Dorve my wifes Panda for the first time in ages - its an 08 MJ diesel, with only 8000 miles on clock.

I'd not driven it for a while, but am worried about the clutch. The biting point appears to be right up at the top of the travel (ie very nearly released). Its the complete opposite to my Verso and other cars, where the clutch bit right at the bottom.

Is this normal ?

Theres not clutch slip or judder mind........

It also seems to drive badly at low speed - if you slow down to run on the governor in second, the engine judders and doesn't like it. Yet previous small engined diesels (Metro and pug 106) didn't mind this. Any comments ?

I assume its a RHD Panda?

If so its a hydraulic clutch, so might need bleeding / fluid top-up

Yes, RHD. All fluid levels seem okay, unless there is a hidden res for the clutch.

No sign of leaks etc either

Dieselweasel said:

Yes, RHD. All fluid levels seem okay, unless there is a hidden res for the clutch.

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Clutch fluid is on bulkhead to the left when looking at engine (on a 1.1 Active anyways)

Just out of interest, if anyone does have a Panda MJ, just "have a feel" of the clutch and please let me know where the biting point is.

I don't trust main dealers - Fiat or otherwise !!! Forewarned is forearmed, etc etc !!!!

My biting points always been on the high side on my 1.2 Dynamo...:devil:

I've got a '55' Plate Multijet with 24k and the biting point has always been high wouldn't worry about it unless it slips or judders!

Magic - just what I wanted to know.

Watch someone now say theirs bites at the bottom, so to speak !

Get the master cylinder checked out, my pedal was high from new. On the first service they told me the master cyliner needing replacing as it was causing the pedal to be to high. I just thought all pandas were like that, it was much better after they replaced it. I am not the first person on here to have had this problem.

my panda 1.3mj on an 08 had a problem with this the car had no acceleration tho, i took it to my local dealer who looked at it straight away and found that the electrical switch on the clutch had failed making the clutch actuator fail all reset and worked fine now tho i just tap the clutch and it cuts in really annoying they are going to look at it during second service

My wife's MJ has just the clutch feel described - quite unlike my 100HP where the clutch bites much earlier in the travel - no issues after 14,000 miles. If you let the revs drop too far the engine does just bog down - I change gear more often in the MJ than the 100HP.

had my second service they found the same problem with clutch reset it but within a week its back to slipping at the touch of the pedal only done 25k aswell

My clutch pedal on the 100hp is quite high, i also have to give it abit of a rev if im on a hill to get it goin, should i get this looked at? ive also noticed, once the car is warm there is abit of a squeek when engaging the clutch. is this normal?

Sorry for the thread hijack, but ive been meaning to post this up for a while now.

Dieselweasel said:

Just out of interest, if anyone does have a Panda MJ, just "have a feel" of the clutch and please let me know where the biting point is.

I don't trust main dealers - Fiat or otherwise !!! Forewarned is forearmed, etc etc !!!!

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Mrs babbo umbro's 58 plate MJ's clutch bites near the top of the pedal travel - totally different from my 100HP.

I had the clutch on the 100HP changed under warranty a couple of weeks ago - I'd been convinced from new that it was not freeing completely - feels much improved, especially when putting into first or reverse; second-to-third change still not great, though.

Just to add to this thread I've just had the master cylinder changed under warranty on my 100HP after 5,000 miles as it was causing the clutch to not release fully. The local dealer managed to do the work at short notice, aside from FIAT not sending the part when they should.

I am a bit concerned now I've driven it a bit that there may be some permanent damage to the clutch as I still don't think it feels right? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

minardirule said:

Just to add to this thread I've just had the master cylinder changed under warranty on my 100HP after 5,000 miles as it was causing the clutch to not release fully. The local dealer managed to do the work at short notice, aside from FIAT not sending the part when they should.

I am a bit concerned now I've driven it a bit that there may be some permanent damage to the clutch as I still don't think it feels right? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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More likely to damage the gearbox than the clutch, I'd have thought (just to put your mind at rest).

babbo umbro said:

More likely to damage the gearbox than the clutch, I'd have thought (just to put your mind at rest).

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:yeahthat:

Might have just added premature wear to the clutch if anything, rather than damage.

Thanks for the replys (and the reassurance!!) it seems to have got better having driven it more over the weekend, doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the gearbox that feels as good as it did before the problem.

What do we think the chances of a new clutch are due to premature wear?????

minardirule said:

Thanks for the replys (and the reassurance!!) it seems to have got better having driven it more over the weekend, doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the gearbox that feels as good as it did before the problem.

What do we think the chances of a new clutch are due to premature wear?????

Click to expand...

I had the clutch replaced under warranty just after the 12-month service on my 100HP and the whole transmission is behaving better - no graunch going into reverse, no resistance to engaging first when stationary, better gearchange all round though second to third is still not perfect. Dealer says there was nothing obviously wrong with the clutch, though I assume the plate was out of true or the internal splines were binding. I imagine incomplete disengagement through faulty hydraulics must add to wear on the friction material but I'm sure Fiat would contend that this is a wearing item and they might be reluctant to fix it under warranty.

I'll see how it behaves now it's back in regular use but if the problems continue it'll be back to my friendly local dealer and see what they say