Kn*ckered Clutch ?

[JulianG]

Hi,

I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that when I accelerate in 4th and 5th gears in my Cupra TDi that the revs go up steady from 1500 to 2000 then fly up to 4000'ish then drop back to 2000'ish and continue rising as normal. I guess this is my clutch slipping ??
If so does anyone know if this is covered by my warranty ?
I've had the car a year next week, so I haven't got much warranty left !

Any help/advice would be great !

Cheers

Boolandy

 

[Reg]

I believe TDI's are a little tough on clutches when driven in certain ways, because of the large amount of torque they produce low down the rev range.

Chances of getting a clutch changed under warranty are absolutely minimal, unless the failure of another component has caused it to fail early. Sadly they will probably just claim wear and tear.

 

[RobM]

Most garages will instantly say no to clutch replacement under warranty as they simply cannot tell how the car has been driven and treated. For all they know, you ride the clutch all the time, do loads of standing high-rev starts and floor it from low revs all the time.

In reality, you could drive like Miss Daisy, but they wont take the chance.

 

[Wheely]

Things 'May' not be as bad as suggested -- and a good search on the Leon and TDI forums will show quite a number of people that have had the same issue as you - AND had the clutches changed under warranty.

What is your mileage ???

What wil normally happen is the garage should ring Seat UK. They will normally give you a decision. They will do a clutch inspection. If this shows general wear then this inspection and susbsequent replacement wil be your responsibility. However if they find a problem - that isnt caused by wear - then they should cover this under warranty. Seat covered mine no problem (2004 TDI Cupra, 24000miles, about 10 months ago). I spoke to the mechanic who did the inspect (and who also verified the clutch slip) and he said it didnt look worn, but nor could they spot any obvious defect -- however as it wasnt worn, Seat UK agreed for a change at their cost.

Hope this helps -- its definately worth persuing -- I wouldnt accept a clutch on a car this new that I know hadnt been ragged.

MARK