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Clutch Problem


Silver Fox
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Hello, I have a 2007 Focus 1.6 Zetec, it's done just over 55'000 miles and yesterday the clutch pedal went all soft and the biting point is now right at the top of the pedal, it has also started to slip when pulling uphill, is this a sign that the clutch is on it's way out? and would this be covered by my 3 year Ford warranty???

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Hello, I have a 2007 Focus 1.6 Zetec, it's done just over 55'000 miles and yesterday the clutch pedal went all soft and the biting point is now right at the top of the pedal, it has also started to slip when pulling uphill, is this a sign that the clutch is on it's way out? and would this be covered by my 3 year Ford warranty???

55k seems early for a clutch going, I've had clutches go on a Focus and a Mondeo, and both lasted circa 80K, but it depends on how the car has been driven. My mechanic has replaced a clutch twice for on old dear around 30k both times. She probably thinks he is fitting crap clutches, but the reality is she having eaten three clutches is obviously crap driver. But that said, if it were a worn clutch I would have thought the slipping would have been progressive, in that it would get worse over time, not just go like that in a day.

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I recently had to fit a new clutch and DMF. It was on 92K at the time.

When stopped, try putting the car in 4th and see if you can pull away. If you can then your clutch is slipping and is on its way out.

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I recently had to fit a new clutch and DMF. It was on 92K at the time.

When stopped, try putting the car in 4th and see if you can pull away. If you can then your clutch is slipping and is on its way out.

I think you meant to say "cannot" not can. ;)

I'd say put it in third, and progressively raise the revs. If you get to the point where the engine is revving it's @rse off but you ain't moving, you have a clutch related problem, but we already know that. If your car is a petrol model, ignore the reference to a DMF as it's not applicable in your case.

Yes I would say 90 to 100k on a clutch is about right. But if you share the car with your partner who has a tendency to ride the clutch in traffic congestion and the like, it's life expectancy will be shortened.

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I think you meant to say "cannot" not can. ;)

no, i mean "can" :)

if you can pull away in 4th then I've always thought you got problems. It should stall shouldn't it?

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no, i mean "can" :)

if you can pull away in 4th then I've always thought you got problems. It should stall shouldn't it?

Sorry mate I've been driving for 46 years and I can honestly say your wrong. I fact I just went and did it in the car, level surface and just get the balance between gas and clutch right and away you go. 34,393 miles on the clutch.......purrrrrrrrtect :)

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Thanks for all the responses, this morning on my way to work, the clutch gave up completely, had to call the AA to be recovered!!! The car was an AA driving school car before I had it, so this could add to the excessive wear of the clutch?

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Sorry mate I've been driving for 46 years and I can honestly say your wrong. I fact I just went and did it in the car, level surface and just get the balance between gas and clutch right and away you go. 34,393 miles on the clutch.......purrrrrrrrtect :)

Ok, fair enough, but I've never been in a car that I could pull away in 4th from a stand. So maybe all the clutches were buggered!

Another method is to find a nice long straight road accelerate gradually upto 30 mph, stick it in top, be that 5th or 6th and floor the throttle to the stop, car will probably labour a bit and accelerate slowly revs climbing with speed. if clutch is knackered the revs will rise quickly for little or no acceleration. this will be testing the friction pads on the clutch tho

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I would say your clutch release assembly has been leaking causing a slip and pedal going soft then totally burst when you had to be recovered

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Ok, fair enough, but I've never been in a car that I could pull away in 4th from a stand. So maybe all the clutches were buggered!

could have been the case
Another method is to find a nice long straight road accelerate gradually upto 30 mph, stick it in top, be that 5th or 6th and floor the throttle to the stop, car will probably labour a bit and accelerate slowly revs climbing with speed. if clutch is knackered the revs will rise quickly for little or no acceleration. this will be testing the friction pads on the clutch tho

Yes that's spot on

AA driving school, sez it all really, I'm surprised they got 55k out of it. Mind you it could be on it's second clutch already.Not wanting to put a downer on it, but I would not touch a driving school car, but you don't always know that. Best motors are ex lease motors I reckon, they usually come with a complete service report. And if it's got high mileage it usually means it's done a lot of motorway miles, best of any miles a car can put on I'd say.

This car I have was 1st owner leased, in 10 months it covered 14,639 miles, 2nd owner had it 3 years 2 months, slept in a garage, and only did 18,070 in all that time.

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  • 5 years later...

hi guys

maybe someon could help me out with my problem....my 2009 ford focus 1.8l duratech petrol has done 148000km.....ive noticed over the course of owning it that the clutch pedal seems to be a bit soft...the biting point is right at the end of the pedal and when driving the clutch seems to get a bit harder....any suggestions....ive pulled off in 3rd and stalled almost instantly.

thanks

also i have a bit of a rough idle after i have been driving for a while.

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Hi Damien,

If the car has a service history, and there is no evidence to support it has had the clutch replaced. It would be resonable to assume it is running on it's original clutch. And given it has covered148km [100k miles] and taking into account what you have described in your post, I reckon your looking at a new clutch mate.

I would get it sorted at your convenience and not wait until it fails on the road. If you do take the car into a garage for a diagnosis let the forum know the outcome..........it helps build the knowlage base mate

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isn't the stationary 3rd 4th gear test supposed to be without the use of the accelerator, hand brake on, put it in to 4th easy off clutch, you should stall, if you can do that in 4th your ok, go it in 3rd then its all good, do it in second and its perfect. 1st will likely drag your wheels or if you have rear shoes, will just let it go. if it doesn't stall in 2-4th gear and your got moving or dragging the rears around, then its buggered!

mind if your doing the clutch you may as well do the DMF as well, false economy not to.

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The stationary in-gear test is not a 100% guide and needs a bit of expertise to do properly. It can also completely kill an ailing clutch! I often struuggle to make customers cars slip but when I take the gearbox out find the clutch lining to be worn well past the limit. The test was originally applied to asbestos clutches which could be stressed much more and would resume their operation once cooled down. Fortunately for our lungs asbestos has been banned in the EU since the 1980s .

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Do i need to go to ford to get the service history because my service book doesnt say anything about a clutch replacent?

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  • 5 years later...

My uncle has an issue with a car he just bought yesterday. 2009 focus. The clutch pedal goes straight to the floor the second its touched. I know there are issues with the pedal springs on these cars but I don't think this is the issue here? Maybe someone can help? The pedal stays on the floor but you only have to move the pedal an Inch or so and it jumps straight to the floor and stays there. Previous owner says the clutch was replaced 2 weeks ago. 

 

Tia. 

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