Please help - could it be the clutch?

sarcho

sarcho

Member
A mechanic from a garage that I usually do my MOT checked the car today and told me that the clitch was failing. They are not a garage specialised in A2 (1.4 petrol), just a generic one. The mechanic told me that it's now worthed fixing it (by replacing it) because the price would be as high as £1000.

I need to drive to France in 10 days and this really frightened me. He told me that the clitch can fail at any moment, but I should cross my fingers, get breakdown cover and go.
I never noticed any problems with the clitch. Never thought about having any problems with it. With the engine - yes, there is an oil leak, with the alternator belt and tensioner - yes, but nothing clitch regarded. It's a 2001 Audi A2, just passed 137,000 miles mark. :) could it be another problem, with similar symptoms (I actually don't know what the symptoms are).
What I should look for regarding the failing clitch behaviour?

I'm panicking here, because I'm moving to France for good, and need to transport some of my belonging (and the car) on the 9th of October...
Please help - any advice is appreciated.
 
A failing clutch can be noticed by the revs staying high before it 'bites' and pulls the car. Clutch slip can be tested harshly by maming it work really hard on a gear change with lots of revs. If it doesn't slip and gears change okay or even if it slips a but it will take weeks to wear out, possibly longer if you are gentle with gear changes (drop revs before engaging).

If he means flywheel and clutch then it's possible the clutch is okay but flywheel needs changing. On tdi on mine it's combined so replaced both and yes cost me 700 ish! Mines done 140k
 
audifan said:
When was the brake fluid last changed and the brakes and clutch slave flushed?
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I own the car for 4 years. Got in at 118,000 miles. Never changed the brake fluid (it was only checked) Clutch slave has not been flushed either during that period. I don't know the previous repair history, only the MOT records and there is nothing there clitch related (I know the MOT record is not a valuable info).
 
CrispyEdd said:
A failing clutch can be noticed by the revs staying high before it 'bites' and pulls the car. Clutch slip can be tested harshly by maming it work really hard on a gear change with lots of revs. If it doesn't slip and gears change okay or even if it slips a but it will take weeks to wear out, possibly longer if you are gentle with gear changes (drop revs before engaging).

If he means flywheel and clutch then it's possible the clutch is okay but flywheel needs changing. On tdi on mine it's combined so replaced both and yes cost me 700 ish! Mines done 140k
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None of the above symptoms. Doesn't slip while driving :) I assume a failing flywheel is as bad as the clutch and if it fails on the road - that would be it - I won't be able to reach my destination in southern France?
 
simple check, find a stepish hill that you can start off on (a hill start, select 1st gear and pull away up the hill, change to second gear and as you let the clutch up to engange drill lissen for any engine revs which are higher than they should be for the road speed, also look at the rev counter, once the clutch is fully up floor the throttle and look for any sharp increase in revs / lissen for the engine reving up suddenly, repeat when changing from 2nd to 3rd gear.
If you get an increase in revs with the clutch pedal fully released (pedal up) and the road speed does not increase to match the revs then you have a worn and slipping clutch

to be fair at 137K miles the clutch in a petrol will be nearing the end of its life, a diesel will do significantly more miles on a clutch, I had an A2 tdi at 272K when the clutch failed. Also lissen for any noise when you first press the clutch pedal down and the noise going away when the clutch pedal is fully up (this would be a failing clutch release bearing)

If you are getting neither issue descibed above then I would suggest the clutch is OK

a £1000 for a clutch in a petrol A2 is way to high, London prices maybe but even then sounds high
The clutch kit is around £140 for an LUK (OEM fitted), the rest is labour, but on a ramp it is about a 5 hour job, say £65 an hour £325 labour, Total £465, say £500 round numbers, well short of the £1000 you have been 'quoted'

Paul
 
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sarcho said:
A mechanic from a garage that I usually do my MOT checked the car today and told me that the clitch was failing. They are not a garage specialised in A2 (1.4 petrol), just a generic one. The mechanic told me that it's now worthed fixing it (by replacing it) because the price would be as high as £1000.

I need to drive to France in 10 days and this really frightened me. He told me that the clitch can fail at any moment, but I should cross my fingers, get breakdown cover and go.
I never noticed any problems with the clitch. Never thought about having any problems with it. With the engine - yes, there is an oil leak, with the alternator belt and tensioner - yes, but nothing clitch regarded. It's a 2001 Audi A2, just passed 137,000 miles mark. :) could it be another problem, with similar symptoms (I actually don't know what the symptoms are).
What I should look for regarding the failing clitch behaviour?

I'm panicking here, because I'm moving to France for good, and need to transport some of my belonging (and the car) on the 9th of October...
Please help - any advice is appreciated.
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Hi sarco,
Did you tell him you were moving to France by any chance if you did I recon he’s hoping you scrap it or sell it to them for peanuts.

Good luck
Keith
 
depronman said:
simple check, find a stepish hill that you can start off on (a hill start, select 1st gear and pull away up the hill, change to second gear and as you let the clutch up to engange drill lissen for any engine revs which are higher than they should be for the road speed, also look at the rev counter, once the clutch is fully up floor the throttle and look for any sharp increase in revs / lissen for the engine reving up suddenly, repeat when changing from 2nd to 3rd gear.
If you get an increase in revs with the clutch pedal fully released (pedal up) and the road speed does not increase to match the revs then you have a worn and slipping clutch

to be fair at 137K miles the clutch in a petrol will be nearing the end of its life, a diesel will do significantly more miles on a clutch, I had an A2 tdi at 272K when the clutch failed. Also lissen for any noise when you first press the clutch pedal down and the noise going away when the clutch pedal is fully up (this would be a failing clutch release bearing)

If you are getting neither issue descibed above then I would suggest the clutch is OK

a £1000 for a clutch in a petrol A2 is way to high, London prices maybe but even then sounds high
The clutch kit is around £140 for an LUK (OEM fitted), the rest is labour, but on a ramp it is about a 5 hour job, say £65 an hour £325 labour, Total £465, say £500 round numbers, well short of the £1000 you have been 'quoted'

Paul
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Thanks, Paul!
I'll do the check tomorrow. Every day there is a steep part of the street when I'm returning home: 1st, 2nd and then 3rd gear - the car behaves as she should. No problems at all That's why I was so surprised.
BTW, I'm OK to spend £500 on the repair if there's a problem with the clutch, do you think, realistically this can be done before the 9th of October when I'm going to France? I'm in Lancaster. Wich is the part number of the clutch kit?
Also, do you think, provided I haven't had any problems so far, and of course if she passes the simple hill check you've suggested, I should cross my fingers and travel 1000 miles to southern France? There I can take my time and do the repairs.
 
kp 115 said:
Hi sarco,
Did you tell him you were moving to France by any chance if you did I recon he’s hoping you scrap it or sell it to them for peanuts.

Good luck
Keith
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I told him, yes, but I don't think this was an issue. He actually advised me not to do the replacement, because £1000 is too much. Apparently, they can do the job for this money, but would rather not because is too expensive. They advised me to get breakdown insurance, cross my fingers and get on the road. :)
 
If it passes the test that I have outlined then I personally would travel to the south of France with suitable breakdown cover
Talk to the lads at wom if you want/need to get it done before your trip to France

Paul


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sarcho said:
I told him, yes, but I don't think this was an issue. He actually advised me not to do the replacement, because £1000 is too much. Apparently, they can do the job for this money, but would rather not because is too expensive. They advised me to get breakdown insurance, cross my fingers and get on the road. :)
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He didn't want the car, he advised me to put her on sale for parts, and get a cheap used car just to get there. Obviously, I'm on the verge of getting a cheap one, (around £500). Get to France, then fly back from Marseille to Manchester and drive the Audi there as well. And then end up with two British cars in France... Insaine
 
depronman said:
If it passes the test that I have outlined then I personally would travel to the south of France with suitable breakdown cover
Talk to the lads at wom if you want/need to get it done before your trip to France

Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thanks, Paul. "Talk to the lads at wom" - talk to who? Didn't understand that :)
 
depronman said:
If it passes the test that I have outlined then I personally would travel to the south of France with suitable breakdown cover
Talk to the lads at wom if you want/need to get it done before your trip to France

Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
"Talk to the lads at wom" Again, Paul, please give me more details on whom I would contact, if I want the problem fixed before the 9th of October. Also, there is an oil leak from the engine and in the garage, they told me that the car won't pass the MOT with it, so probably this needs to be addressed too by a professional, who knows the Audi and won't rip me off for the repairs.
 
sarcho said:
"Talk to the lads at wom" Again, Paul, please give me more details on whom I would contact, if I want the problem fixed before the 9th of October. Also, there is an oil leak from the engine and in the garage, they told me that the car won't pass the MOT with it, so probably this needs to be addressed too by a professional, who knows the Audi and won't rip me off for the repairs.
Click to expand...
WOM Automotive is a garage in Stoke on Trent. The proprietors are Rob and Marcus and they are the acknowledged experts on A2s.
 
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