General Gearbox/Clutch noise on new 500

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General Gearbox/Clutch noise on new 500

Hi,

I hate to do this (but I'm going to anyway :D) so apologies in advance.

We purchased my wife an A500 earlier this year, it's clocked around 15k now and a strange noise has developed when letting the clutch up.

No one seems to know what is causing the noise, but I stumbled accross this thread when searching.

The dealer said they 'think' it could be coming from the gearbox, but have no idea until they remove the engine and gearbox from the car, and if no problem is found we will have to pay the labour charges incurred (3rd year waranty).

The noise is I suppose a vibration / hum that comes from the clutch / gearbox when the car is laboured and the clutch is let up at around 2k.

It sounds more to me like a brake binding noise coupled with a vibration, but the brakes are not binding and it's definitley coming from the gear box area. It's hardly noticeable outside the car, but inside with stereo off it can be quite loud from behind the bulk head.

It's also not noticeable from when the car is started, it seems only once the clutch has been used a fair few times or things have warmed a bit.

The clutch seems perfect otherwise, it doesn't slip, can be laboured in any gear while engaged and opperates perfectly, the gear change is smooth, everything engages and stays in gear fine, infact it feels perfect to drive. No nasty rattles with clutch depressed or let out, in fact nothing at all that you would normally expect with a worn / damaged clutch component. It just seems that this weird noise 'woooooooo' (coupled with a little vibration) around 2k when the engine is labouring and the clutch is let up.

I'm starting to wonder if it could be a similar set up and issue as described in this thread?


Thanks,
 
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Hi, it does sound similar to what I experienced. Do what I did and take a copy of this this thread to your garage. I'm sure they will be pleased to see it as it's only a couple of hours job, which is far easier, quicker and cheaper than taking the gearbox out and which won't fix it anyway. You could also get your garage to speak to the dealer where ours was repaired - T.J. Vickers in Telford 01952 605301
 
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Thanks, I've contacted the dealer with this informationa and I'm waiting for a reply.

I haven't heard any other A500 owners report this, but this seems the closest I have found to any answer on the issue.

As I said it's more like the sound you get when brakes are binding and a vibration, but it can be quite loud sometimes in the car from behind the bulkhrad (if you let the clutch up more quickly so the engine labours more it can get really loud).

It's just puzzling as other than the noise at that specific time, everything responds normally and is perfect.
 
Ours also drove perfectly other than this annoying rattle/noise, and since the modification the noise has never even once returned. I assume the part they fit prevents the clutch pipes from rattling against each other or some other part of the car. If you can locate the pipes you might be able to bodge something to test the theory and hopefully prove the point.
 
Thanks, really appreciate your response - I'll see what I can see.

One last thing, I don't suppose there are any pictures of said location under the car? I appreciate the layout will differ but just to get an idea of what I am looking at.

Thanks:)
 
I don't know where teh modification is sited, and as it's raining here today I can't get under to take a look. It's my wifes' car and she uses it for work so I probably won't have another chance to look before the weekend.
 
Looks as though Fiat must have homologated the modification for the 500 eventually. From what I understand the original modification was made using production parts from another 500 model so i guess it really was just a matter of time before it made it through to production.

It would be nice to think that the input from this forum to the relevant dealers and Fiat Customer Services helped to speed it along.

Thanks for the update bgunn.(y)
 
That's great thanks, not sure how I missed that the first time, I recall the other picture :)

Ours is a 59, so an early model that I doubt would have this fitted.

Does anyone have any idea where this part actually comes from / is sourced from or a part number at all?


Many thanks!
 
My MJ Panda is going in to dealers on Friday next for a new 'Clutch Cylinder' Part No 55232914, they need it for 'A day'.
Hope this assists anyone with asimilarly afflicted vehicle

Problem appears solved! New Clutch Cylinder installed under warranty today by Bristol Street Motors, Worcester.
Done in a morning, Noise gone!

My MJ now has one of these instead of the 'Curly Wurly' Clutch Damper, So, why couldn't it be a Factory Fit? Many Thanks to Howells for Pic and the info.

That's great thanks, not sure how I missed that the first time, I recall the other picture :)

Ours is a 59, so an early model that I doubt would have this fitted.

Does anyone have any idea where this part actually comes from / is sourced from or a part number at all?


Many thanks!


Hi Steve, according to the first quoted post above the Part No is 55232914.
 
Thanks for the Steve and brilliant info too Grim - thanks very much.

I did read through the whole thread late the other night, but I guess my eyes were just that bit tired at the time.

We're getting the car into the dealer again for another look tomorrow, fingers crossed it's not new gearbox time!

Cheers,
 
Thanks for the help all, well the fiat dealer wasn't much help at all though.

They said that this particular issue does not affect the A500 model type, and the noise is likely clutch 'squark'.

The service manager said such an issue would not be covered under warranty and would be down to normal wear and tear even on a 17k car, he said it would be due to 'driving habits'. This is quite ridiculous for such a low mileage car to have such an issue.

He said that he would be happy to charge me £1025 for three days of taking the gear box out of the car, just to tell me it isn't covered and then charge for a new clutch though to 'try and rectify the noise'.

Not very good at all.

Fiat UK who I escalated the issue to some time ago as I was getting no response from the dealer haven't been any help at all either and really do not seem to care.

Overall I'm really disappointed in both Fiat and Wessex Garages - it's taken three months of being given the run around just to be told that they won't do anything about it.

As it happens the car drives perfectly albeit a slight binding noise if the clutch has been worked a lot and you have silence in the car listening for it. I guess we will just have to carry on until the clutch has reached the end of it's life, as it's pointless pulling it for a slight noise that occasionally occurs.


Cheers,
 
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