hi there,

for a while my clutch has been shuddering when pulling away in 1st gear but now it shudders badly and then when i aengage the clutch there is an inital knock then during acceleration the revs increase and there is a loud grinding noise from the clutch similar to the sound you get when you crash gears but has a deeper tone to it.

The car doesnt actually increase in speed when i accelerate despite the revs increasing.

it seems when i hit the torque band of the engine in 1st 2nd or 3rd gear (not as bad in 4th and 5th) the clutch slips and shudders as mentioned above.

The thing that confuses me is when i have the handbrake on and engage the clutch the back of the car squats and the clutch doesnt not grind or shudder so must be gripping! There is no smell of a burning clutch either so im confused.

anyway i just got a quote for a kit replacement (clutch, pressure plate and thrust bearing) -- £232 thats kit labour and V.A.T

the guy must be having a laugh because i can get the kit myself for just £42 and i doubt labour and V.A.T will be that high!

before i commit to anything i wanted to know if anyone has had a similar problem and if it is indeed the clutch itself? I think its more likely the pressure plate or the springs inside the clutch pad itself? but i am not sure what they are called?

any help or advice is appreciated thanks!

you cant test the clutch using the handbrake method, the best way is to find a steep hill and try to climb it at 3000rpm in 3rd gear. this is full load as far a torque on the clutch plate is concerned, so slipping is easy to spot.

it sounds like you definately need a new clutch, i'd be shocked if it wasnt the clutch. £42 for a 3 part kit is a good price. labour should be £100-150 so ask about.

thanks for that, yeh might try the hill climb method although with no rev counter in the car may have to use the feel to gauge the max torque! just a quick question - why is the handbrake method not suitable for testing the clutch? surely if it was slipping the car would not squat at the back?

im am going to get some quotes around other garages or try find a clutch specialist. My dad and i could do it ourselves , but we havent got the time or equipment and im writing A-level exams soon so need the car to be fixed a.s.a.p.

thanks for the quick reply, i definitely think its the clutch its just strange in that the clutch does seem to grip fine then slips under acceleration?!

You can also gauge engine noise with the hill climb - if it revs higher and isn't picking up speed as you go but doesn't actually slip out, it can be a sign of wear. Also, your bite point can start to lift higher as it wears, so it will still hold but less and less as time goes on

Try a few garages for quotes and also consider the quality of the parts they're supplying - Fiat vs. pattern parts.

thanks for that, the bite point hasnt changed so the wear isnt that bad

im almost certain its the pressure plate more than the clutch pad itself. The clutch seems to grip fine but the pressure plate is shuddering and is not letting the clutch contact the flywheel properly. when i accelerate and bring the clutch up really slowly its fine, unfortunately (for the clutch anyway) everyday driving involves making quick acceleration from junctions and roundabout etc, this is where the problem is. The initial contact when the clutch engages seems to do something to the pressure plate because then the clutch wont grip the flywheel properly and will slip under acceleration.

anyway its a problem i want to fix sooner rather than later as its not the safest thing to have malfunctioning!

going to get some more quotes tommorow and have emailed the guy who is selling the clutch kit at £42 to enquire about the make and quality.

I was quoted 155 quid for the clutch supplied and fitted (very nice peeps actually, said they'd replace the starter motor i supply for nothing)

Ring round for different quotes and tell them if you've had a cheaper quote elsewhere as they will sometimes try to match it

that sounds more like it, yeh am going to phone around this evening and see what i can do! cheers

RickyF430 said:

why is the handbrake method not suitable for testing the clutch?

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the amount of force required to drop the suspension with handbrake on is far less than the amount of force required to pull up a hill. a slipping clutch can make the suspension drop, yet it would still lsip up a hill. the engine will not be putting full torque load onto the clutch plate using the handbrake method, so slippage is less likely, and hence more difficult to identify. a clutch should not slip at all under full load, so you should put it under full load when trying to determine its condition.

ah right i understand now thanks for that!

just had a look at the new bravo! the 1.4 turbo putting out 150BHP sounds tasty!

RickyF430 said:

the 1.4 turbo putting out 150BHP sounds tasty!

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thats what i thought at first, then i remembered that a turbo is not a good substitution for larger capacity, and a small turbo engine always lacks torque and has to be driven hard. then i read the reviews and my fears were confirmed.

a 2.0 16v can hit 150bhp easily, and would be better to drive. tax now goes on emissions rather than capacity so a 1.4T would have no advantage, other than the turbo bit, that always gets people interested.

its still a 1.4 engine in a big heavy car at the end of the day. a bravo HGT would kill one in real life driving.

OH DEAR! Catastophic failure of the clutch occured today!

at the worst possible place too, on a hill at traffic lights, luckily only had 1 car behind me!

it was so weird though. The clutch seemed "fine," just juddery like normal and slipping at higher revs (as mentioned earlier in the thread)

then at the traffic lights i rested the car on the handbrake (not on the bite point) but when i went to pull away there was nothing at all. the clutch pedal all the way up in first gear with revs but no squatting of the car no grinding noise nothing at all to suggest the clutch had broken there and then. anyway i stopped myself rolling back into the car behind me with the footbrake and then stuck the hazard lights on.

anyway to cut a long story short my dad got in and i towed him home with my mums 1.0litre polo was only a short drive so not too bad!

now theres a truck coming to pick the car up tommorow as the only place that can fix the car soon is in the centre of town (all the garages around my here have a 2 week wait).

so anyway im looking at £300 thats £235 for the clutch kit labour and VAT from "Mr.Clutch" in Bristol and then the rest for the truck company!

amongst all this, i STILL love my little brava and wont give up on her!

anyway must go now left the keys in the ignition, dont want anyone trying to drive the car away with no operational clutch! would make my day to see it though! haha

a chinese proverb says "man in hurry pay big money for crap job"

Mr Clutch featured on that undercover tv programme and got caught telling lies to rip off grannys

not happy, turns out the clutch is worn but is not the problem! It was the differential that failed.

Anyway now it looks like may cost up to £700 for parts labour and VAT because i have to get clutch and differential replaced. The gearbox may also have to be replaced, the synchros are going and 1st and 2nd gear are hard to select however the garage said they would have a better look and let me know if its worth it.

Oh the joys...