Hi

Im new here so go softly lol

Anyway, I drive a 1.4 Fiat Stilo, owned by the family since it was brand new in August 2004. Since then, it's been a great wee car - well, it's never broken down or failed to get us home.

However, a problem I've encountered for quite some time is a very noticeable juddering when pulling away at low speads. The car would really jolt when, for example, coming out of parallel bays or even reversing out of bays. This can be cured A) By an unsubtle level of throlle & B) By depressing the clutch and catching it. I thought it was just me; i've never experienced this before on any other car, however, ive now experienced it with another driver also very familure with her.

In recent weeks, there has been a mild shuddering when rolling in gear with gas or braking in 2nd/3rd gear.

A few months ago, I also couldnt get it to select 5th on one occassion it simply wouldnt go in, also, the car makes the most almightly crunching sound when going into reverse and very often does not want to do in; taking a few efforts but this is normally on start up. It'll eventually slip in as the car rolls back out of the driveway.

Just wondering what about thoughts? Its not slipping or anything and revvs nicely right up to the redline as sweet as nut but Im also not a mechanically minded person by the longest stretch.

This Stilo has 82k on the clock so expecting it to be about time.

My stilo; I do like the car it's nice and easy to drive, it's never broken down (many family cars have been and gone in that time), the steering is light, realtively refined & it's super comfy which for me is the main thing, something alot of cars really arent these days. Complaints also the paint is a nightmare; chips far too easily, the lacquer has started to peel/flake and there is paint peel around lower front arches area apparently common? It also has an annual handbrake tightening tho some clown at the garage has broken the back of the trasmission tunnel and neglected to tell me. Very annoyed about that!! The exhaust wouldnt have been a problem but getting replacement parts, etc for it proved an expensive nightmare. Also the brakes have a habitt of squeeling; front have a habit of this but its a cheap repair and the rears (one side or the other i should add) also have an intermitent fault whenever you turn to the right, again this is easily sorted by the local garage :bang:. Thats about it..

hello!

could be the clutch, but that's fairly easy to check/test. You have a few tell tale signs thee, but I would also consider the gearbox oil - when was it last changed? Another though is the clutch fluid itself.

A garage will be able to tell you for sure, but if you are wanting to do some diagnosis yourself, then I would try the above points.

I agree with clivvy . Check those points first.
We have a 1.4 2004 and it had a new clutch under warranty at about 25k because it had a judder. (Was never questioned by the dealer, they just did it!)
I don't think its a particular fault on the car as clutches usually last for much longer but...... there could always have been a dud batch. At 82k with a few different drivers I wouldn't be too surprised. Whereabouts are you located, as we might find a good independant garage for you.

I noticed your comment about exhaust parts. These are as cheap as chips from Eurocarparts or Buypartsby.

Hello

Im in Ayrshire, Scotland.

The garage we regularly use is fantastic - more friends than customer now! If it's not one car, it's another.

To be honest, the tail pipe has been repaired easily but something further down (this was two years ago now) couldnt be located anywhere by any of the garages we located, it ended up being bandaged up, tho eventually the part was found & it was not cheap!

Thanks guys, never even looked at fluids other than the main stuff, not strictly sure what my dads done on it in the past but nothing underneath for at least two years and he's relatively hot on intermediate mechanical aspects. Doesnt drive it much now though.

My 1.2 Clutch lasted pretty much exactly 86k and then went bang!

That said what your desribing sound to me like a clutch that is intermittantly dragging.

Clutch is a couple of hundred quid to get done, half and half for part and labour. Worth it though.