all i do is drive the thing ! please help

Hello all.

Im after some advice please . i have a 2000 w reg fiat ulysse and have had it for 4 years . I do get a full service done annually. This car has been a real work horse and never had any problems until now !! it has 72k on the clock .
problem one, when driving there is a noise from under the steering wheel that sounds like the indicator, clicks away , then stops , then starts and stops ???? any ideas. no affect on the car when being driven .

today a new problem , whilst tootling to the supermarket car sounded strange, then everytime i put my foot on the clutch it sounded a little throaty . am guessing that maybe the cutch has gone or is on its way out . i had no problem changing gear and the car still drove ok......

now im a female that drives the car and i have noone who can help me out with problems ( since my dad died ) and end up at garages with no choice.
if anyone has any ideas , or if it is the clutch how much it would cost . any advice would be gratefully recieved.

thanks sue

Next to impossible to diagnose without seeing the car but you could always try nearest ATA approved garage who are 'sympathtic' (not sure if that is the right word to use?) towards women drivers;

http://www.automotivetechnician.org.uk/

or try a 'women friendly' site like the link below;

http://www.foxyladydrivers.com/index.php

Hello Welshspark here!

Think I can offer some input on this for you.

Firstly the indicator like sound you can hear coming from behind the steering wheel may be the Indicator relay playing up.
Listen carefully the next time it happens, my guess is youll find its more likely to be coming from underneath the dash near the drivers footwell or the passenger side footwell. This is where the indicator relay is commonly located. This is a minor problem that shouldnt cause any major headaches just an annoying sound! I had the exact same fault on a brand new skoda octavia.
Cheap part & easy to change yourself the hard part is finding out which relay is for the indicators if there is more than one. Id suggest buying a haynes manual for your car to find out or, if you do take it too your local garage I wouldnt expect them to charge you any more than £30 for supplying the part and fitting.

Secondly is the sound you here when depressing the clutch more like a grumbling or grating sound? and has your car done 80000 miles+? If so my guess would be that the thrust bearing in the clutch is on its way out, this will result in the clutch eventually failing, not tomorrow but in a few thousand miles maybe. Best not to ignore it though get the clutch checked if in doubt.