[Lukeskywalker]

Last time my santro had gone in for service, the service advisor told me that in the next service I would have to replace the clutch plates as they are worn out, how does one identify the wear out ? The clutch pedal does feel very soft and also it disengages almost at the end of pedal play, is this a symptom of clutch wear? By the way the car has about 24000 kms on its odometer and is mostly driven by drivers.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

Last time my santro had gone in for service, the service advisor told me that in the next service I would have to replace the clutch plates as they are worn out, how does one identify the wear out ? The clutch pedal does feel very soft and also it disengages almost at the end of pedal play, is this a symptom of clutch wear? By the way the car has about 24000 kms on its odometer and is mostly driven by drivers.

24000km CLUTCH FRIED...Also about u mentioning about them disengaging at the end of the pedal play.This is a sign of a faulty clutch cable adjustment.
A worn out clutch will lead to engine revving more and not a considerable increase in the speed corresponding to the engine speed increase.Also mileage will go down considerably+top end will go down.

[ajitkommini]

Another sign of clutch wear is excessive jerking / shuddering when you release the clutch in 1st or second gear at a low speed. Seems strange that it happened after only 24000 km though. Should last for at least double that distance, but then again, depends on the driving style etc.

[esteem_lover]

i did the clutch on my esteem at 85k. could have been done at 75k also. but there is no way you ought to do your clutch in 25k. it is a matter of adjusting the play in you clutch cable & you should be fine. just ask the dealer what is the mileage as per hyundai for replacing the clutch. he's got to be kidding. OR you must have really been cluthc riding very bad. these are the 2 possibilities. cheers

[iraghava]

E_L - The mileage varies as you mentioned due to driving patterns & there is really no standard life expectancy of these parts. For eg. the Clutch on my earlier Santro popped at 45k but the new one is running fine on the original clutch even at 73k!! Similarly my OHC VTEC is running fine on the original clutch at 120k!!

Luke - I would recommend you get a second opinion about the clutch from another trustworthy workshop. There have been a few instances of delaer's fiddling with the adjustment mechanism of the clutch to make it hard deliberately to make a quick buck.
But if the clutch is indeed worn out maybe you should consult an expert on driving techniques (fellow t-bhpian or otherwise) and make sure that you are not using the clutch in an incorrect manner.

[rahul_intlad]

We have this intersection at a very steep slope and in pune intersections mean chaos and traffic jams.Now because it is an incline and due to the jam you have to do the half clutch thing [pressing accelerator and clutch together]sometimes between half an hour to dont know when.This has resulted in burnt clutch plates[thats what everybody at the intersection refers to as].Basically smoke starts coming out from the bonnet.

So is this half clutch so harmful to the car that you can end up smoking the entire place,what is the possible alternative to stop and go traffic on steep inclines[you dont have time to press either brake or use the handbrake lever since you crawl ahead from time to time]

[v1p3r]

Handbrake. Make that little extra effort and be nice to your car.

[ownerofazkaban]

Hi,

on my 800, my long drive economy is very good (20-24kmpl), while the b'lore city economy has come down drastically to a mere 13-14kmpl. Also I found that my top speed has come down, and I experience more jerks when driving without clutch in first/second gear at low speeds (< 20 kmph), since I have clocked 74k on ODO do you think the clutch has worn out or is it just the clutch cable adjustment ? Is there somehting like clutch cable adjustment in m800 ?

[Revvhead]

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad

We have this intersection at a very steep slope and in pune intersections mean chaos and traffic jams.Now because it is an incline and due to the jam you have to do the half clutch thing [pressing accelerator and clutch together]sometimes between half an hour to dont know when.This has resulted in burnt clutch plates[thats what everybody at the intersection refers to as].Basically smoke starts coming out from the bonnet.

So is this half clutch so harmful to the car that you can end up smoking the entire place,what is the possible alternative to stop and go traffic on steep inclines[you dont have time to press either brake or use the handbrake lever since you crawl ahead from time to time]

you running half clutch for half an hour!!!

as Viper said.. Handbrake, and if yours doesnt work,. Footbrake. But dont burn the clutch dude. Smoke pouring outta the bonnet should tell you that something is wrong

[Sideways]

There are more reasons as to why your clutch has worn out so early. The problem could be with either your Master or slave cylinder. Ask the workshop guys to have this checked out. In my opinion and experience, the master cylinder lasts for quite a while. the slave cylinder usually causes a problem. And if you have the habit of riding the clutch i suggest you change your driving style immediately. And on inclines, as viper and revvhead, have suggested please use your handbrake or your foot break.

Cheers.

[rahul_intlad]

So far I have not burned my clutch plates but the call centre indicas keep doing them.I do try to make use of the handbrake and the foot brake whenever possible,but yes prefer the half clutch than taking the trouble of the brakes for very slow moving traffic on inclines which doesnt give me a chance for braking [never used the half clutch for long periods however].Will try to even cut down on this as well now.

As an extra precaution I try switching off the engine whenever I am stationary for some time on the incline.

I have put forward this query since am seeing a lot of indicas[cabs] with this problem and just dont want myself to be in the same boat.

[Lukeskywalker]

Seems strange that it happened after only 24000 km though. Should last for at least double that distance, but then again, depends on the driving style etc.

ajitkomminini, I have not faced this problem in any of my previous cars for at least 4yrs or about 75k kms on odo, again I would like to emphasise that this santro is used by my wife who cannot drive so uses a driver. Also in the 24k kms it has run, the car has seen no less than 15 drivers, some of whom sharpened or got their basic driving skills on the job.
Iraghava and sideways- thanks for the input, I think I'l get another opinion from Advaith or another Trident workshop, I usually give it for service at the kamannahalli outlet as it is the closest, or the experts on the forum, I would be greatly obliged if one of you could have a dekko at the car at your convenience

P.S.
The current driver has become another ex driver as of today, so am again in the hunt for one :(

[Sideways]

I think it's the drivers then.

[theMAG]

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

how does one identify the wear out ?

Atleast one of the following symptoms, if present, indicate a postive clutch wear:

1. Chatter: Noise/vibes when engaging the clutch. Most likely due to worn splines/bearings, warped disk or unevenness of the pressure plate/flywheel surfaces.

2. Problems in releasing the clutch: Due to suboptimal conditions of shafts, brackets, firewalls or pushrods

3. Slippage- the most common symptom: Due to worn clutch disc.


Aayushmaan bhava !

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad

...I do try to make use of the handbrake and the foot brake whenever possible,but yes prefer the half clutch than taking the trouble of the brakes for very slow moving traffic on inclines which doesnt give me a chance for braking [never used the half clutch for long periods however].Will try to even cut down on this as well now...

rahul, i understand the problem... half-clutch, though a predominant and more often an unavoidable practice is actually a vice after all and wears out your clutch. however handbrakes and all may not always be feasible particularly in those extremely slow crawls. i do something a little different in these situations. put the car in 1st gear and then slowly release the clutch, completely, and at the same time slowly depressing the accelerator (very very little). you will reach a point where the car's engine is acting like a brake without stalling... normally for the slow crawls do not use the accelerator or the clutch and remain on 1st gear. the car will keep rolling. in my case i have found this cuts down the half clutch requirement to barely 10% or even less... try it out.