New clutch fitted and engaging on floorboard Yeti 2013 4x4 TDi CR 140

[Thornton]

Long story short, bought a warranty and clutch went normal pedal going down and then not engaging had to tow to recommended garage. Had the whole clutch done LUK Flywheel, clutch kit, concentric slave cylinder, clutch master, so basically right through. Got it back and the clutch is engaging right at the bottom just off the floorboard and was grinding in. It has been in to the garage and back to me numerous times. Needed bleeding all the time they say now and must drive a 1000mile for it to settle in and pedal will come up. 

It has now started it tricks again by starting to not engaging and stall regularly. I am sure the garage is spinning me a story because no new clutch should be doing this. What must I do because I just keep on getting same ole story.

[Trevor M]

You are correct; as you appear to have changed all clutch components it should be working 100%. I suggest you insist the garage corrects the problem. Having said that my '170' clutch has from new always engaged 'low down' on the pedal, but not to the extent that yours seems to do. Clutch wear usually means the clutch pedal will gradually function 'higher up' (I think,) but I would expect a new clutch to disengage properly from day 1. Good luck.

[KenONeill]

2 hours ago, Thornton said:

Needed bleeding all the time they say now

When was the brake fluid last changed?

[Urrell]

1 hour ago, Trevor M said:

Clutch wear usually means the clutch pedal will gradually function 'higher up' (I think,) but I would expect a new clutch to disengage properly from day 1

Should be normal as the hydraulic actuated clutch is self adjusting.

[Carlodiesel]

Hydraulic clutches adjust themselves as they wear. 

The only thing I could recommend you to do, is return the car to the repairing garage.

Something is not right.

If it has been bled properly, it should work.

It sounds like air maybe getting into the system, but that is a guess.

Or, the slave cylinder may be faulty. (unlikely but who knows)

It should be able to stand overnight & work first time correctly.

[Austin 7]

Hi

 

By "grinding in" I assume that the clutch isn't completely disengaging even when pushed down to the floor.  Engagement point will vary a bit with wear and from vehicle to vehicle, but yours sounds as though it is well outside the acceptable range.  I'd suggest that something is faulty or has been misassembled, so it's back to the people who fitted the clutch to sort it out. 

 

Bleeding should be a once-only operation after disturbing hydraulics.  Bleeding multiple times either means air is being re-introduced (very unlikely with all new components unless faulty) or it's a just a fruitless attempt to do "something" whilst avoiding the expense of disassembly.

[Thornton]

On 06/11/2021 at 09:28, KenONeill said:

When was the brake fluid last changed?

they changed the brake fluid as well

[KenONeill]

13 minutes ago, Thornton said:

they changed the brake fluid as well

Ok, that rules out one possible idea. You seem to have covered most of the others except for faulty assembly.

[gumdrop]

I would be inclined to get a second opinion on the clutch operation, without prejudicing the outcome by saying why.

AA or another garage technician from a different Skoda unconnected dealer.

[Carlodiesel]

On 06/11/2021 at 07:22, Thornton said:

they say now and must drive a 1000mile for it to settle in and pedal will come up. 

I just re read your first posting.

Never have I heard that, or said it to a customer. After a proper road test the fitter should be happy with his work.

If it has been bled properly, then after fitting all those components, it should work right from day one.

 

There sounds like something has been assembled wrong in the clutch. (you could suggest the repairer re-checks his work)

In the past I have come across the clutch plate being fitted the wrong way round. *

But non the less, this doesn't sound right.

* look at the picture you will see what I mean. It clearly says " Gearbox side"

Edited 10 November, 2021 by Carlodiesel

[MATT0693]

It could potentially be the wrong parts have been installed, there is a few different options of clutch/flywheel for this, from memory there are 5 different clutch versions and a handful of flywheel options.
Ask the garage what LUK reference were fitted, they should be able to check back and confirm.

[J.R.]

2 hours ago, Carlodiesel said:

 

 

Take matters into your own hands, remove the air filter for access and fit a bleed tube to the nipple on the plastic thumbturn bleed nipple on the clutch bleed block. hold the pipe vertically upwards and open the valve 90°, you should see fluid rise immediately but you wont and it will be air for a few seconds then aerated fluid which will reach its level in the tube followed by micro air bubbles, when these stop close the nipple. You will only have lost a tiny amount of fluid in the bleed pipe.

 

I am betting that your clutch will then work properly but will rapidly deteriorate with the pedal getting lower, do the same check and you will see the same thing, then you can go to the garage and tell them exactly what is wrong and what they should do.

 

If you look at the picture above, on the slave cylinder you will see a joint between black and white plastics, this contains an O ring and is inside the bellhousing, air is drawn into this joint but it never leaks fluid, it defies logic as it has a positive head pressure from the master cylinder but I am 100000% positive that this is the cause of the many reported clutch problems like yours and mine which took me 6 months to diagnose and finally resolve when I was having to bleed the clutch every few miles of driving.

 

In your case the garage probably has not actually replaced the concentric slave cylinder when they saw it was not leaking, I would not even fit the one that came with my clutch kit, I found a new old stock VAG part made in aluminium in one piece without the joint and used that.

Edited 10 November, 2021 by J.R.

[J.R.]

Can anyone confirm whether the hole in the bellhousing where the plastic pipe exits should have a rubber grommet to take up the clearance?

 

Mine didn't and I cant see one on any of the parts diagrams, the absence of such apart means that the heavy bleed block attached to the white plastic pipe can vibrate with the engine revolutions creating an oscillating movement of the pipe joint against the main cylinder that is solidly attached, this wears the O ring.

 

I have an oil change and cam belt inspection to do this week, I am going to seal this gap even though I have a solid aluminium cylinder with no joint.

 

I should add that I suspect the vibration from a less than perfect dual mass flywheel aggravates or even cause the vibration, it always seems to be the higher powered cars that suffer, mine was perfect until a remap and its first failure was the very first time I gave it the beans on the drive home. I replaced the DMF with the clutch, did your garage do the same? Maybe they have a new DMF and a concentric cylinder put to one side for future use?

Edited 10 November, 2021 by J.R.

[Thornton]

2 hours ago, MATT0693 said:

It could potentially be the wrong parts have been installed, there is a few different options of clutch/flywheel for this, from memory there are 5 different clutch versions and a handful of flywheel options.
Ask the garage what LUK reference were fitted, they should be able to check back and confirm.

Hi Matt

 

Sorry do not know if my last message got sent new to this and finding it so helpful.

 

Yes please my reg is YD13XFW. I know a LUK kit was fitted. If at all could you get the part numbers as well some ammunition.

I know there is something not right and I hate garages that rip people off.

 

Thanks

Thornton

[J.R.]

It will not be the wrong parts or the driven plate fitted reversed, that would have been apparent immediately and would not cause air to be drwan into the system.

 

I am one million percent certain of what your problem is, you asked what you can/should do and I suggest you follow my above advice to see if I am correct, I will be very happy (for you) to be proved wrong because your problems will start with trying to get the garage to re-do the job correctly given how they have behaved so far.

[Carlodiesel]

J.R.

I understand what you are saying, & could well be the case. Let hope its just a question of bleeding.

By the way...That is also the same way I have to bleed the Brake Callipers on most Motorbikes, as the brake pipes run over from one calliper to the next causing an air lock...

[J.R.]

It will definitely not be "just a question of bleeding", that is simply to prove beyond doubt my diagnosis if I am correct &  will require you to do it again and again if you drive the car just as the garage have been doing.

 

The cure is to replace the cylinder or the O ring in the joint but as the gearbox has to be removed to do that we would all replace the cylinder, I would go further and support the pipe where it exits the bellhousing to prevent any recurrence or better still fit an early one piece aluminium one which I did indeed do.

On a positive note if you end up bleeding the clutch as often as I did then you can leave the bleed tube attached (needs a thin clamp or lockwire) and do the job by feel in seconds at the side of the road without removing the air filter housing, I removed the single attachment bolt and would lift the assembly upwards off the retaining rubbers to get enough room for my forearms.

 

I even had a second tube with a tapered adaptor from an airbed pump which I would put in the bleed tube and suck the other end to really make the job take seconds to do.

 

I also became very good at looking for escape routes up grass verges etc when slowing for roundabouts especially when leaving an autoroute as I never knew if I would still have a clutch pedal, trying it beforehand would just waste one declutch action from the few possibly remaining.

 

Needless to say I never used the clutch for gearchanges once under way.

Edited 10 November, 2021 by J.R.