Advice on clutch issue

[Tom_91]

Hi Guys,

So I've had my MK3 almost a year now and covered around 11k. Since the start of summer it developed this annoying issue with the clutch causing it to make a creaking sound when depressed slowly, you can also feel it slightly through the pedal as a kind of crunchy sensation. It only happens once the vehicle has warmed up and after prolonged periods of clutch use, for example stop start traffic where you constantly press the clutch. Because of this the dealer typically couldn't reproduce the problem in there testing. I managed to capture the problem in a video which I put on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Th_aw9qQc

So the dealer lubed up the pedal area but the problem persisted. So back to the dealer I went when the noise was actually happening. They popped the bonnet and said it was coming from the top of the gearbox and was likely a lack of grease on the slave cylinder? So I booked it in and they took it out and lubed it up. Guess what, the problem remained. So I complained to Seat customer services and sent them the above video. They booked me into the dealer and sent them some "special grease" to put on the slave cylinder pivot thingy. That was last week and I thought the problem was fixed but the other day I was stuck in stop start traffic and there it was again.

I'm no mechanic but if they've lubed the slave cylinder area twice already and its still happening its surely somewhere else that is the problem right? Has anyone else experienced an issue like this? Is there anything I can try lubing up myself apart from the pedal area? I'm no mechanic but I'm pretty handy with these things. The dealer and Seat have been pretty useless so far.

Your help is very much appreciated!

 

[Curtly]

I had a similar sensation minus the sound...thought nothing of it tbh...just thought it was a stiff pedal

 

[2Stevo2]

The only things I can think of are the obvious....the spring, pivot points, bearings etc. Ive heard the clutch spring is the biggest culprit though

 

[Tom_91]

The only things I can think of are the obvious....the spring, pivot points, bearings etc. Ive heard the clutch spring is the biggest culprit though

If it was the clutch spring wouldn't it happen all the time though?

 

[JMAC]

As a general rule yes, a mechanical failure should be persistent. Electrical failures, sensor faults etc are usually the intermittent ones that a are a ba5tard to track down.

 

[Pinky]

Tom. Where are those pedals from ?

As for the noise, difficult to diagnose on a forum and i'm not totally up on this cars mechanics yet. Still waiting for mine.

 

[Tom_91]

Tom. Where are those pedals from ?



As for the noise, difficult to diagnose on a forum and i'm not totally up on this cars mechanics yet. Still waiting for mine.

I got them from eBay for about £40 but they are a genuine part which fit all Golfs and Leon's. They are covers which just fit to the existing pedals and are used on the Golf GTI etc. I think there's a forum post somewhere with a part number if you have a search.

Does anyone know how to access the slave cylinder part of the clutch assembly, the area with the bearings and pivots? If it's a fairly easy job I want to have a look at what's greased up in there.

 

[andyrich]

I had a similar sensation minus the sound...thought nothing of it tbh...just thought it was a stiff pedal

me too, dealer not able to re produce it and can't see whats wrong

 

[Tom_91]

It must be an issue with something heating up and then not lubricating properly near to the clutch plate itself. How do you gain access to this area so I can do some investigation? I heard its a case of just putting the car on a ramp and removing two bolts?

 

[Fmxvxx]

Of you jack the vehicle up you can remove 2bolts 13mm bolts holding the dust cover on but i doubt that would give you the access you need the slave cylinder is external on the mk3 and is located at the top of the box removing airbox and battery tray will give you access.

If the problem went away after using the special lithium grease on the slave it would still suggest an issue with the slave i would reccomend getting it changed under warranty.

 

[Tom_91]

Of you jack the vehicle up you can remove 2bolts 13mm bolts holding the dust cover on but i doubt that would give you the access you need the slave cylinder is external on the mk3 and is located at the top of the box removing airbox and battery tray will give you access.

If the problem went away after using the special lithium grease on the slave it would still suggest an issue with the slave i would reccomend getting it changed under warranty.

Thanks. As it happens after lots of stop start driving, when it happens I'd like to access the slave as you describe if possible and see if I can isolate the sound. Is it easy to remove the airbox and battery tray?

 

[pj106]

Tom. Where are those pedals from ?

As for the noise, difficult to diagnose on a forum and i'm not totally up on this cars mechanics yet. Still waiting for mine.

I've got the same pedals on mine. Got them from here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231284389...l?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=231284389616&_rdc=1

Cost about £15 and took about 2 weeks to deliver. May not be oem but they look and feel the part.

 

[Fmxvxx]

The battery is 2x 10mm for the terminals with a 13mm holding the battery down then 13ms for the battery tray airbox is held on by 1x t30 bolt and the hose clips be advised you cannot operate the clutch with the slave out as you'll blow the seal and end up needing a new slave

 

[Bubbs]

There is a service TPI for this problem. Should be a warranty job.

Driver's knee airbag has to come out, as does the whole clutch pedal assembly. The issue is caused by the pivot point bushing (I think). Also, there's a 'modification' to the pedal too - read that as 'file a bit off it'.

I don't have the TPI code number but the service dept at any SEAT dealer should be able to look it up. Be prepared for a 2 day job as well.

My car had exactly the same issue, and had this thing done twice. First time made no difference (though I wonder if they accidentally refitted the old part because the guy that put it back together was not the guy that took it apart).

Second time around was much better.

Yours is the only other Leon I've seen / heard of making that noise apart from mine!