how long does a clutch last

Just having one of mine done at 106k. It's obviously been a town/school run car most of its life before my ownership. One of the others is coming up to 150k on (as far as I know) the original clutch and still feeling fine.
 
Ref tdi75 We had one years ago that had massive motorway miles when we bought it uk to Brussels regularly ..I know at 126k original clutch another we had at 117k sold last year same ...there are no doubt plenty more with a lot higher milage ..
 
Hmmmm, with all due that’s a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question! Clutches CAN last for 200k and beyond, or they can last 60k miles or less. It all very much depends on how the car is driven, I’m afraid. My old A2 had 195k, was on it’s original clutch and was showing absolutely no signs of any slippage, my old S-max had over 200k on it’s original clutch, and whilst the flywheel made a bit of a racket it was still completely fine. In 35 years of driving I’ve never, ever had to replace a clutch. Whether that makes me old, lucky or whatever, but I’m a firm believer that driving style decides the life of the clutch.
 
It depends to a large extent on how you operate the clutch and throttle when pulling away from a standstill and changing gear. A bad driver who is not mechanically sympathetic can get through a clutch in less than 30,000 miles. A good driver who is mechanically sympathetic could make one last 300,000 miles.

The type of journeys you make also has a big influence. Even a good driver might only get a clutch to last 100,000 miles if they had a lot of stop/start traffic. Non-stop motorways and A-roads are best for minimum clutch wear.

Treat your clutch well and it should last the life of the car. If you've bought a secondhand car, you won't know how it's been treated and how much wear it has already on it.
 
It depends to a large extent on how you operate the clutch and throttle when pulling away from a standstill and changing gear. A bad driver who is not mechanically sympathetic can get through a clutch in less than 30,000 miles. A good driver who is mechanically sympathetic could make one last 300,000 miles.

The type of journeys you make also has a big influence. Even a good driver might only get a clutch to last 100,000 miles if they had a lot of stop/start traffic. Non-stop motorways and A-roads are best for minimum clutch wear.

Treat your clutch well and it should last the life of the car. If you've bought a secondhand car, you won't know how it's been treated and how much wear it has already on it.

The clutch in my blue TDi is on 330k no slipping and feels fine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I changed one in a TDI A2 I had a few years ago at 272200 miles, release bearing gave up, spinner plate still had 0.6mm left to rivets LUK
New LUK fitted had 1.6mm to rivets, so had the release bearing not given up then around another 130K to 150K left in it
Release bearing only gave up because the cross arm wore the pivot bolt away and was then operating on an angle
BUT as other have stated already it very much depends on the journeys and the driver
 
Hi all what sort of miles do ppl get before they replace the clutch
A clutch in theory should last the lifetime of the car. Don’t drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal, it will prematurely wear the release bearing. Don’t use the biting point as a temporary handbrake. Don’t pull away with the engine revving like mad then gradually engage the clutch. Once moving, the clutch action should be on/off or in/out. Gentle gear changes and smooth engagement of clutch. They are very robust components. It’s just crap drivers who eat through clutches.
 
My late grandfather started driving in the 1940s and was insistent that 1st gear was only for ‘emergencies’ (???) so always pulled away in 2nd while heavily riding the clutch as he was pretty deaf. Always an interesting experience getting a lift off him but he got through clutches pretty quickly.
My original was replaced at 148 K but only as was having a new oil pump chain and thought might as well get everything done at same time. That was first clutch replaced in 30 years of driving.
 
My clutch was replaced at 80,000 mlies to try and cure a noise irritation. It wasn't the cause but the new clutch is so much lighter by comparison on the pedal.
 
My clutch was replaced at 80,000 mlies to try and cure a noise irritation. It wasn't the cause but the new clutch is so much lighter by comparison on the pedal.
That is because the splined output shaft from the gearbox can become quite contaminated with oil & friction material. Also the pivot what the clutch fork swings on can become very dry. A combination can make the pedal action heavy, and cause ‘drag’ which affects the engagement of the gears, so when a new clutch is fitted and if the mechanic does it properly by meticulously cleaning and lubricating everything, the clutch can feel amazing afterwards.
 
Mine's just been done at 106k, apparently it had worn unevenly which is why there was a lot of judder on takeup even though it was fine once it was fully engaged. As with @Special edition, the difference in the feel of the pedal is amazing, so much lighter - both jobs done by the same guy, who certainly knows his stuff.
 
Mine's just been done at 106k, apparently it had worn unevenly which is why there was a lot of judder on takeup even though it was fine once it was fully engaged. As with @Special edition, the difference in the feel of the pedal is amazing, so much lighter - both jobs done by the same guy, who certainly knows his stuff.
Did you at any point ‘cook’ the clutch? That can cause because of excess heat distortion in the friction plate which gives clutch judder.
 
Back
Top