Evora 400 transmission noise

[Gashead1105]

42 minutes ago, Alfo86 said:

For all the manufacturer their issue noise are normal...I'll accept it for a 10/20k car... the transmission of my 500 is more silent than this one... I repeat... for a 100k have a traktor transmission sound inside the cabin is crazy. They've to make something, if they don't, I'll go trough legal...

I'm afraid you are going to get the response "they all do that sir". 

[Colin G]

26 minutes ago, Gashead1105 said:

I'm afraid you are going to get the response "they all do that sir". 

They certainly do, from day one.

52 minutes ago, Neal H said:

Did you test drive it before you bought it?

Which makes this a massive question.

 

[Gashead1105]

20 minutes ago, Colin G said:

They certainly do, from day one.

Which makes this a massive question.

 

I thought it much less noticeable in Greg's Evora than it is in my Exige. But I had the windows down and the exhaust in 'loud'! 

[Colin G]

To be honest I barely even notice it these days and it's easy enough to cancel it out when it starts anyway, the root cause when it occurs seems to be poor gear  selection. 

[JayEmm]

I try with this car more than most to keep the revs above 2,000 rpm, it's usually doable without being anti-social. From conversations with many mechanically minded people it seems that the worst possible thing to do with any car is to work the engine from very low RPM, especially forced induction ones.

Doing that tends to limit this noise to pulling away from standstill. I'll have my new stereo in next week and I'll probably never hear it again

[Alfo86]

This is want I listen in my evora at all gears... you've to double noise in the reality because it's hard to catch with mobile phone in the right way.

Evora 400 transmission noise

You can listen both at low revs high gear and from 1 minute right gear love revs.

 

8 hours ago, Gashead1105 said:

I thought it much less noticeable in Greg's Evora than it is in my Exige. But I had the windows down and the exhaust in 'loud'! 

With the windows down I don't feel nothing... but I don't live in California unfortunately ????

Edited September 16, 2016 by Alfo86

[JayEmm]

Alfo that sounds exactly like mine. It's normal. To be honest, I'll take it over the tyre roar you get in a 911 because at least the noise in the Evora goes away...

[Alfo86]

One years ago.i.tried an evora s for 100km and I don't. remember anything like that...I love the 'washing machine' sound of the volumetric supercharger but is completely covered from this bad grinding noise. if it's normal I place my soul in peace and I will start using radio. I hate it because I usually love to listen the engine but I'll do it, avoid to be taken from an angry crisis.

[Chrisc]

I listened to that on max volume, and it doesnt sound like mine  although have they changed something from the Exige to the Evora? Bar the 50 extra horses 

That sound would annoy me, but again its difficult hearing it off a phone.

[Alfo86]

If you've understood from  a phone... imagine in the reality. I made another video, where the noise in more clear. Tomorrow I'll write lotus because more I use it more the noise increase. I know that I'm a little paranoid on that, but believe me it's too much to be normal.

[Alfo86]

 

Here you can listen more about the noise... is clearly audible. 

[ramjet]

I must be deaf. I can't hear anything I would really be worried about.

If you are though, I'd be making a trip to your dealer and showing them.

Publishing your videos publicly on YT as well, may only serve to reinforce some peoples opinions of Lotus being unreliable as well.

[Alfo86]

I was to the dealer today. They told me that they've to probably open gearbox and clutch to understand what's happen.

I'll update you as soon as they detect any possible issue.

[JayEmm]

On 18/09/2016 at 00:47, ramjet said:

Publishing your videos publicly on YT as well, may only serve to reinforce some peoples opinions of Lotus being unreliable as well.

That's my job

It's definitely the same noise as my car but is fairly common on cars with single plate clutches and not much between you and the gearbox. 

Think of it like a Ducati

[DanChantler]

Agree with @JayEmm. My manual sounds quite similar sub 2.5k revs. I had it on my old S1 too. It's what I term a "Lotus" thing 

[Alfo86]

Thanks guys for your opinions... I make a chat also with customer services that told me that should be a normal lotus noise gear, but the strange for both is that the noise is present also at hight gear (3,4,5,6) at.more that 2500 rpm. So.they suggest me.to.go.to.the dealer to evaluate a fault to the clutch or gear cables maybe not tighten or positioned correctly. I don't complaint about low revs at low gear (1,2 max 2500 rpm) but I Complain about to be in a cruise speed in highway  (ex 95km/h in 5ft gear) and drive hours with this grinding noise in the ears.

That for me seems strange....

[Brendonian]

That does seem hugely worse than my LE. I get a bit of noise from the clutch when pulling away, but only for a second or so at most, and only ever in 1st gear.

[JayEmm]

In the 400 it's there in any gear up to about 2,200rpm - sometimes less, sometimes more. Most noticeable with windows up and exhaust valve closed.

[trcm]

listened to your second clip and whilst the rattly diesel gearbox noise is familiar to even the S1, it does seem odd that it's present in the upper gears too!

As @JayEmm (I think) commented earlier, the typical gearbox rattle noise it can be avoided almost entirely by driving in a higher RPM in each gear, which is fun if not economical or polite around town

[Alfo86]

@trcm"it does seem odd that it's present in the upper gears too!"... this is the stange thing... also in upper gear (3/4/5 gear), and in higher rpm (till 3500 rpm).

ahahaha... 20km/l it's the average duel consumation to avoid bad noise too much guys

anyway, I planned a service to understand more about it. it seems that some exige v6 had the same issue related to the collar bearing that no work so good as expected. we've to understand if this is the case, and in case change the clutch kit with another one under warranty.

I'll keep you updated. I think that we've to wait at least 1 month for an update on that.

Cheers.

[DJW]

Had this in my S1 , multiple trips to dealer, Lotus mechanic etc .  Going up a hill especially , at lower revs it sounded like a tractor.   Agree it's not becoming of a car of this value. 

It's even worse in an Exige V6 , but with so much other noise also in the cabin you kind of accepted it.

Test drive of a manual 400 showed the noise has been damped a fair amount vs the S1, but still present. 

Having an Auto now, I haven't noticed the noise, or if it's present at all.  

 

Edited October 12, 2016 by DJW

[Alfo86]

1000 miles more and same noise but ...

I noticed that with cold car, for the first 2km of drive, the gearbox is super silent as have to be. Some little noise but complitely tolerable.

After some km, probably something will expanding and it start to be incredibly noisy. More km I made, more noise I have.  

Additionally, I noticed also that the car because nervous during the gear changes (cold is really fluid) and start to tear off, mainly in the first 3rd gears.

For my POV it will be for sure or the thrust/ release bearing or the bearing of transmission main drive that have some play that, with they get warm, they start brushing/creaking generating noise.

What do you think about this?

[PaulCP]

Temperature is certainly a contributor as i have pointed out earlier. The transmission is quiet when cold presumably since the oil is thicker. Any rattle from the thrust bearing on mine when idling is usually solved with dipping the clutch and releasing it again

[Alfo86]

The rattle from thrust bearing is a cla cla cla noise and is audible when idling and stop when push clutch pedal, and restart when release. It isn't part of the rattle that I listen also when car is warm?

part of that, I agree that the hot could increase the gear rattle, but after 2km of relaxed drive it seems crazy to think that oil is already hot! That's why I think that could be some part expansion/tolerance of something in the gear/ clutch or differential that fail and cause the noise.

at 3000km I made a gear oil change and I place a gear 300 oil, not a bad oil to justify  this kind of behavior. 

 

[Corsu]

I've read all this post. To be fair, I've drove the EVORA 400, I've drove the Exige V6, I owned a Lotus Elise R and all have this noise. It's could be due to the gearbox cable and the parking brake cable. At 3000 rmp, on my Elise, I release the accelerator pedal and the noise comes, like you after some kilometers.  To fix the issue on my Elise R, the dealer put a plastic foam to isolate all the cable from the chassis. Wherever he found a cable, he put a plastic foam. It was very funny, by summer when the car was very hot, it smelled the burning plastic, lol, nonetheless the noises have disappeared, not all but almost. And trust me, the 410 will do the same noise and Lotus will does not care anymore of it. 

If you drive an EVORA IPS, there is no noise.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Corsu