Hello Panda admirers, happy New Year for you all!

My Panda's clutch seems to be willing to give up. While flooring it, as soon as it revs to ~2000 rpm, revs suddenly go up to 2500 rpm, or more. Tires are not losing grip, as I first thought (it happened a lot with the original EcoContis). There is not a single new warning light in the dash.
Last week, I was told at a shop that my clutch could either be dual-mass flywheel or not. My question is: how do I know? Dual-mass are way more expensive!

It seems to me that my Panda's 70-75 mpg monthy averages are getting very expensive. Last year it needed it's third new battery (it's a 55 reg) and a set of glow plugs. Also, since Summer it has an engine management warning light on, despite everything seeming absolutely normal. I was told that my eco-driving may be causing soot to acumulate on the exhaust, or something like that.
Now the clutch goes away on a car which is driven ultra-carefully, mostly on open roads...

Cheers!

The clutch is marginal on these at best. Mine went on my 78,000 '06 plate multijet two months ago with the same symptoms as yours. Book says 5.6 hrs to change which seems ambitious to me as it's a case of dismantle everything to get at it. When I got my old one out there was loads of meat left on the centre plate. My flywheel was a regular std unit.
First and only clutch I've worn out in about 250,000 miles of motoring.

im sure i read on here somewhere that because the torque on the diesel pandas is so great the clutch is struggling to cope. mine slips if you floor it in 2nd , but has done that since i got it . i would wait to see if it slips under normal conditions before i will change it .

foggy08 said:

im sure i read on here somewhere that because the torque on the diesel pandas is so great the clutch is struggling to cope. mine slips if you floor it in 2nd , but has done that since i got it . i would wait to see if it slips under normal conditions before i will change it .

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The clutch issues and slipping I think are only on remapped Pandas, but I could be wrong.

OP with regards to batteries, I take it your buying decent ones? First one would have been 2 years old at least as its covered by warrantee until then, and after market decent brands should last 3-5 years each, with warranties to match.

It go out and buy a Boshe Silver battery, they last for ever and have 5 year warranties

Thank you all for your help!

Mine went on my 78,000 '06 plate multijet

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Mine has only done around 90k km, which is around 56k miles! As I read somewhere, and foggy08 confirms, Fiat used Fire engine's clutches because of the lack of space inside the engine bay (or would it be costs?), which are way weaker. Is there a new reinforced clutch available now? I doubt it...

I take it your buying decent ones?

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Truth be said, the ones I bought are the cheapest I found, but the original one lasted for only 4 years. But my parents '97 Rover 200 1.4 only required one new battery during its life, also cheap, and it still lives today, on a car barely used (meanwhile, a Lancia Delta Multijet joined the fleet). If this also dies prematurely, I'll be forced to buy something more expensive...

I adore my Panda, but somethimes it makes me wonder if my devotion is returned...

Not heard about it being a FIRE engine clutch, and do remember the SUPER FIRE engine used in the 100hp doesn't seem to have issues, so I doubt it's he same clutch.

Benz man said:

Truth be said, the ones I bought are the cheapest I found, but the original one lasted for only 4 years. But my parents '97 Rover 200 1.4 only required one new battery during its life, also cheap, and it still lives today

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Panda is diesel whilst Rover is petrol. Cranking a diesel takes a heck of a lot more effort from a battery and starter due to the compression and running glowplugs at startup. Buying cheapo batteries for a diesel isn't going to work.

The clutches in MultiJet Pandas and 500s are unique as they use a traditionally petrol gearbox (C514) which demands a smaller than ideal clutch face area. The clutch is a dual mass design and has a little more clamping force than the best petrol type as were used in 1.4 and some heavy 1.2 models with a solid flywheel. It is the torque that causes the problem and they are marginal at best, even without a remap which pushes the torque considerably over spec. The reason is cost of the gearbox vs. the larger type as used in GP with same engine, followed by weight considerations. Even the 500 with the slightly higher power MultiJet uses the larger gearbox type (C510) just because a larger clutch can be fitted to it to take the extra torque (there are no weight differences between the 75HP and 95HP models).

lewey said:

The clutches in MultiJet Pandas and 500s are unique as they use a traditionally petrol gearbox (C514) which demands a smaller than ideal clutch face area. The clutch is a dual mass design and has a little more clamping force than the best petrol type as were used in 1.4 and some heavy 1.2 models with a solid flywheel. It is the torque that causes the problem and they are marginal at best, even without a remap which pushes the torque considerably over spec. The reason is cost of the gearbox vs. the larger type as used in GP with same engine, followed by weight considerations. Even the 500 with the slightly higher power MultiJet uses the larger gearbox type (C510) just because a larger clutch can be fitted to it to take the extra torque (there are no weight differences between the 75HP and 95HP models).

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Thank you for the information! I read something like that when I bought the car. That's also the reason why peak torque was electronically limited to 145Nm (instead of 170Nm)...
Even so, Popshot said his flywheel was a standard unit. As his car is '06 registered and mine is '55, I suppose they are similar.

Popshot, you're also right about the battery. I really should have thought that way when I went shopping for one, as I usually don't save on materials and service. Maybe it's the consequence of this being my first Diesel.

Hi

I had a new clutch in my MJ at 65000. It's a 55 plate and the clutch cost me £120 and included the release bearing. Went for a Sash clutch which are supposed to be good quality, not like the Fiat ones.

I luckily got mine fitted free and it took them about 4 hours. Mine use to clip in high gears if you tried to accelerate to say overtake on a motorway. For normal driving it was fine but I use the car for work every day so had it done to be on the safe side.

Not sure of the work/hammer the clutch had done as I bought the car with £50k already on it but with a high clutch peddle biting point.

I agree that a new clutch at this mileage is poor but I have come from the world of a Mini Cooper S so these things just feel so cheap. I was spending £400+ every 6000 miles on tyres, max mpg averaged 30, all parts were a fortune and road tax in the top band. Insurance was the cheapest part.....

Rob