Slipping Clutch?

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

My GTi 1.9 has started revving up high before speed increase in all gears apart from first. It's fine if you drive if 'normally', but if you put your foot down the revs shoot up to ~4k before the car pulls or increases speed. It does it in every gear, seems to get worse with higher gear but doesn't seem to do it in 1st at all?

 

Any suggestions?? Logic tells me it's the clutch started slipping but surely it would be worse in 1st if that was the case?

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

No it works the other way round, in first it is very easy for the engine to pull the car, in top gear the engine more or less turns the same speed as the road wheels so its a lot harder (and why it judders if the revs get too low when you labour it/stall at junctions etc). How high is your clutch pedal in relation to your brake pedal? Have you tried slackening off your cable?

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

No it works the other way round, in first it is very easy for the engine to pull the car, in top gear the engine more or less turns the same speed as the road wheels so its a lot harder (and why it judders if the revs get too low when you labour it/stall at junctions etc). How high is your clutch pedal in relation to your brake pedal? Have you tried slackening off your cable?

It is fairly high but not right up the top. How do I go about slackening the cable?

 

I have ground the clutch it a few times (sometimes it doesn't want to go into third) and I do boot it around quite a bit. I have smelt burning clutch a couple of times when a gearchange has gone a bit wrong!

Edited March 27, 2014 by Bobbafett

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

If its adjustable it will have two locknuts on the end of it. Crack them free then slacken the cable a bit then retighten them against each other.

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

Could that give the same symptoms as this though? I have ordered a Valeo clutch kit in anticipation of having to change it!

 

Where is this cable, entering the gearbox I assume? I am verging on clueless about engines.

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

It's on top of the gear box.

 

I adjusted mine the other day.

 

If you remove 2 air pipes. 1. Leads from the air intake to the air filter. 2. Comes out the bottom of the Air Flow Metre.

 

Then you should be able to see it and reach it with a 10mm spanner.

Edited March 27, 2014 by iPlod999

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Yes as the clutch disc gets thinner the clutch springs will push on the release bearing more thus tightening the cable and pedal rising more.

 

The clutch release arm is almost directly under the battery. Is yours a be1 or be3? Reverse next to first or under fifth?

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

It's a be3, reverse is under 5th. So remove the battery and i'll find the nuts?

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

Not the battery the tray will be in the way.

 

If you have slim arms and hands you could reach them without moving anything.

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

The nuts are on the end of the cable, well almost the end but this is looking down the side of the battery

 

Edited March 27, 2014 by Slo

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

Nice one, will have a look tomorrow and see if it makes a difference.

 

Do you think it might be worth getting the clutch changed anyway? I've looked at the process and don't think it's something i'd attempt myself but got a pretty good price from a garage.

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

How many miles has it done and what year car is it? not that that will make any difference, if the clutch is slipping and you have a high pedal and when you lower it by adjusting the clutch possibly stops slipping its a pretty good sign its near the grim end so yes I do think it would be worth doing, also while your there you might as well do the crank seal behind the flywheel.

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

It's a 93 with only 60k. It's just a weekend car so when I drive it it gets driven pretty hard.

 

Got the Valeo clutch coming and a decent price to fit so might just leave it myself and just get the clutch done

[m_john_m 4]

How much is a new clutch? An uprated one for my focus is about 790 supplied and fitted

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

Whaaat, if it was that much I'd definitely do it myself!!!

 

80 for a Valeo clutch kit and 200 to fit. Not bad considering you have to remove the gearbox, driveshafts etc! The owner of the garage owns a 205 gti so it should be in good hands too.

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Paid £25 for mine off ebay a year ago and fitted myself been fine so far

[dcc 855]

Somebody on the forum could help you fit it I am sure. £200 is quite a lot!

[Bobbafett 49 2 Cars]

I thought that was not a bad price considering. Read around and it seems that it's a 4-hour job for a mechanic, so that translates to at least double that for me and a much, much higher chance of messing up my car.

 

£200 for peace of mind