stef123 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The clutch draws fluid from the resevoir above the brakes, meaning that even if the clutch hydraulics develop a fault or leak it shouldn't affect the brakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Then what could it possibly be???? My head hurts :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 It wouldn't need much fluid to contaminate the friction surfaces enough to cause slip, so it's quite possible that you wouldn't notice a drop in fluid level or any drips from the clutch housing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 It wouldn't need much fluid to contaminate the friction surfaces enough to cause slip, so it's quite possible that you wouldn't notice a drop in fluid level or any drips from the clutch housing. Say this happened. Would the biting point be affected? And I tried one of Fords clutch tests (putting the handbrake on, selecting 4th gear, releasing clutch slowly while trying to keep the rpm the same and it passed. Not sure if I did it correctly though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hydraulic clutches are, by their nature, self-adjusting. Under normal circumstances the bite point should not change. If you had a slight seepage, enough to make it slip but not enough to significantly affect the fluid level, I would not expect it to change. If the bite point comes earlier, i.e. with the pedal closer to the floor, that could indicate either air in the system or a problem with the piston seals in the master or slave cylinder. Basically if the bite point is about right but the clutch is slipping I would suspect fluid contamination from the slave. The only other explanation I can think of would be that the diaphagm spring is not applying enough pressure but unless it's broken that would probably have to mean that something wasn't assembled correctly. I haven't come across the clutch test you mentioned but as described it sounds like a recipe for an overheated clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hydraulic clutches are, by their nature, self-adjusting. Under normal circumstances the bite point should not change. If you had a slight seepage, enough to make it slip but not enough to significantly affect the fluid level, I would not expect it to change. If the bite point comes earlier, i.e. with the pedal closer to the floor, that could indicate either air in the system or a problem with the piston seals in the master or slave cylinder. Basically if the bite point is about right but the clutch is slipping I would suspect fluid contamination from the slave. The only other explanation I can think of would be that the diaphagm spring is not applying enough pressure but unless it's broken that would probably have to mean that something wasn't assembled correctly. I haven't come across the clutch test you mentioned but as described it sounds like a recipe for an overheated clutch. thanks for the info. I was thinking that if the clutch has somehow worn so badly allready that the pedal could have run out of adjustment quickly and therefore you'd notice it in the pedal. I'm not even sure what could be described as the bitiing point. Is that the point where it's only just starting to move offor higher up than that where it accelerates faster? If it's the first then i'm pretty sure it's biting at about half pedal travel, maybe 60% I've also tried labouring it heavily, for example, 27mph up quite a steep hill in 4th gear with my foot close to the floor on the accelerator pedal. I've only managed to get it to slip quite high in the rev range, for example around 3000rpm in 4th gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The bite point is where you just start to feel it pulling and it sounds as if that's ok. As it's been recently replaced you shouldn't be able to make the clutch slip at all, as long as you're not riding it (that is, driving with your foot resting on the pedal). Even if you've been holding the car on the clutch at uphill junctions or traffic lights, which is a seriously bad habit that will cause premature wear, it wouldn't ruin a new clutch in 1000 miles. I don't know the characteristics of your engine but I'm guessing that 3000rpm would probably be about where it develops maximum torque, so if a clutch was going to slip this is where it would be most likely to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 The bite point is where you just start to feel it pulling and it sounds as if that's ok. As it's been recently replaced you shouldn't be able to make the clutch slip at all, as long as you're not riding it (that is, driving with your foot resting on the pedal). Even if you've been holding the car on the clutch at uphill junctions or traffic lights, which is a seriously bad habit that will cause premature wear, it wouldn't ruin a new clutch in 1000 miles. I don't know the characteristics of your engine but I'm guessing that 3000rpm would probably be about where it develops maximum torque, so if a clutch was going to slip this is where it would be most likely to happen. Thanks, yeah I never hold the car on the clutch except for about 1 second at most before i push it down and use the break. I do have a habit of resting my foot on the pedal but I dont think I push it down enough for it to engage as I have tried this and it requires quite a bit of force to do it. I guess I will leave it for a while and see if the problem gets worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjt Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I do have a habit of resting my foot on the pedal but I dont think I push it down enough for it to engage as I have tried this and it requires quite a bit of force to do it.You should try to break that habit. Although it may not contribute to the clutch slip it means there's hydraulic pressure in the system all the time and also the release bearing is continuously spinning which can lead to premature wear and noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 yeah ive been told thats why it was slipping when i drove with the mechanic but i dont actually rest my foot too hard on the pedal, its just incase i need to slow down quickly i do that. But yes your right im trying to stop resting my foot on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Well i've now just noticed my screen washers do not work once agan after Fords charging me £45 to do about a month ago. If I go back can I expect to have it redone for free? Cars are great, I love cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 just noticed it is definatly slipping. What do I do? It fails fords clutch tests. I take it to the garage and they say its bdcause your foot on the pedal but i know its not because of that. Do I walk down to the garage with a printed peice of paper of fords clutch tests instructions and say try this? It will definatly prove that the clutch is faulty for whatrver reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 You can try to get them to acknowledge the failure, or you could pay to get a report done by Ford. In the event of suspicion of a faulty purchase, you have 6 months to reject the goods assumed faulty, otheriwse you sometimes need evidence from a third party to prove that the fault is present, if the fault is written and proven in a report, you have more ground to argue a replacement is required. I would also contact Trading Standards / Consumer Focus so that they can advise you further Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 You can try to get them to acknowledge the failure, or you could pay to get a report done by Ford. In the event of suspicion of a faulty purchase, you have 6 months to reject the goods assumed faulty, otheriwse you sometimes need evidence from a third party to prove that the fault is present, if the fault is written and proven in a report, you have more ground to argue a replacement is required. I would also contact Trading Standards / Consumer Focus so that they can advise you further thanks. The garage that did it I dont think are trying to wriggle out of it so I dont think trading standards yet. I guess I will have to leave it longer for the symptoms become more pronounced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artscot79 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 ide take it to ford and explain youre concerns have them test it and make a report Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 ide take it to ford and explain youre concerns have them test it and make a report thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Dont need to threaten with Trading Standards just yet, however TS or Consumer Focus, can advise you on your rights, and how you can prove that its a faulty clutch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 I guess I will have to. At the moment its still not that easy to get it to slip but holding it in 5th gear and the flooring the accelerator pedal will make the rpm counter jump a little bit. So I guess I will leave it that bit longer so as I actually have some evidence of it slipping. One more question. If I was to go to the garage and say its slipping now and they test drive it and find it is actually slipping, how would it go on from there? What would happen if they accuse me of making it that way?(When I didnt) Similarly, if it was slipping but they didnt accept it was how would I go on from there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 If they acknowledge the slip, you can tell them that they have installed the clutch and it seems to be another faulty unit. unless your odometer has gone up thousands of miles since then you cant really be blamed for it, unless you have slipped and shredded it! If they say they cannot reproduce the error, then you will need to get an independant report to show that there is a fault, most times it means that the clutch will be removed, taken apart, and then a report written on it, sometimes it can cost a fair whack, but if its found to be faulty in a report, your entitled to a new part under guarantee and the cost reimbursing for your report... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 If they acknowledge the slip, you can tell them that they have installed the clutch and it seems to be another faulty unit. unless your odometer has gone up thousands of miles since then you cant really be blamed for it, unless you have slipped and shredded it! If they say they cannot reproduce the error, then you will need to get an independant report to show that there is a fault, most times it means that the clutch will be removed, taken apart, and then a report written on it, sometimes it can cost a fair whack, but if its found to be faulty in a report, your entitled to a new part under guarantee and the cost reimbursing for your report... sorry for late reply i cant do anything about it at the moment, i will have to leave it a few months or untill it gets much worse. If I get a full report done and they say they arent paying for it then i will loose like another £300~ I cant risk that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 let me add a few more symptoms ive just been thinking about, they may not be related. -Sometimes when starting out from cold and moving off, push the clutch pedal down, try to move out of first gear, I feel a abnormal resistance once only, then it's fine. This used to happen after the new clutch install, never before, and after a few weeks it doesnt happen anymore. -When I go over a speed hump in 1st gear, the rpm counter jump (about +/- 100 rpm max) in time with the sort of bouncing movement of the bump, but I reckon it should stay stable, if i'm out of gear the rpms will stay normal, no jumping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suddste Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 theres no leaking, I just checked underneath and theres no drops? What else could it be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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