General Panda 1.1 eco active 2009 clutch squeak

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General Panda 1.1 eco active 2009 clutch squeak

PandaCharl

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Hi All,

My panda has developed a clutch squeak. This noise usually starts about 30-60 minutes into a drive and sounds a bit like a creaky door. It happens with engine on and engine off and occurs when the pedal is being depressed and released. When the pedal is creaking it also gets less smooth. I have tried lubricating the pedal box and the noise persists.

Shifting gears can feel a bit clunky and sometimes getting into 1st can be hard.

Another key piece of information is that I had my clutch replaced about 1000 miles ago due to a dodgy release bearing. I took the car to a mechanic this morning (Halfords autos). Typically the pedal was silent when I took her in! I was told that the noise is just the new release bearing 'wearing in' and that it would go away by itself. I'm not an expert but I just don't believe this is true!

From the research I have done it sounds more like a master or slave cylinder that needs replacing.

What do you think? Am I right to be sceptical?

Thanks,

Pandacharl
 
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I was told that the noise is just the new release bearing 'wearing in' and that it would go away by itself. I'm not an expert but I just don't believe this is true! From the research I have done it sounds more like a master or slave cylinder that needs replacing. What do you think? Am I right to be sceptical?

Bearings do not 'wear in'.

You are right to be sceptical.

You are also right in suspecting the master and/or slave cylinders.

You could try bleeding the clutch. If that does make a difference, then it's more likely to be a cylinder problem and if it returns, replacing the hydraulics (it's not really worth just changing one cylinder on its own and you'll likely run into pipework connection issues if you do) is the way forward.
 
Thanks for the response. I've decided to ditch Halfords and take to a Fiat specialist. Do you have any idea (ballpark) how much I'd be looking at for new hydraulics (just so I can avoid getting fleeced)?

Also, given that the squeak is intermittent, is it safe to assume that a halfway decent mechanic could diagnose visually - or is it one of those things that can only really be properly diagnosed when it's happening?

Thanks
 
New hydraulics will probably not fix the squeak. It's most likely the top bush that carries the release fork. Have a close look and you will see the lever is splined onto the fork with a retaining circlip. Underneath that there's a hard plastic (self lubricating) bush into the clutch housing. Try dripping some ACF-50 between spindle and bush before refitting the lever. You only need a few drips.
You can (probably should) get them all changed when the clutch is replaced (fork and bushes) but its a big job just to fix a squeak.
 
Thanks for the response. I've decided to ditch Halfords and take to a Fiat specialist. Do you have any idea (ballpark) how much I'd be looking at for new hydraulics (just so I can avoid getting fleeced)?

Also, given that the squeak is intermittent, is it safe to assume that a halfway decent mechanic could diagnose visually - or is it one of those things that can only really be properly diagnosed when it's happening?

Thanks

Correct. You can not diagnose something that’s working properly


Probability would favour the slave cylinder. But guessing can get expensive.

I would wait until squeaking then spay some silicon grease behind the rubber seal on the slave cylinder and see if the sound alters.
 
We have the clutch sound on the 1.2 Dynamic. There is not really anything on the slave cylinder that can squeak. Ive had a "look" with mechanic's stethoscope and decided it has to be the release fork bushes. When I did the 100HP clutch I looked at changing them but they are made from brittle plastic and showed no signs of wear so I left well alone. They could be a source of noise hence the suggestion of using a light oil.
 
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