Hi there, I have an 05 octavia salon with 2l Diesel engine and 6 speed box.

The car has almost done 90,000 miles. I have noticed the following and am wondering if this the clutch needs replacing:-

Biting point is very low (less than an inch from floor)

When idling it can be difficult to select first gear or drop out of first into neutral.

When idling in firs gear with cloth to floor sometimes the car wants to move, if I lift the clutch to biting point and put it down again then its fine. These last 2 particularly happen when the engine is cold.

If at slow speed I ride the clutch a little there is sometimes a bit of a metal binding noise.

Any thoughts? If it does sound like the clutch needs replacing what would be a rough guesstimate of how much this should cost?

Thanks in advance

Dave.

I had mildly similar issues on my old Leon TDI for about 3 years, then I traded it in, I looked into a new clutch and was told that with a diesel you should always replace the dmf at the same time. The very cheapest price I could get the 2 fitted was £650 and that was with luk parts and fitted by a mechanic I knew, most Indy garages quoted me between £850 and a grand..I suggest you just put the money aside and live with it till it fails...

Dave,

If you get to the bottom of this issue please share the solution. I experience exactly the same thing with my 2.0 Diesel Octavia.

It worries me to the point of just trading it in!

Dave,

Try pumping the clutch pedal 6 or 8 times then see what effect that has on the symptoms you describe. If the biting point rises, and gear engagement/disengagement becomes easier then you are probably looking at a hydraulic problem. Check the fluid level. May need bleeding to remove air, fluid change to remove contaminants (clutch fluid absorbs water from the atmosphere) or master/slave cylinder fault.

hi there, certainly will let you know the fix when I get one.

the strange thing is when it's trying to move away with the clutch on the floor, if I lift the clutch slightly then put it back to the floor it's ok.

Pumping the clutch doesn't seem to do any more and the biting point doesn't lift.

thanks

Dave

I find with my car the issue is intermittent. It seems worse on colder days.

The company I work for have their own workshop. Our mechanic has had a look and reckons it could be weather related cable issues. Surely ALL Octavias would be affected though if this was the case?

He says the same thing happens to his Astra. To be honest though, I'm surprised that even starts during the winter!

Very true! the colder the weather the worse the issue, in Summer i hardly notice the problem at all!

Maybe I will see how things are over the warmer months (if we get any) if the issue goes away then it has to be the cables as he suggested.lo

The clutch on my old TDI always had a lot higher biting point in the winter than in the summer, so much so i was convinced it was going to 'go' and put into a garage to have the clutch and dmf replaced, they did'nt do the work saying there was nothing wrong with my clutch. On occasion i had the problem where with the clutch depressed the car would occasionally 'creep' forward but when i lifted my foot off and depressed again it was fine..

I took my car to a clutch specialist in Bedfordshire and after a test drive it was agreed that there is no slipping so it must be some simple solution, not the dreaded new clutch!

 

The garage changed the gearbox oil and since then the car has driven so much better. Still not 100% and I can't guarantee that the change in the weather has not played some part in the improvement but so far so good. The cost was £120 all in.

I want to get my gearbox oil changed at some point however i am not sure what is the correct oil for my car as the 6 speed boxes are not all exactly the same, also i have to find a garage that will do the work as i think it is supposed to be a 'Sealed' unit ..   

Got a different problem with mine. When traviling in traffic mine doesent want to comeout of of 2nd gear when the clutch is drepresed.
Can any one conferm if it's the relese bearing thats on the way out at all?

Gazman, the garage told me it's not your run of the mill oil but they said they can get it without too much problem.

I have been driving around a few weeks since the change and unfortunately report that my issue still exists.

Stuart, mine can get stuck in 2nd but it is much worse in 1st and reverse. It's green a real pig to drive the last couple of days.

Looks like another bill coming my way....

makes 2 of us! Im doing anything upwards of 1000 miles a week! Thats when Ive got a job on the railway!