Clutch durability

Grinding when shifting gears, jerking when starting off, noise, squeaks, unpleasant smell. These are symptoms of a worn clutch and, unfortunately, high costs.

Grinding when shifting gears, jerking when starting off, noise, squeaks, unpleasant smell. These are symptoms of a worn clutch and, unfortunately, high costs.

For many drivers, the clutch is a necessary evil. It would be nice to get rid of it, but in cars with a manual transmission it is necessary for starting and changing gears. Clutch life ranges from a few hundred to over 300. km. As it shows As practice shows, the weakest and most unreliable link in this case is the driver, on whom the durability of the clutch depends.

The clutch consists of three components: disc, pressure plate and release bearing. Signs of wear differ depending on which component has been damaged. One of the most common is the so-called slipping of the clutch disc, which is manifested by the lack of acceleration of the car despite the gear being engaged, the addition of gas and an increase in engine speed. An additional effect is a very unpleasant odor. In the initial phase, these symptoms appear during heavy loads (for example, starting from a place or driving uphill), and later also during normal driving. In the extreme case, when the pads are completely worn out, you will not even be able to move.

The next sign that may indicate damage to the clutch disc is jerking when starting off. The cause of this discomfort is worn out torsional vibration dampers. Such damage can occur very quickly as a result of harsh and jerky driving. The pads may be in good condition, but you should not tighten them with their replacement, as it may happen that one of the damper springs will fall out of the mount and gets stuck. The effect will be that the gear will not be engaged because the drive will not disengage. Similar symptoms will appear if the pressure spring breaks. In addition, with a broken spring, there is a risk of breaking off one part of the spring, which can lead to damage to the gearbox housing. Inability to change gear can also be caused by damage to the clutch cable or, if the control system is hydraulic, the presence of air in it.

Another component that is often damaged is the release bearing. The squeaks, loud noises, and rumbles associated with damaged bearings are proof of the problems associated with this. Loud work occurs most often under load, after pressing the clutch pedal. However, the bearing can make noise without load.

With the repair of a worn clutch, you should not wait. The condition of its components will not improve, and delaying the repair may increase costs, since in addition to replacing the clutch assembly, the flywheel may need to be replaced later (for example, as a result of overheating or surface destruction by rivets). clutch disc). When deciding to replace the clutch, it is worth immediately replacing the kit (disc, pressure, bearing), because due to the high cost of work, sometimes even up to PLN 1000, this will be the cheapest. If the car’s mileage is more than 100 km, it’s not worth changing the bearing itself, or just the disc, because there is a high probability that the rest of the elements will no longer obey in a very short time.

There are no problems with access to spare parts. In addition to ASO, car shops offering products from Sachs, Valeo and Luk also offer a very large selection. These couplings are often used for the first assembly, and besides the ACO, they are even cheaper by half. The replacement is time consuming, but thankfully not too complicated, so it can be done outside the dealership, which, combined with the purchase of replacement parts, can bring significant savings.

Car make and model	Set clutch price in ASO (PLN)	Replacement price (PLN)	Replacement cost in ASO (PLN)	Replacement cost outside ASO (PLN)
Fiat Uno 1.0 Fire	558	320	330	150
Opel Astra II 1.6 16V	1716 (with hydraulic cylinder)	1040 (driven)	600	280
Ford Mondeo 2.0 16V '98	1912 (with hydraulic cylinder)	1100 (driven)	760	350