Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears

Akash_1806 · 2nd July 2022, 15:55

Hello Everyone,

I am starting this thread due to a weird issue in my daily workhorse, 2014 Nissan Terrano XLD 85 which has now completed nearly 1,24,000 kms driven by me and my dad only.

I was not able to find any existing thread hence creating a new one, would request the mods to merge it if a similar thread exists.

I remember, right from the 10k kms service my dad had complained about hard shifting of gears to the service advisor at Neo Nissan, Sector-3, Noida but each and everytime we only used to get one response that is, it is normal for Terranos and Dusters. None of our complaints against this were acknowledged by them and it is still the case now.

Since the past month, I have been facing an issue with the clutch and gears. If I drive in bumper to bumper traffic for more than 10 mins, the clutch pedal depresses and the gears refuse to shift. Mentioned this to the service centre in the 120k kms service and without inspection they said the clutch and pressure plates along with the master and slave cylinders need to be replaced. The estimate given is of something around 45,000rs. Got this inspected with a trusted FNG and the mech opened up the clutch and said only the cylinders need to be replaced. Also he told us that the clutch is good for at least another 25k kms.

My dad was not quite satisfied with the diferent findings so he got it checked at his trusted mech and he said only the slave cylinder needs to be replaced.

I am in a serious doubt about what the real problem is and if this problem was mentioned to the ASC in each and every service then why didn't they look into the matter there and then?

Would request the experts to help me about what should be done next, should I get the whole clutch work done from either ASC/FNG, should get both the cylinders replaced or only replacing the slave cylinder will solve this issue.

Thanks in advance
Akash

Kosfactor · 2nd July 2022, 18:15

The concentric slave cylinders usually don't this long, but it has in your case. Anyhow the ASCs will not remove most of the front suspension and lower the gearbox only to replace a slave cylinder , it wont work for them.

So they would rather overhaul the entire clutch system and then the customer also won't bother them again for the next 3-4 years atleast.

You could just fix whatever is broken or you can have a new car like feeling clutch by overhauling the entire thing.

r24x7 · 2nd July 2022, 20:07

We had an issue with our Lodgy 110 .After 88K KMs on the ODO, we observed similar issue where clutch wouldn't get depressed sometimes.

While I am not sure what they diagnosed the root cause to be , but we were convinced that replacement of slave and master cylinder is laborious enough to have clutch plate replacement also included.

Went ahead with replacement of all three parts : both cylinders and clutch assembly for final bill of 25K.

PS - Entire work was carried out at Renault ASC

Akash_1806 · 3rd July 2022, 03:56

Thank you for your inputs Kosfactor and r24x7,

The main issue is that the clutch stays depressed and still the gears don't budge to move. If the cylinders are at fault then why didn't the ASC rectify the problem when it was mentioned within the warranty period before 80k kms were completed. This problem did appear at 70k kms and was highlighted to the service centre.

We were forced to accept the shoddy service and incomplete repair jobs as this car has always been doing duties which are of utmost importance to the family. Being it dad travelling everyday for 200kms or me using her for the weirdest of the timings due to my shift hours, Terrano remains the vehicle that needs to be in pristine condition without spending much time at workshops and garages. Money spent on the car does hold importance but not as much as time.

Leaving the car for a day means that I won't have a mode of transportation for that time. Nissan India does not care about it's customers now, I believe.

scorpian · 3rd July 2022, 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by r24x7

While I am not sure what they diagnosed the root cause to be , but we were convinced that replacement of slave and master cylinder is laborious enough to have clutch plate replacement also included.

This above sums it up perfectly,while your at it replace master and slave cylinder and replace clutch set. You will have peace for a long time to come.Dont do half jobs and then pay double labour for a repeat job.

Settle it once for all for peace of mind.

SideView · 3rd July 2022, 23:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akash_1806

each and everytime we only used to get one response that is, it is normal for Terranos and Dusters. None of our complaints against this were acknowledged by them and it is still the case now.

I feel your pain buddy, same thing in my experience also.The wash their hands off saying its same for all.

Regarding clutch overhaul I would go ahead with others recommendation to better do it now ( not only the cylinders) and have peace of mind.

But if you are planning on selling and trying to save some bucks you can go with the recommendation of the FNG.

r24x7 · 3rd July 2022, 23:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akash_1806

If the cylinders are at fault then why didn't the ASC rectify the problem when it was mentioned within the warranty period before 80k kms were completed. This problem did appear at 70k kms and was highlighted to the service centre.

Usually Clutch related components are part of wear and tear. I'm not sure where one would draw a line whether or not this can be addressed as part of warranty.

Having said that , since you have already mentioned about this complaint during warranty ,try to ask for a fix as part of warranty atleast.

Again ,while you are at it , get clutch plates and the cylinders replaced. This would now also like be like a preventive maintenance and wont need you to visit the SVC anytime again soon.

dhanushs · 4th July 2022, 09:26

The slave cylinder failure could have happened because of the pressure plate getting hard.

It's a thin line on claiming the warranty, as the pressure plate is a wear and tear part and the Slave Cylinder is a warranty replacement part. If the ASS could, they could've replaced the Slave Cylinder for free.

Anyhow, if you plan to use the car for a long time, I'd suggest you replace the full assy.

Jeroen · 4th July 2022, 11:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by r24x7

While I am not sure what they diagnosed the root cause to be , but we were convinced that replacement of slave and master cylinder is laborious enough to have clutch plate replacement also included.

Replacing slave/master cylinder or clutch replacement are two very different things. Slave/master is a simple quick job. On most cars it would take 30-60 minutes work, including bleeding the system.

Replacing a clutch always requires removing the engine and or gearbox. That is always a big job!

If you can’t engage a gear with the clutch pedal fully engaged it is 99,99% chance there is something wrong with the slave and or master cylinder. It is very unlikely there is anything wrong with the clutch.

I have experienced one case where the weld holding the clutch lever broke. So the shaft was actually turning inside the lever. And thus the clutch not freeing up.

Jeroen

sagarpadaki · 4th July 2022, 11:24

If you have never done a clutch replacement then 1.24 lakh kms on factory fit clutch plates means the clutch would be at the end of its life if you drive in bumper to bumper and stop and go traffic predominantly.

I suggest you replace the clutch plate, pressure plate, release bearing, slave cylinder. I do not think master cylinder is bad. Check and replace the master cylinder on need basis. The slave cylinder is definitely bad. Also check the hydraulic line from master to slave cylinder. If it is made of rubber then replace it as well.

Your father's left knee and ankle is far more valuable than 45K rupees. I know how frustrating and hurting it is drive a car with a hard clutch , especially in stop and go traffic which needs frequent gear shifts.

If you know a competent FNG garage, order the OEM parts on boodmo and get it fit from them

r24x7 · 4th July 2022, 15:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Replacing slave/master cylinder or clutch replacement are two very different things.

This may be true for most cars. But our consultation with an FNG before we reached out to ASC revealed that the Master cylinder is a piece of cake , but the slave cylinder was not as easily accessible and requires dismantling clutch assembly.

The explanation matched with what ASC had to say and hence we went ahead with the job of including the clutch plates replacement as well.

Nevertheless , no regrets. Clutch has become lighter and responsive. We are going to keep the car for a while. Only 90K kms done so far.

Jeroen · 4th July 2022, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by r24x7

This may be true for most cars. But our consultation with an FNG before we reached out to ASC revealed that the Master cylinder is a piece of cake , but the slave cylinder was not as easily accessible and requires dismantling clutch assembly..

Interesting, what car is this?
Jeroen

Kosfactor · 4th July 2022, 15:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akash_1806

If the cylinders are at fault then why didn't the ASC rectify the problem when it was mentioned within the warranty period before 80k kms were completed. This problem did appear at 70k kms and was highlighted to the service centre.

Anything related to clutch is often considered wear and tear damage(as a matter of habit), perhaps they are reluctant to open it up unless they are sure that the customer is going to pay for everything that is NOT covered in warranty while they have it open.

Akash_1806 · 4th July 2022, 16:18

Thank you all for your inputs.

Will be getting the car inspected from the ASC and then from a trusted FNG. If replacing the cylinders is as tedious then I will better get the whole clutch assembly replaced.

Will try to get the cylinders under goodwill warranty (Car is out of warranty for quite some time now) and will get the clutch and pressure plates on my own cost, otherwise will get the whole work done from an FNG.

I believe gone are the days when clutch for diesel cars used to last for 2.5-3 lakh kms without much trouble.

Also, have been in touch with Nissan India officials regarding the shoddy service experiences and issues which have been cropping up even after mentioning it to the service centre.

The inspection will be done within this week or at the most by next week. Will keep the thread updated. Any tips on how to go about the warranty part with the service centre will be really helpful.

Regards,
Akash

saket77 · 4th July 2022, 17:32

Most likely the slave cylinder has failed. As the owner of car, you may be in a better position to tell us if the clutch plates and pressure plates are good. If the pedal still operates light and rest of the bad clutch symptoms aren't there, your problem may be fixed with just replacement of the slave cylinder.

2nd July 2022, 15:55	#1
Akash_1806 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Noida Posts: 69 Thanked: 345 Times	Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears Hello Everyone, I am starting this thread due to a weird issue in my daily workhorse, 2014 Nissan Terrano XLD 85 which has now completed nearly 1,24,000 kms driven by me and my dad only. I was not able to find any existing thread hence creating a new one, would request the mods to merge it if a similar thread exists. I remember, right from the 10k kms service my dad had complained about hard shifting of gears to the service advisor at Neo Nissan, Sector-3, Noida but each and everytime we only used to get one response that is, it is normal for Terranos and Dusters. None of our complaints against this were acknowledged by them and it is still the case now. Since the past month, I have been facing an issue with the clutch and gears. If I drive in bumper to bumper traffic for more than 10 mins, the clutch pedal depresses and the gears refuse to shift. Mentioned this to the service centre in the 120k kms service and without inspection they said the clutch and pressure plates along with the master and slave cylinders need to be replaced. The estimate given is of something around 45,000rs. Got this inspected with a trusted FNG and the mech opened up the clutch and said only the cylinders need to be replaced. Also he told us that the clutch is good for at least another 25k kms. My dad was not quite satisfied with the diferent findings so he got it checked at his trusted mech and he said only the slave cylinder needs to be replaced. I am in a serious doubt about what the real problem is and if this problem was mentioned to the ASC in each and every service then why didn't they look into the matter there and then? Would request the experts to help me about what should be done next, should I get the whole clutch work done from either ASC/FNG, should get both the cylinders replaced or only replacing the slave cylinder will solve this issue. Thanks in advance Akash
	(6) Thanks

2nd July 2022, 18:15	#2
Kosfactor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: COK\BLR\MYS Posts: 3,602 Thanked: 10,189 Times	re: Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears The concentric slave cylinders usually don't this long, but it has in your case. Anyhow the ASCs will not remove most of the front suspension and lower the gearbox only to replace a slave cylinder , it wont work for them. So they would rather overhaul the entire clutch system and then the customer also won't bother them again for the next 3-4 years atleast. You could just fix whatever is broken or you can have a new car like feeling clutch by overhauling the entire thing.
	(3) Thanks

2nd July 2022, 20:07	#3
r24x7 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2021 Location: TN02 KA51 Posts: 246 Thanked: 473 Times	re: Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears We had an issue with our Lodgy 110 .After 88K KMs on the ODO, we observed similar issue where clutch wouldn't get depressed sometimes. While I am not sure what they diagnosed the root cause to be , but we were convinced that replacement of slave and master cylinder is laborious enough to have clutch plate replacement also included. Went ahead with replacement of all three parts : both cylinders and clutch assembly for final bill of 25K. PS - Entire work was carried out at Renault ASC Last edited by r24x7 : 2nd July 2022 at 20:10.
	(1) Thanks

3rd July 2022, 03:56	#4
Akash_1806 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Noida Posts: 69 Thanked: 345 Times	re: Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears Thank you for your inputs Kosfactor and r24x7, The main issue is that the clutch stays depressed and still the gears don't budge to move. If the cylinders are at fault then why didn't the ASC rectify the problem when it was mentioned within the warranty period before 80k kms were completed. This problem did appear at 70k kms and was highlighted to the service centre. We were forced to accept the shoddy service and incomplete repair jobs as this car has always been doing duties which are of utmost importance to the family. Being it dad travelling everyday for 200kms or me using her for the weirdest of the timings due to my shift hours, Terrano remains the vehicle that needs to be in pristine condition without spending much time at workshops and garages. Money spent on the car does hold importance but not as much as time. Leaving the car for a day means that I won't have a mode of transportation for that time. Nissan India does not care about it's customers now, I believe.
	() Thanks

4th July 2022, 09:26	#8
dhanushs Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,281 Thanked: 10,175 Times	re: Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears The slave cylinder failure could have happened because of the pressure plate getting hard. It's a thin line on claiming the warranty, as the pressure plate is a wear and tear part and the Slave Cylinder is a warranty replacement part. If the ASS could, they could've replaced the Slave Cylinder for free. Anyhow, if you plan to use the car for a long time, I'd suggest you replace the full assy.
	() Thanks

4th July 2022, 11:24	#10
sagarpadaki Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 4,212 Thanked: 5,877 Times	re: Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears If you have never done a clutch replacement then 1.24 lakh kms on factory fit clutch plates means the clutch would be at the end of its life if you drive in bumper to bumper and stop and go traffic predominantly. I suggest you replace the clutch plate, pressure plate, release bearing, slave cylinder. I do not think master cylinder is bad. Check and replace the master cylinder on need basis. The slave cylinder is definitely bad. Also check the hydraulic line from master to slave cylinder. If it is made of rubber then replace it as well. Your father's left knee and ankle is far more valuable than 45K rupees. I know how frustrating and hurting it is drive a car with a hard clutch , especially in stop and go traffic which needs frequent gear shifts. If you know a competent FNG garage, order the OEM parts on boodmo and get it fit from them Last edited by sagarpadaki : 4th July 2022 at 11:26.
	() Thanks

4th July 2022, 16:18	#14
Akash_1806 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Noida Posts: 69 Thanked: 345 Times	re: Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears Thank you all for your inputs. Will be getting the car inspected from the ASC and then from a trusted FNG. If replacing the cylinders is as tedious then I will better get the whole clutch assembly replaced. Will try to get the cylinders under goodwill warranty (Car is out of warranty for quite some time now) and will get the clutch and pressure plates on my own cost, otherwise will get the whole work done from an FNG. I believe gone are the days when clutch for diesel cars used to last for 2.5-3 lakh kms without much trouble. Also, have been in touch with Nissan India officials regarding the shoddy service experiences and issues which have been cropping up even after mentioning it to the service centre. The inspection will be done within this week or at the most by next week. Will keep the thread updated. Any tips on how to go about the warranty part with the service centre will be really helpful. Regards, Akash Last edited by Akash_1806 : 4th July 2022 at 16:19.
	() Thanks

4th July 2022, 17:32	#15
saket77 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Ranchi Posts: 4,390 Thanked: 11,983 Times	re: Clutch pedal pressed, but unable to change gears Most likely the slave cylinder has failed. As the owner of car, you may be in a better position to tell us if the clutch plates and pressure plates are good. If the pedal still operates light and rest of the bad clutch symptoms aren't there, your problem may be fixed with just replacement of the slave cylinder.
	() Thanks