my friends previous Evora and new Evora 400 both did it from now, it never caused anything other than annoyance in the 3 years he has his old one. 

[550superfast]

Isn't the clutch release bearing noise a rattle at idle?

the description by 4exige sounds different 

[RedViper]

I believe it also can sound like a slight graunch when releasing clutch and my friends was also second gear on both his evoras. 

Edited May 28, 2017 by RedViper

[MartynB]

Sounds somewhat plausible. It does appear to come from the general gearbox area, but only does it while driving, and then only in a narrow band of usage. Engaging 2nd gear once the revs have dropped and doing around 20mph

[C1RVY]

Has anyone ever had to replace a clutch on a V6 Exige?

How much would one be??

[RedViper]

I think it's about £3k all in. 30 hours labour the killer. If mine ever goes il go for the uprated clutch and flywheel from KT and get them to fit it.  

[redlancer]

Hi,
Realize this is my 1st post on here so Hi all.  Been a Lotus owner for a around 8 years now,
Anyway have a 2017 Exige 350 and have the exact same issue as mentioned by a few on this thread so seeing if anything became of their problems
Problem is most noticeable when changing from 3rd to 2nd get a chirping/ggggrrrrrrr sound some of the time.  e.g. coming up to a round about doing about 3k in 3rd change to 2nd and hear chirp just as a I start to let the clutch out and not at the biting point.
I could also hear it a little in other down changes but these are less frequent and quieter.
If I blip the throttle before engaging the gear or waiting a little bit all is OK.
Lotus looked at it and signed off a new clutch and flywheel.
Pick car up in time for the trip to 70th from Chester.  All OK for about 500 miles.
Then went to NEC to do charity rides and that's when i heard the noise again coming up to a round about after doing the route 6 times.   Again 3rd to 2nd
Then almost 50% of the time I could get noise 3rd to 2nd when 3rd was about 3k in revs.  Previously even changing at low speeds would give the noise so this is a slight bit better at the moment.
Took car to garage and they've bleed the clutch and although its just a 15 mile drive seems OK, although I didn't have much chance to do many 3rd to 2nd tests  as needed to get back to work and traffic was bad.

So could a clutch bleed be the issue?  Did anyone else get the issue fixed.
Seems odd that it would be the cause twice and sure they bleed the clutch last time before putting in new clutch.  Or could 2 different issues cause the same problem?
The new clutch does feel miles better than the old one, but the old one wasn't bad.




 

[ROJ]

Hi Graham.

I suffer / have suffered from this issue.. I say ‘have suffered’ as it hasn’t occurred recently. Took it into the dealers for a service and mentioned it. They could not replicate the problem whilst it was in. On collecting the car, I took one of their mechanics out and sure enough, not a single noise was made. A few weeks later, it decides to do it again. Argggggggg!

I find it occurs when the engine’s cold so only for the first 5-10 minutes. Usually at a turning point after setting out on one of my circuits around the island. See attached video link below:

One suggestion was to give the temperamental girl a jolly good spanking! Possible build up of cr*p on the clutch and a bit of enthusiastic driving may clear it. However, you’ve had a clutch replaced and the problem’s still there, so that would surely rule that one out.

My latest noise is when accelerating hard in 2nd and around the time the exhaust valve opens you get a metallic tinny noise which then disappears as you carry on up with the revs.

However, on my last trip out, neither noise was made. Lotus ownership. Certainly different.....🤔

If anyone else gets this or works out what it is then please do share your experience.

 

[redlancer]

Hi Roger,

That's the noise. 
Hot or cold for me.  Before clutch change it was present in every change down with 3rd to 2nd loudest..  Post changeout only noticed in 3rd to 2nd and could get it 50% of the time from 3k revs braking and changing down.
Revs did make a difference and if I press the clutch down and back up again all ok.
Almost like the noise is something not releasing quick enough.

Re the spirited driving  after a charity track day it was still there and it appeared during my running in period.

When Lotus came and we went out, he was dropping/sidestepping the clutch on change saying that's how this can manifest itself, but this made it ok.  But there's no way i'd want to do that.

 

[Hangar 111]

I would have said that noise is clutch release bearing - @redlancer I assume they replaced this when they changed your clutch?

Dave

[redlancer]

I'll double check cheers, they did do clutch and flywheel, considering the labor i would of thought everything would off been done.

[Dan.G]

I think my car is doing this..

I can hear it in 1st and 2nd, at low speed, low rpm and is only present when the clutch is out. Goes away when the clutch is in.

Sounds like a churp/light metal grind/tractor chug.

Does not seem to effect anything. Just a noise.

[Dan.G]

On 30/11/2018 at 14:32, Hangar 111 said:

I would have said that noise is clutch release bearing - @redlancer I assume they replaced this when they changed your clutch?

Dave

Dave,

I might pop over in the week if you fancy having a glance over my 380. Work out what's right and what's not etc. Your only 45 mins away

 

[Edinburgh 111s]

7 hours ago, Dan.G said:

I think my car is doing this..

I can hear it in 1st and 2nd, at low speed, low rpm and is only present when the clutch is out. Goes away when the clutch is in.

Sounds like a churp/light metal grind/tractor chug.

Does not seem to effect anything. Just a noise.

Dan. Does it sound like this? 

 

thats from my car is 1st and second with the clutch out and low revs. 

[Dan.G]

Very much so!

[k20Rob]

My 350 did that. I had it looked at twice and told it is normal and that mine is one of the quieter ones. My new 380 does it also, straight from the show room...

[Dan.G]

It doesn't seem to affect the car. Just a disappointing noise. The only way I have found to overcome this noise is to put my foot down....

[Hangar 111]

On 09/12/2018 at 09:23, Dan.G said:

Dave,

I might pop over in the week if you fancy having a glance over my 380. Work out what's right and what's not etc. Your only 45 mins away

 

Hi @Dan.G.  PM me your number, and I will give you a call a bit later on...

Edited December 10, 2018 by Hangar 111

[redlancer]

Got a reply back from Lotus re the change down noise. 
In a nutshell its to be expected with aggressive driving and down changing at high revs so not covered by the warranty.
So driving at 3000 revs approaching a roundabout or other road conditions that means you brake and change to 2nd is high revs and aggressive. 
The 3k and braking to 2nd is the example that highlights the problem the best and not the only way it occurs.  As per mine (which lotus have) and Roj's video's these are at much lower revs and if that's aggressive driving Lotus are in the wrong business.
I can see this car being the best worst car I've ever had.  I love driving it but start to cringe every down shift expecting a noise.

Did anyone one here with this problem get a fix?
Mine appeared to be OK for nearly 800 miles after the clutch change, but a lot of that was motorway driving.  I've asked if the release bearing was changed and still to hear back.

I wasn't after a new cutch etc just a start in finding out what's causing this, as from what i can tell there's a good handfull doing this.   I'd of thought Lotus would want to address these issues and find the root cause.  After all they are not the only 2 seater sports car around.  They've already change my clutch and flywheel under warrant for this issue. 


 

[Mark030358]

Shocking reply....

I’d get that assessed independently (definitely not right) and bat it back to Lotus.

same box as in the “flagship” 430..... oh dear.....

[redlancer]

Will see what their response is.
They've already changed the clutch under warranty for this so what's different now?
The aggressive driving comment is really bad IMO as they've never been in a car with me.  I'm guessing I shouldn't off been passed that email as it was to the dealer.

 

[Mark030358]

Irrespective of the fact they have changed the clutch once it still does not sound right from the video. If there is still a clutch problem then it is their responsibility to fix it, assuming you haven't over revved the engine or something like that. The comment "aggressive driving" is a joke unless they took ECU data. 

If you have a good dealer they can help a lot. I use Oakmere (near you) a lot, Paul et al are just brilliant IMHO. They got my clutch fixed on my old V6S (a few hundred miles on the clock) and will also push to get me a (second) replacement windscreen, as the replacement supplied showed the same faults after installation. Plus I would suggest you have a legal recourse if the car has a warranty. 

Good luck

Mark