Technical Clutch jamming and EM light problems

[uncle stewie]

We have a 2000 JTD Multipla - great car, carries all six of us in comfort, had it about 18 months, went to Monaco via Switzerland Sept last year - great car for family touring but two problems cropped up then which have just cropped up again. Lengthy description coming up... anyone any thoughts?

In the alps, doing a downhill on a very hot day, we had the engine warning ligth come on and the engine refused to rev or pull away. Sit tight for ten minutes and start her up and we were off OK. This happened again after hitting a nasty pt hole too. Since then fine. But this has happenend again twice in the last week - once after sitting the drive all day, once on the school run in the afternoon - eight months since the last flash....? Again sit tight for ten minutes or so and she starts up again and keeps going - but twice in one week is a worry.

In Monaco traffic in 38 degrees we found the clutch getting stiffer and stiffer - its pretty stiff all the time and only frees/bites just off the floor since we had it, but we really had to push it into gear until it would not go in any gear - unless you turned off the engine, slip it nicely in, turn on and away you go. OK in the snail pace traffic in Monaco, more of an issue in faster moving traffic, but after crawling out of the jams, she ran nicely and after parking up for a few hours and doing the beach she set off back to the site no problem at all....... in slow traffic on the motorway in Italy a similar stiffness started to develop but disappeared as soon as the traffic flowed again?

Think this sounds like a clutch needing to be replaced - none of the fluid levels are an issue, no slipping, no judders, and she ran fine once moving....? But I noticed when looking at the car when its EMU light came on this week that the clutch became very stiff, esp into reverse and kept knotching the gears.....

Are these two issues related or is it bad news all round - if the clutch is on its last legs after all this time, can the engine pick it up in some way and trigger the warning light...... when we first had it serviced the garage suggested that an air flow meter sensor may be out - but no other problems at all other than a short period of glow plug light flashing for 20 seconds after starting last March - which just went away - and some suspension problems - arms, swing bearings, main spring etc - which we expected!

Any suggestions before we venture out in to garage land .... want to avoid re-mortgaging!

 

[JTDman]

Crank sensor (cutting out) and the fingers on your clutch plate eating the release bearing.
My best guess.

 

[demag]

Sounds temperature related but I wonder if this is a bad connection somewhere that is affected by the hot weather. Might be worth checking connections on temperature senders on the engine etc. Funny that the bad pothole set it off, so it might well be just a bad connection.

As for the clutch, it seems the majority of Multi drivers on here have similar symptoms. Mine also has a very low bite and I also get slight judder sometimes on take up. But mine was a tow vehicle before I bought it. Some people say the clutch needs changing yet others say bleed the hydraulics and I see there are slave cylinders available cheap. So maybe it wants a bleed, it wouldn't harm to try it. I will be buying the fast road clutch for mine I saw advertised and possibly a new flywheel. I'm looking at a change possibly next year.

 

[uncle stewie]

Thanks, have chatted to a couple of mechanics locally too, who have suggested possible lube problem when getting hot which may affect gear change - or the clutch is so worn it just does not work 100% when hot - and a realistic quote for replacement! The EM light thing looks like a plug-in job as have had loads of suggestions on that one. Ta, will let you know how we get on......

 

[uncle stewie]

Well, took bull by the horns and checked in the car for a new clutch....... wow, almost pushed the pedal through the floor after it was fitted it was so light - driving is a dream now, and fuel consumption has improved - must have been slipping just a bit all the time and a service was due - 42mpg average - and all for £500. One month on and still running fine although we just had drips of water falling on the accelerator pedal after rain and today on the opposite side.... must be that drain pipe for the bit under the screen/wipers which I understand gets clogged and can be fixed by squeezing the end under the back of car...? Thank you Fiat Forum!