Hi

I took my car (1.4 mpi) into a dealer today (they will remain nameless) to have a couple of things looked at. I know a fair bit about cars but I'm not convinced with the diagnosis they gave.

1. Coolant temp/level warning light. Only comes on in the mornings, if car left to run for 2-3 mins and switched off then restarted it goes away. They said there's a thin layer of oil (which I cant really see) in the coolant expansion tank and I need a new head gasket.

2. Clutch has a spongy pedal and a fairly high biting point. They said it wasn't slipping but I need a new clutch.

Anyone with any advice? Am I right to be suspicious or have they made the right diagnosis?

I would take car to an independant.

But

No1 sounds more like in need of a code check

No2 sounds like nonesense at this point as you know 2nd gear on a hill will test the clutch for slipping

Regarding the clutch, when I spoke to them I put the emphasis on a spongy clutch pedal (even mentioned it could be a hydraulic leak and could possibly be one of the cylinders) but they never even answered the question about the spongy pedal. All they said was that the high biting point meant I needed a new clutch. I go up a fairly steep hill every morning so I would definitly know if it was slipping.