Hi all,

My clutch cable seems to have sheered this morning. I've been towed home, have ordered a new cable, but does anyone have a procedure to hand to replace?

Access will be the biggest issue for me. I haven't got ramps or an easy way of getting to the right place!

On my 500 the spigot on the clutch pedal where the cable fits was so worn that the cable just slipped off. Might be worth checking

Toshi 975 said:

On my 500 the spigot on the clutch pedal where the cable fits was so worn that the cable just slipped off. Might be worth checking

Click to expand...

Thanks Toshi,

My first instinct was to check that the cable was still securely attached to the pedal, and I did that before I called the roadside recovery service. It did 'seem' to be secure, and pressing the pedal was having an impact on the cable at the very head of the central tunnel.

I'll double check that again, but I think the issue is at the other end.

I don't have ramps, but I managed to squeeze under the car and located the cable (I think) where it pops out of the tunnel. I gave it light a tug and the cable did start to 'pull through' from the back, I couldn't pull it all the way, but there was enough in there (6 inches?) for me to be pretty satisfied that it wasn't secured at the business end.

I'm in for either replacing the entire cable, or at least re-attaching it to the lever (if the stud/nut has worked loose).

I think the clutch cable is in that tube all the way to the back of the car. So you can just pull the two broken sections out of their respective ends and then push the new cable in from the rear.
Worth checking the curved end of the tube isn't slightly bent out of alignment and straining the cable. Mine used to "grunch" until I gave it a slight tweak with my immensely strong bare hands.
My spare one photographed.
MAL_6311 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

fiat500 said:

I think the clutch cable is in that tube all the way to the back of the car. So you can just pull the two broken sections out of their respective ends and then push the new cable in from the rear.
Worth checking the curved end of the tube isn't slightly bent out of alignment and straining the cable. Mine used to "grunch" until I gave it a slight tweak with my immensely strong bare hands.
My spare one photographed.
MAL_6311 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

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Thanks Peter. Parts have been ordered and I'm hoping it's just a cable issue. I hear (from Hobbler) that the most likely alternative scenario is that the bolt that secures the release bearing fork to its shaft has broken/fallen out and, due to a lack of access, this is an 'engine out' job to fix!

Pete145 said:

I hear (from Hobbler) that the most likely alternative scenario is that the bolt that secures the release bearing fork to its shaft has broken/fallen out and, due to a lack of access, this is an 'engine out' job to fix!

Click to expand...

Oh No!!!
If you can pull the clutch cable out from either end then you'll know it's broken. As a postscript, if you do have to fit a new one, take off the triangular cover where the heater switch is at the back of the seats and check what the cable is doing. I'm not sure now if that tube does actually go all the way to the back as it's a while since I had to do that replacement.