Team-BHP - Fiat Adventure! Multiple Clutch Failures
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Friends,

My car is now almost 4 years old and has done close to 42K kilometers
Background:
1. 3 months into the ownership, the clutch started slipping. There was a oil leak from the gearbox and oil seeped into the pressure plate. The clutch plate and pressure plate were replaced under warranty.

2. After 3 years and 35K kilometers, I started feeling that the clutch has become hard and on pressing the pedal some click sound was coming. According to the folks at B.U. Bhandari the click sound can only be muted by chaning the clutch assembly (clutch plate, pressure plate, and the release bearings). They told me that clutch may be good for another 10K kilometers but due to the hardness factor and the click sound I told them to replace the clutch assembly.

3. 5K kilometers and 4 months later the clutch started slipping again. But it was a weird behaviour. If I press the pedal 10 times, I will feel that the clutch is hard for say 4 times. 6 times it felt normal. I took the car to Concorde Mysore Rd and they identified it to be a bad clutch. After some back and forth the clutch assembly was again replaced under warranty. Fiat has 6 months national parts warranty.

4. 500 kilometers and 1 month later, the clutch has again started slipping. This time too the behavior is weird. It doesn't slips always but slips randomly. It feels hard for 3-4 out of 10 presses. I took the car to Concorde Hosur Rd. The service advisor is saying that we can try to replace the fork (I am not sure if I am spelling this correctly) and bushes. He feels there might be a bent in the fork that may cause clutch failure.

Please help with your suggestions on what can be wrong. Is it just a case of bad quality clutch assmeblies from Fiat? Or can clutch fail due to other reasons? How true could be analysis about the fork being bent? Thanks in advance.

P.S.:
There's no visible oil leak. I have also checked after putting my car on the lift.

The fork is not in stock and has been ordered for past 5 weeks. The spare has still not arrived. I spoke with the service advisor yesterday and he told me that Fiat is shift the warehouse and the spare may arrive only by end of August. So much so for the Fiat spares availability. I can speak with Mangesh and others but why the hell I need to this everytime I need a spare. But that's a different story.

Some thoughts and suggestions please:

why don't you get it checked at another FASS? The problem can be diagnosed only if the clutch assembly is taken out - so nothing can be said.

is it that bad that you cannot drive the car? what if it is in the mind? what if something is interfering with the clutch pedal movement - like the carpet / wire? have they checked that out?

Quote:

Originally Posted by planet_rocker (Post 1381834)
why don't you get it checked at another FASS?

Already done that.

Quote:

is it that bad that you cannot drive the car? what if it is in the mind? what if something is interfering with the clutch pedal movement - like the carpet / wire? have they checked that out?
No it's not that bad. The clutch slip is sporadic. It doesn't happen always. If it would have been only in the mind the service advisor wouldn't have changed the clutch assembly under warranty. Even now, when I got it checked at another service center he felt the problem and has suggested changing the fork and bushings. Just looking for additional thoughts/suggestions. There's a mechanical issue for sure.

A bent Fork would give you jerks (known as Juddering) and at times there is clutch slippage. There is a possibility that they might be using the wrong clutch plate of say a Palio etc. GM changed the diameter of clutchplates in Opel Astra in course of upgrading the engines. Therefore, the car used to have slippages and juddering, if the mech didnt put the right clutch of that particular model.

Anant, take a second opinion from GreenTracks.

Have you checked the Clutch Master Cylinder. Lot of times, due to slippage can also be attributed to leaking Clutch Master Cylinder.

Please get it checked out as well. The life of a master cylinder is about 4-5 years.

I tend to agree with Milecruncher,

Cluch master cylinder (attached to the pedal) has notoriously high rate of failure. This has been the case with my petra and it failed thrice in four years.

First of all let me apologize. I am perhaps experiencing a juddering clutch in my car rather than a slipping clutch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandeep.mishra (Post 1381872)
A bent Fork would give you jerks (known as Juddering) and at times there is clutch slippage. There is a possibility that they might be using the wrong clutch plate of say a Palio etc. GM changed the diameter of clutchplates in Opel Astra in course of upgrading the engines. Therefore, the car used to have slippages and juddering, if the mech didnt put the right clutch of that particular model.

This points to a bent fork. A wrong part is only a distant possibility because I have got the clutch assembly replaced two times (and at two different places) and I doubt if both the times they would have used wrong parts. But I will keep this in mind as well.


Quote:

Originally Posted by finneyp (Post 1381887)
Anant, take a second opinion from GreenTracks.

I am going to Concorde Hosur Rd for getting the timing belt replacement. Let me take an opinion from Green Tracks as well. Would you recommend any contact person their?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MileCruncher (Post 1381892)
Have you checked the Clutch Master Cylinder. Lot of times, due to slippage can also be attributed to leaking Clutch Master Cylinder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRC (Post 1381973)
I tend to agree with Milecruncher,

Although their is no visible oil leakage, I will get it checked.

Thanks everyone for your inputs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akbaree (Post 1382138)
Let me take an opinion from Green Tracks as well. Would you recommend any contact person their?

You can meet Babu (he is the Fiat Service Advisor).

Update:

Got the fork replaced at the Concorde Hosur Rd today. Back to normal. The clutch is now butter smooth and gear shift has also smoothened. I have only driven 50 kilometers and there was no juddering. Only thing on my mind now is - how long this honeymoon will last? I hope at least 50K kilometers :).

The fork took two months to arrive...

Some words of appreciation for the Team Leader - Vijay. I am extremely happy with his helping behaviour. He may still be maturing with the Fiats but has good troubleshooting sense. Lohith's positive feedback took me to him and he deserves this appreciation.

Once again thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I have also changed clutch kit and am experiencing judder in first gear. Please let me know if the fork is not changed while changing clutch kit. Probably i will have to get that changed too.

And what is this fork Any idea?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemithomas (Post 1422160)
I have also changed clutch kit and am experiencing judder in first gear. Please let me know if the fork is not changed while changing clutch kit. Probably i will have to get that changed too.

And what is this fork Any idea?

Fork is not changed as part of the clutck kit. The fork is used to exert pressure on the pressure plate to disengage clutch. The release bearing sits in the fork. Actually I was with the technician during the change process and came back only at 9:00 pm.

There was a very minute bent difficult to make out easily in my case.

I would suggest you wait for a month or so. I can then confirm that fork has really solved this problem for good. I have only driven 50 kilometers so far.

If you decide to change clutch fork, there are two bushings as well that should be ordered along with the fork.

In my case i can hear a very mild noise which seems to be of the clutch plate rotating. ALso if i park my car (after driving for some time) and press the clutch i can hear a "tick" sound of the clutch disengaging every time i take my leg off the clutch. Not very happy with the changes after changing the clutch. Not sure what to do though. :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemithomas (Post 1423220)
In my case i can hear a very mild noise which seems to be of the clutch plate rotating.



gemithomas,

Considering that you had recently replaced the clutch, some of the causes of internal clutch noise that you are hearing could be due to improper disc installation, misalignment or even loose flywheel bolts.

Where did you get the replacement done? It would be wise to get this checked at your A.S.S.

Cheers,gpa


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