Technical Weird clutch & brake pedal issue?

[beany_bot]

Hi, my wifes car (11 plate lounge) has developed a weird issue, very hard to describe but it feel as if the clutch and brake pedal are somehow connected? When your braking the clutch pedal sort of gets a bit sticky and when your pressing the clutch pedal if you then brake you can feel it pulling on the pedal. Very hard to describe but definitely an issue there that wasn't before. Just somehow the clutch and brake pedal don't feel right.

 

[beany_bot]

Also it feels as if the pedals are a bit closer together? (hard for me to tell as I don't often drive it.) But when you push the brake you can feel it tugging on the clutch pedal slightly. It's very odd. The wife has said that she "feels something different" about it too.

Here as some pictures of the pedals if anyone can spot anything obviously wrong?

 

[Vitesse]

Looks like the pin or bush on brake pedal has collapsed. It shouldn't be at that angle it should be horizontal.

 

[Vitesse]

Looking again at the pictures I would say the bush, as the pin is angled over and looks in one piece.

 

[beany_bot]

OK, very strange as its driven very gently by my wife. Is this a know issue? I hope its covered by the dealer warranty

 

[varesecrazy]

check the DVLA recall list..,

you relalise that some of the brake parts probably come across from the passenger footwell..??,:idea:


Charlie

 

[Vitesse]

Not sure if it is a common issue. But I just had a look on my car and can see how the brake pedal works. That white bush and pin push forward and rotate that cylindrical metal object on the right hand side of the pictures, which in turn moves the big metal bar that runs across to the left hand side of the car. So I would imagine there is quite a bit of pressure on that bush. It's all a bit crude TBH but it is obviously some thing to do with the car originally designed as a LHD and this part of the conversion to have the pedals etc on the right?

I would imagine it would be covered by the warranty.

 

[beany_bot]

check the DVLA recall list..,

you relalise that some of the brake parts probably come across from the passenger footwell..??,:idea:


Charlie

Nothing about my issue there.

 

[beany_bot]

Not sure if it is a common issue. But I just had a look on my car and can see how the brake pedal works. That white bush and pin push forward and rotate that cylindrical metal object on the right hand side of the pictures, which in turn moves the big metal bar that runs across to the left hand side of the car. So I would imagine there is quite a bit of pressure on that bush. It's all a bit crude TBH but it is obviously some thing to do with the car originally designed as a LHD and this part of the conversion to have the pedals etc on the right?

I would imagine it would be covered by the warranty.

Thanks for taking the time to check your own. I take it it looks different to mine.

 

[Vitesse]

Yep here's mine.

 

[jrkitching]

It's all a bit crude TBH but it is obviously some thing to do with the car originally designed as a LHD and this part of the conversion to have the pedals etc on the right?

:yeahthat:

Especially the part about it being a bit crude.

A proper repair also needs the rest of the brake actuating mechanism to be carefully inspected, as it could be excessive friction elsewhere in the circuit has caused the pin/bush to become distorted.

Most reasonable folk would expect this to be covered by the third year warranty - a quick visit to your local franchised dealer should quickly reveal any discrepancy between this expectation and reality .

I've not seen this before, but it's potentially quite serious - failure of this part of the mechanism could leave you with no footbrake at all - dual circuit braking can't protect against this kind of failure.

Good practice would be to have as little mechanism as possible between the pedal & master cylinder to reduce the potential for a single point of failure - on RHD cars, Fiat have done the exact opposite with the 500/Panda.

 

[DBunX]

Sorry to necro-post, but I think I may have just had the same thing happen to me and I'd like some advice.

On the way home tonight, and after a stop at the lights and continuing on my way it felt like the clutch had become a bit sticky/grindy when pushing down the pedal (it goes so far then its like there are increments it rubs against on the way down).
When I got home I parked up and sat for a bit pressing down the clutch to make sure I wasn't going mad, and found that I could hear quite a lot of noise coming from the passenger footwell when I pumped the foot break as well which I'm sure I've not heard before.

I've taken a picture like the others above me, can someone please have a look? (It's a 63 plate, brought new in Sept 13. Currently has just over 10000 miles on it).

Thanks

 

[frupi]

As your car is under warranty, I wouldn't even mess about here, get into your local Fiat dealership and get them to take a look if you have any worries concerning safety.

 

[DBunX]

Thanks Frupi, I thought as much. I like cars but I'm no engineer so have NO clue on these things, and yes safety is a big thing as at the weekends it not just me in it but the wife and daughter.

I've stupidly been 'on the internet' in the last few mins and found people with other clutch issues being told its not covered by warranty as they are driving it wrong! I've only been driving for just under 2 years, don't want them trying to blame me for it as I'm 'inexperienced'

 

[frupi]

No problem. Just remember, if whilst your car is under manufacturer warranty anything at all of any safety concern presents itself, don't mess about with the car, always get it back to the dealership for investigation. Unless you are glaringly responsible for an issue, it won't cost you anything at all, just don't try to repair anything (unless it's something easily sorted like a wiper blade!) yourself, or you could invalidate your warranty.

 

[frupi]

I've taken a picture like the others above me, can someone please have a look? (It's a 63 plate, brought new in Sept 13. Currently has just over 10000 miles on it).

Thanks

DBunX, in the photo you've posted, as a separate issue, that blue plug in the top left part of the picture, I can't really tell from the picture, but I believe that plug should have a couple of tie wraps around it as part of the under dash wiring recall that Fiat put out. Have you had a dealer service recently? and if you did, have they said they've done the under dash wiring recall?

 

[DBunX]

DBunX, in the photo you've posted, as a separate issue, that blue plug in the top left part of the picture, I can't really tell from the picture, but I believe that plug should have a couple of tie wraps around it as part of the under dash wiring recall that Fiat put out. Have you had a dealer service recently? and if you did, have they said they've done the under dash wiring recall?

It had its first year service early Oct, and if I remember correctly I was told that the dash wiring was done at the same time. I'll get that double checked though, thanks.

I'm a little concerned about driving it now (don't want that bit to come out and lose my breaks or something), so I'm going to call the dealer in the morning, and see what they advise(pickup or if they consider it safe to drive the 8 miles or so to them).

 

[frupi]

If they say they've done the under dash wiring, then that'll be ok and I wouldn't bother mentioning it.

As for driving it to the dealership, I'm sure you'll be fine doing that, but you must do what you feel comfortable with. Call the dealership by all means so that they can at least get you booked in and of course they'll advise you at the same time about driving it. Try not to worry about it

 

[zanes]

Always worth remembering the americans have a sensible name for the "hand brake" - "emergency brake".

Remember this (coupled with engine braking) and whilst a sudden brake failure is terrifying, you always have a second brake mechanism.

 

[DBunX]

Ok, update on this:

Called Perry's (Dealer I got it from in Portsmouth) and eventually got put through to an engineer who wasn't quite sure but told me NOT to drive it and get it recovered to them. (strangely enough when I got in it this morning the sticking/rubbing

Turns out I don't have breakdown cover on my policy (I totally thought I did, you live and learn though) so it has cost me 100 squids to get it from home to garage.
I've now been told that if its a clutch problem (and the guy who recovered it thought it was??) it isn't covered by warranty and is going to be lots of £ basically.

Although I've always had good service and technical help from this dealer I'm really worried that due to the fact it's actually part of the clutch mech they will say, even if it is just that bit of brake pedal, that its considered a clutch repair and I'm going to be stung for lots of shiny coins.
Helpfully the sales guy who I got it from initially was there and came out to see me (I was looking at the 500X, couldn't help it) and he said if the engineer gave me suspect news to call Fiat Care and have them take a look into it for me, as it may help. Turns out if it was under a year old they would have recovered it for me as well.
Fingers crossed it's either A/nothing or B/something they can fix under warranty.