Stevenroyford01 0 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Lotus of Plano just informed me that the clutch on my new Evora has to be replaced at a cost to me of $6400.00... It's a 2011, purchased new barely 4 months ago and has 5000 miles on it now with no track driving , or tire spinning ,just normal driving... This seems unbelievable , absurd !!!... Maybe at 15000 or 20000 miles like a Ferrari or Lamborghini but at 5000 miles and 4 months old with routine driving ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dalepearson 80 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Have they given justification as to why its not covered under warranty? Quote .:: Lotus Evora 400 - Red ::.. | ..:: Tesla Model S - Midnight Silver | Renault Twizy - Brilliant Black ::.. Link to post Share on other sites
douglasgdmw 4 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Sorry & surprised to hear this. A lot of members in the UK have had their clutch's replaced as there was an issue with assembly on the line due to incorrect tightening procedure. George Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Myfavedave 2 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 I thought the clutch issues were on early cars though, it's the first I've heard of a 2011 car having such an issue. I would certainly challenge the dealer, and suggest it is due to a malfunction rather than normal wear and tear. I've done 7000 miles normal driving and the clutch is fine. Has anyone on here had their clutch changed due to normal wear and tear yet? it would be interesting to know what mileage it lasted to. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,165 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 First I've heard of... Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
ramjet 1,086 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Why do they say the clutch needs replacing? Are you aware of a problem with it? Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. Link to post Share on other sites
Stevenroyford01 0 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Yes there's a problem , you put the car in gear when it's running and the car doesn't move :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,165 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 If the clutch was knackered you'd not be able to put it into gear with the engine running! Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
TomE 230 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 That sounds like gear linkage rather than clutch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mdavies 74 Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 No clutch problem up to now in approaching 12K miles of road driving of a May 2010 built car. For peace of mind sake, does anyone know when the assembly problem was diagnosed and corrected, i.e. from what build date were the clutches tightened correctly. I have a UK main dealer quote of £3,780 inc. VAT for fitting a new clutch if not covered by warranty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ramjet 1,086 Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 As Bibs said, if the clutch was shot, you won't get it into gear when the engine is running. Unless, The clutch is stuck in the disengaged position. That is easy to check in that you will have little pedal resistance when you push the clutch pedal and the clutch fork will be loose where it enters the bell housing. Were you driving when it began to fail, or did you get up one morning and the car wouldn't move? Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. Link to post Share on other sites
Stevenroyford01 0 Posted May 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Got up one morning and the car wouldn't move ....,absolutely no indication of problem prior to that.... Started car in neutral, pushed in on clutch , put it in gear, let out on clutch and the car woundn't move... The car had been at dealer three other times for other warranty related problem and a "multi-point inspection was done all three times " with no issues with clutch picked up... Mechanic dealer said glazed over which indicates "normal wear and tear possibly from having foot slightly on clutch all the time" .. I explained to him I never touch the clutch with my foot unless I'm gonna change gears ?... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ramjet 1,086 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Even a glazed over worn clutch should either move the car slightly or you'll notice a drop in engine rpm. For absolutely nothing to happen, the clutch is not engaging at all. Especially if you drove it the day before. How much freeplay is in the clutch arm before it starts to disengage? Something doesn't sound right here. Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,165 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 99.99999% your problem is with the gear selection mechanism. It sounds like as you move the gearstick, it's not engaging a gear which is why you're not moving. There's no way (I'm aware of) you can select a gear with a busted clutch. I'm posting this thread to Lotus and hopefully the USA fields service engineer might be able to shed some more light on the matter. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Stevenroyford01 0 Posted May 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Thanks so much for your input!!!!.... And passing this info on to Lotus and the USA field service engineer ... I will bring up these points and pass on this info/email to the dealership in Plano, Tx and the service dept/manager where the vehicle was purchased new just over 4 months ago, problem occurred just over 3 months ago , the vehicle has been at the dealership for 2 weeks already ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vernon01 0 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 No offense intended.... Have you had a manual gearbox before, do you let others drive it, i.e. kids? spouse? friends? ...... Anyway, could it have happened without your knowledge? Kid broke my stuff without saying anything. Just sayin... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stevenroyford01 0 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 No offense at all... Excellent question....no one else drives the evora except my self and my wife , both of us have driven it since we own it , along with other vehicles we own including an Aston Martin......neither of us keep our foot on the clutch pedal other than to shift, don't slip the clutch etc... When she drives and I ride I've never noticed anything unusual .... the salesman who sold us the vehicle rode with both of us while driving etc .... My wife says I get on it a lil more than her, which is true ... I've had several vehicles with clutches including two jeep wranglers I used both at different times to tow tournament ski boats (these boats are heavy) ... Used to pull the boats up boat ramps, out of water, slipped clutch occasionally, after 50000 miles/3 years plus on vehicles, never had a clutch issue on either... The Evora has a tenth of those miles , less than 4 months old , routine driving and the clutch is history ...... Dealer pulled engine/clutch etc out of the vehicle ... They said the clutch had "hot spots all around pressure plates", "clutch material worn to rivets"... Sent the photos of clutch to "lotus" ... Dealer says "lotus" says normal wear and tear and say they will not cover it ($6400.00 service)......They said at my expense(shipping and inspection fee) I can have the clutch assembly sent to clutch manufacturer and have them inspect for manufacturer defect ... Any suggestions ? ... Is there anyway the clutch could of been slightly disengaged due to a faulty adjustment/cable etc on the vehicle causing the premature wear ? ... I mean to have that kind of wear at that mileage/months based on my experience with other vehicles (jeeps etc) one would have to intentionally try to slip and ruin the clutch if the clutch worked properly ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ramjet 1,086 Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Steven, It still can not be 'normal' wear and tear. You would have noticed slipping as it wore. And to have driven it one day and the next it won't move, something is not right with the mechanism. To be able to put it in gear with the engine running, either the gear selector is not shifting the box as Bibs said, or the clutch is being held in the disengaged position. For it to be worn to the rivets in that short a time and hot spots all over the pressure plates, either it has been slipping the whole time, which you should have noticed by lots of revs and not going anywhere real fast, or there is a fault with the clutch friction plate material. You certainly don't need to send the whole clutch initially I would think. A sample of the friction plate material should be enough initially. Have you seen the clutch since it has been removed? And are you sure it is your clutch? Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,165 Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Can you contact Ron Mann? He's the USA Customer Services and Warranty Manager. He's aware of this thread and has sent details to the local Field Service Engineer but I'm guessing the FSE hasn't spoken with the dealer yet. [email protected] - 770 476 6564 Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Vernon01 0 Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Did you happen to get pics of the clutch that you could post? I'd like to see... I tend to get swayed on the forum from all the individual opinions....no offense to anyone here, visuals help to form my own opinion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stevenroyford01 0 Posted May 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Yes I have pics the dealer emailed me(park place jaguar/lotus; lotus of Plano , in Plano Texas) , not sure how to post them to this site/the forum ? Edited May 15, 2012 by Stevenroyford01 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,165 Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Instructions are in the help section. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Stevenroyford01 0 Posted May 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 I did examine the bad clutch on the vehicle and compared it to the new clutch when it came in .... They're both extremely thin with the clutch pad material being very thin on both , even the brand new one, which is of concern as far as longevity ... lotus is obviously using a "thin "versus a "normal " clutch and when I contacted Ron Mann about using a clutch with a "normal" pad by the same company to help with wear and tear he said the current clutch was the only one "tested and approved" ... The old clutch is being sent back to the U.K. And on to the clutch maufacturer for their evaluation Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LyfzGr8 0 Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have just had the same issue with the clutch on my 2010 Evora. I took it into my local Lotus dealer for a service 3 weeks ago and it is still there now. They told me that the clutch started slipping when they were driving it back to me. After trying a number of things that were suggested by Lotus, they ended up having to replace the clutch. My car only has 9,000 miles on it. I use it to commute to work and have never taken it on a track. I have been driving manual cars for years and never had a clutch go before. Even though the car is still under warranty, I was told that the clutch was not covered and it would cost me around $6000. I spoke to Ron Mann last week and I’m still waiting for him to get back to me. I have read a lot of forum posts about clutch issues with the Evora and in one of them, Bibs mentioned that some of the issues where caused by the initial fitting technique. I’m interested to hear from other people that have had similar issues. Steven (stevenroyford1), did you send your clutch back to the UK for inspection? Did they cover the new clutch under warranty or continue to argue that this is normal wear and tear? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Squidward 3 Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 had my clutch repaired under warranty on my 2010 N/A . The culprit was a poorly mated throwout bearing assembly (it was wobbly). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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