Hi all,

Looking for some advice about next steps to fixing my Fiesta.

I have a 2013 1.25l 82bhp Zetec Fiesta. Car drives fine normally.

Sometimes, when I put it in reverse, I can reverse about 20cm and then the clutch pedal drops and needs pumping to work again. Once it’s dropped, I either can’t take car out of gear, OR put car into any gear; I have to either turn engine off or pump the clutch pedal to get it to work again. It happens in first gear too probably every 5/6 times I set off. It seems to mainly happen when the car is up to temperature, as I can reverse off my driveway first thing in a morning with no issues. It seems to happen if I’ve had to ride my clutch, such as pulling out of a junction or reverse manoeuvring into a parking space.

Sometimes, when the clutch drops, the car does like a bunny hop forward and then the engine will stall, as if I’ve no control over the car.

I called the AA who came out to the car but unfortunately the issue did not happen when the bloke test drove it. He took it to the local Ford garage for me anyway.

Ford kept the car for 4 days and said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it, couldn’t replicate the issue, and told me nothing is leaking. They gave me the car back.

I had the car back 2 hours and it did it again. I rang the same garage, took the car back, and asked them to bleed the clutch and replace the clutch fluid just as a first step.

Despite the pedal feeling slightly better, the same issue reoccurred a day later, after driving the car for about 45/50 minutes. I left the car for 3 hours, then I drove the car back home for a further 45/50 minutes and it didn’t happen again.

I took the car to a different garage this morning and they have said the same thing - they cannot find anything wrong with the car. They said my description makes it sound like the master cylinder could be on its way out, but on inspection of the car, they don’t think it is. They told me they could change it anyway but no guarantee it’ll fix the issue. They don’t think it’s the gearbox syncros because it isn’t crunching, and the gear changes are smooth otherwise.

Has anyone got any advice, or has anyone experienced this? Wondering if it’s a common issue that might have an easy fix that I’ve overlooked thus far.

Thanks in advance, Han

 

Edited to add: started happening after I had to jump start the car after it had not been used for 10 days - not sure if it’s related.

Edited December 15, 20223 yr by han63fiesta
Edited to add: started happening after I had to jump start the car after it had not been used for 10 days - not sure if it’s related.

I assume this is a hydraulic clutch. If the fluid levels are OK and not leaking it sounds like either a master or slave cylinder internal seal problem that is letting the fluid leak back into the reservoir and not retaining enough pressure to disengage the clutch.

 

 

Had exactly the same problem on a Fiesta some years ago.   It was the clutch slave cylinder.

My sister’s 2004 fiesta had this same problem. Only when up to full operating temp , intermittent and could not produce the problem on purpose to show some one.  But it did do it when I was testing it for my sister.  Bled clutch, still did it, replaced master cylinder, no different , bled more times no different.  I could do no more on it. She took it to garage, they replaced clutch (at least they say they did) and it’s been fine since - 2 years.   But I still don’t understand what was wrong exactly. As far as I could tell the slave cylinder was not leaking (level not going down, no drips under car).  Slave cylinder is inside bellhousing. Gearbox needs removing to get to it - major job. Slave cylinder is combined with release bearing. Some other cars have the slave cylinder on outside of bell housing where replacement can be done in 15 mins.  Unfortunately not so easy on fiesta

When I say clutch replaced. I mean the plate with the linings on , and the pressure plate, and slave cylinder/release bearing.