Clutch Pedal - Creaking Sound?

[everson38]

Hey guys

My sisters 1.2 Seat Ibiza TSI clutch pedal is making a creaking sound and wondering if anything I can do to check etc? Us it serious etc (See video velow).

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[Crossthreaded]

Some of the welds broke on my old Cordoba's clutch pedal allowing the push rod to push right through the pedal. I stripped it out, bent the bracket back into shape on the pedal and rewelded it with a continuous bead instead of the tacks the factory had considered to be sufficient. I think there have been a number of pedal cluster problems over the years most of which are recommended to replace the pedal cluster as a fix but, from what I read, rewelding actually makes a stronger repair. Mine lasted for many years until at 20 years old I finally and sadly had to send her to the great recycling home in the sky! I've worked in and around the motor trade most of my working life and as cars get older weak and fatigued pedal linkages do happen. The plate to which the pedal cluster mounts on our old 1992 Fiat panda developed a crack a few years ago which made the pedal very strange to use and it sounded not unlike yours - out came the MIG and all was fine once again! By far the most difficult part of dealing with these problems is often getting the pedal out so you can work on it. Old dry clutch cables can also creak like this but I think your's will be hydraulic, isn't it? Sometimes the bulkhead itself can experience fatigue cracks. If this is the case open the bonnet and look at the engine side of the mechanism (on a hydraulic clutch that will be the master cylinder) get someone to work the pedal up and down and see if anything moves to any great extent - it shouldn't. If it's bad you can often see the cracks opening up as the pedal is pushed down.

On the other hand maybe all yours needs is a good squirt of your favourite lubricant on the spindle bushes? Doesn't really sound like a bush though does it.

 

[Crossthreaded]

Some of the welds broke on my old Cordoba's clutch pedal allowing the push rod to push right through the pedal. I stripped it out, bent the bracket back into shape on the pedal and rewelded it with a continuous bead instead of the tacks the factory had considered to be sufficient. I think there have been a number of pedal cluster problems over the years most of which are recommended to replace the pedal cluster as a fix but, from what I read, rewelding actually makes a stronger repair. Mine lasted for many years until at 20 years old I finally and sadly had to send her to the great recycling home in the sky! I've worked in and around the motor trade most of my working life and as cars get older weak and fatigued pedal linkages do happen. The plate to which the pedal cluster mounts on our old 1992 Fiat panda developed a crack a few years ago which made the pedal very strange to use and it sounded not unlike yours - out came the MIG and all was fine once again! By far the most difficult part of dealing with these problems is often getting the pedal out so you can work on it. Old dry clutch cables can also creak like this but I think your's will be hydraulic, isn't it? Sometimes the bulkhead itself can experience fatigue cracks. If this is the case open the bonnet and look at the engine side of the mechanism (on a hydraulic clutch that will be the master cylinder) get someone to work the pedal up and down and see if anything moves to any great extent - it shouldn't. If it's bad you can often see the cracks opening up as the pedal is pushed down.

On the other hand maybe all yours needs is a good squirt of your favourite lubricant on the spindle bushes? Doesn't really sound like a bush though does it.

Just had another thought. Don't know about your actual model but many cars now have "over centre actuating" springs as part of the clutch pedal mechanism which are there to help lighten and reduce the effort needed to depress the pedal. these can creak. Worth a look perhaps? (if that's it a wee "squirt" should fix it)

 

[everson38]

Just had another thought. Don't know about your actual model but many cars now have "over centre actuating" springs as part of the clutch pedal mechanism which are there to help lighten and reduce the effort needed to depress the pedal. these can creak. Worth a look perhaps? (if that's it a wee "squirt" should fix it)

Thank for all this info, I will definitely give these things a look over next time I see here. Hopefully it's. Something simple and just requires some lubrication.

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[RUM4MO]

I'd agree that the nylon bushes for the pedal spindles probably need a spray of some silicon lubricant along with where the push rod end contacts the pedal, if doing that make sure that the clutch action has not stiffened up and is causing this - there will be switches in there somewhere contacting the pedal and these might have stiffened up so make sure the contact points for them is lub'd as well.

Pedal boxes collapsing, yes I had heard a lot about that in many VW Group cars with cable clutches, luckily my daughter's almost end of line Ibiza from early 2002 survived for the time she owned it. Another treat for many VW Group small car owners was the handbrake getting ripped out of the body of the car, nice!

 

[everson38]

Any specific type of lube to work best with these.

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[RUM4MO]

As I suggested a silicon based spray grease or even one that PTFE in there as well, WD-40 I think has a variant that satisfies these requirements.

Edit:- from my way of thinking, once a metal shaft and nylon bush have started to makes these noises, similarly the end of a push rod against a nylon cup or nylon/plastic switch plunger against a steel pedal, then there will be permanent damage ie marking/scoring so all you can do is minimise this getting worse and off course quieten it down.
My 2011 Audi S4 clutch pedal starting making noises while it was still under warranty, so it was handed in and all likely points sprayed with a suitable lubricant, and even now 6 years on it is still okay, so spraying slightly damaged areas can work, I was surprised by that, I thought that I'd be knocking on their door again within a few months!

 

[Crossthreaded]

As I suggested a silicon based spray grease or even one that PTFE in there as well, WD-40 I think has a variant that satisfies these requirements.

Edit:- from my way of thinking, once a metal shaft and nylon bush have started to makes these noises, similarly the end of a push rod against a nylon cup or nylon/plastic switch plunger against a steel pedal, then there will be permanent damage ie marking/scoring so all you can do is minimise this getting worse and off course quieten it down.
My 2011 Audi S4 clutch pedal starting making noises while it was still under warranty, so it was handed in and all likely points sprayed with a suitable lubricant, and even now 6 years on it is still okay, so spraying slightly damaged areas can work, I was surprised by that, I thought that I'd be knocking on their door again within a few months!

Now there's a coincidence. The Ibiza clutch developed a "noise" - not really what you'd call a squeak though - in it's first year. The garage couldn't look at it for about 10 days (I was incredulous!) so I poked about myself and sprayed silicone oil on the likely parts. Noise went away and still, 3 years later, hasn't returned.

I think if you ignore these things, as you say, shafts get scored and cause bushings to wear so, at that point, lubrication is often just a temporary fix.

 

[TedB]

Hey guys

My sisters 1.2 Seat Ibiza TSI clutch pedal is making a creaking sound and wondering if anything I can do to check etc? Us it serious etc (See video velow).

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Did you ever find out what the issue was?

 

[everson38]

Did you ever find out what the issue was?

Hey mate, i dod send i a messahe back, but ots beennawhile but o believe I just put on lubricantion to tje pivpt points and it cleared it up.

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