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Clutch question


sierraman

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Quick question about clutches. In the Mondeo, I've noticed the clutch bites a bit more harshly than normal. It doesn't slip when you do the in 1st gear letting the clutch out against the handbrake test, however on pulling out of a junction quickly it slips. Daft question but have I got a long time left before it goes? It's done nearly 130,000 on the original clutch. Mostly commuting. It's also a petrol for added info.

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clutch on the CRV was slipping underload, ie 50mph putting your foot down being lazy not changing gears. I opted to get it done before my long trips to france towing a trailer as i didnt want the hassel of it packing up in france with a tonn of gear on the back. up until that point i was happy to try my luck as you do.

 

you may get a few thousand miles but you may not, depends how much hassel it will give you if it goes on the way to work, in rush hour, up a hill while, on the way to an meeting about why your late for work.

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I won't be having the clutch done as I'd be looking at £400 for the clutch change and if the DMF is on it's way out a further £150 for that. It's impossible to say if it will want doing as well but by the time I've had the gearbox taken out I'd have no choice. If it went en route to work or whatever I'd use the Focus until I found another Mondeo. It runs fine at the moment but if you boot it out of a junction it will slip sometimes. It's done well though as it's nearly 130k on the original unit.

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I love it when customers ask me these questions - hold on i will gwt my crystal ball a minute!

 

What they want is 

1) be told its all ok and will last years - save your money etc

2) have someone to shout at when it goes completely when they are on holiday ( scotland natch) car full of kids and a caravan on behind - " you said it will ok for ages , that was only 10,000 miles ago "

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I love it when customers ask me these questions - hold on i will gwt my crystal ball a minute!

 

What they want is

1) be told its all ok and will last years - save your money etc

2) have someone to shout at when it goes completely when they are on holiday ( scotland natch) car full of kids and a caravan on behind - " you said it will ok for ages , that was only 10,000 miles ago "

Ha ha!

 

I'm not expecting a guarantee! Just an idea. Hopefully it'll keep going for another few thousand if I nurse it!! No point in swapping it until it goes as it's not worth a great deal as Arthur Negus would say.

 

Definitely has a DMF - all mk3 Mondeos have them

 

If I got another 6 months out of it and it went I'd say I've done well to get 130,000 out of a clutch.

 

It's a real shame as I really like the car.

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If it's already started to slip then I'd say it's life expectancy should be measured in weeks rather than months. Usually it's a pretty rapid progression from the first sign of slippage to being toast

 

Saying that, the last 3 clutches I've had fail on me, one in a Mondeo, one in an Escort and one in a VW Golf, all failed suddenly and completely without warning when the friction material let go of the driven plate.

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Done a few 'tests' on the way home. It hasn't slipped once so I don't know, I'll just have to monitor the situation. Why do cars piss you around like this?

 

The only thing I've noticed though is there's a weep from bottom of bellhousing. It's done this for years though, it's the crank end seal. It's never got any worse as it barely looses any oil.

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I had a petrol Mk3 Mondeo that had a worn out clutch. It didn't suddenly go though. I was nursing it gently along for months, with uphill acceleration getting steadily more difficult, before finally deciding it had reached the end and scrapping it. Was still able to drive (rather slowly) to the scrapyard.

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Done a few 'tests' on the way home. It hasn't slipped once so I don't know, I'll just have to monitor the situation. Why do cars piss you around like this?

 

The only thing I've noticed though is there's a weep from bottom of bellhousing. It's done this for years though, it's the crank end seal. It's never got any worse as it barely looses any oil.

 

Clutches normally slip in higher gears first if they are going.

 

Could be oil contamination from that leaky seal, I've seen clutches that were so to engage due to a bit of oil & dirt on the splines making the arm slow to return when you took your foot off the pedal.

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I went up a fairly long steep hill in 5th in it no bother. Anyone whose lived in Rotherham will know Guilthwaite Hill would kill a clutch if it was slipping and you went up in 5th.

 

Could be the leaky seal, once the oil is hot, thus a bit more runny it is getting on the plate. Again I've just got to see what happens in that respect. It's not going to mend itself but crucially it could be a while before it manifests itself.

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i think the clutch slave cylinder could be weeping, it is inside the bellhousing on those,check your brake fluid level,as im sure its the same resevoir and keep topping up,could be a leaky slave,which would fire fluid on the clutch as its concentric,which in turn means box off anyway,it could give you slippy pull offs until the fluids been burnt off the plate,then fine once moving if that makes sense

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It's not worth replacing the clutch on it, I'd be looking in excess of £5-600 if the DMF wanted replacing as well. In a bit of a quandary as to run it till it blows or sell it on before it expires. But I could easily buy something else that could be trouble. Decisions.

 

I use it to get to work every day but if it expired on the way to work I'd not be too bothered. Only crucial journey it does is once/twice a year voyage to Somerset to see my old man - 550 mile round trip.

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