Melted Clutch

[SMILEY CULTURE]

I've had my cupra now for ten months and after 35k of motorway miles my clutch seems to be on it's way out. I keep noticing slipping in fifth gear at around 2grand, I know the cupra's are quite torquey but that's sh*t.

I know what the stealers are gonna say - It's a wearable part, pay up!

Does anyone know what my best course of action is, surely a clutch should last longer than that?

If i do end up having to shell out, would I be better off getting an uprated clutch?

 

[Triple D]

Hhhmmmm, and the car is completely standard? I test clutches every day, and for a clutch to slip, it has to be down to either incorrect pressure plate lift, due to either a bent tangental spring or due to so much heat that it will have weakend the diaphram fingers. Or, excessive lubrication of the gearbox input shaft which will have radial streaked onto the drive plat lining causing the clutch to slip as the clutch will not beable to clamp together. Or, it could be down to your driving style. You do know that you shouldnt boot it at anything less than 2k rpm, as the diesel engines have such high torque pulses, the clutch will be the first thing to give way, as its a type of fuse in the transmission system. If you continually boot it at low rpm, the clutch will eventually start to slip, and it will never get any better.

As this is i presume the standard first clutch, then it wont be down to excessive spline lubricant on the input shaft, so is down to either heat, or driver error. It is very rare that we credit clutch warranty at work as there is hardly any component defects with the product, and asaik, sachs or OE on seat.

I would imagine that seat will change it under warranty, but if and when they do, you need to change the way you drive the car, otherwise, you will have the same problem again .

 

[SMILEY CULTURE]

Thanks for that. The car's completely standard and to be honest I don't boot it much at all, mostly it drives up and down the M1 at 70/80 mph. It doesn't happen all the time, I've noticed it most often when joing a carriageway at about 60 mph in fifth gear.

I'll take it in and see what the score is!

Cheers

 

[Civic_Legend]

Well, if you've been grannying it and it slips like a good 'un - try giving it hell for a bit!

Seriously...

 

[KAZSTE]

smiley, maybe some bad news for you, i complained to Seat about this very problem and their comment was that the clutch fell out of warranty at 7000 miles!!!!! I too have not driven the car hard enough to be frying a clutch after 30000 miles, it has to be bad manufacture. I was actually at a Seat dealer complaining of this after 9000 miles and it is still happening they say they cant find the fault, and do not know of it being a problem (even though whilst in there one time another cupra owner was complaining exactly same problem)!! mine seems to grab again at about 2500 revs, surely if it was just clutch slip it would keep slipping no?

 

[muddyboots]

mine seems to grab again at about 2500 revs, surely if it was just clutch slip it would keep slipping no?

No, they'll slip whenever the engine is delivering more torque than the clutch can handle.

On the TDIs, the torque curve rises sharply from 1500rpm upwards, generally peaks around low 2000's rpm, then drops off again - which is why the clutch will start to bite again.

 

[KAZSTE]

cheers for that muddyboots i think i'll go back to Seat and see what they say, i know the'll fob me off pointing out my car has done over 30000 miles but will hopefully get at least part payment for new clutch as can prove been complaining ever since 9000 miles. what you think my chances are!!!!!!

 

[muddyboots]

Chances ? Slim....but I did get mine changed under warranty around 14-15k miles

Just keep badgering. If the dealers don't take it on, try writing a stiff-but-polite letter to Seat HQ, making it clear you've been complaining about it since 9k miles.

 

[SMILEY CULTURE]

That doesn't sound good although I thought that would be the case, I had an ST170 and the same thing happened at 35k (although I'd only owned it for the last ten of that) It cost me £1100 for a new clutch and flywheel

I'm quite tempted to get an uprated clutch, would that last any longer?

At least then I could get a remap without any worries!

 

[Sisson]

you don't need to drive the car hard for the clutch to slip,

Driving at 60mph in 5th and then putting your foot flat on the floor will produce huge amounts of torque and make the clutch slip....

Therefore don't boot it below 2k revs and feed the power in...

The accelerator is not and on/off switch,

 

[Ant FR]

60mph on to the motorway in fifth, no way !!! I would be in fourth to get super accelration up to 80 ish.

Drop a gear and rev it!!!!!

 

[Triple D]

60mph on to the motorway in fifth, no way !!! I would be in fourth to get super accelration up to 80 ish.

Drop a gear and rev it!!!!!

Yeah u need to drop a gear to get the most out of it , with your tiny little standard turbo, whereas i would be in 4th, then stay in 4th all the way up to 110 then change gear. You'll realise what power is soon Ant, if you ever decide to take the plunge and get a proper diesel By the time u do it will be next year and ill have a huuuuuuuuuuuge turbo and injectors u will never catch me then

 

[Ant FR]

Yeah u need to drop a gear to get the most out of it , with your tiny little standard turbo, whereas i would be in 4th, then stay in 4th all the way up to 110 then change gear. You'll realise what power is soon Ant, if you ever decide to take the plunge and get a proper diesel By the time u do it will be next year and ill have a huuuuuuuuuuuge turbo and injectors u will never catch me then

mate, i will probably end up not bothering and just saving my cash for a better car. Personally i am happy to leave it as it is once the intercooler and brakes are on and then keep it ready to trade in for the new cupra tdi Mk5 Ibiza once its out in 2008. Not sure i can justify chucking another £2500 on big turbo etc etc. Especially as i now have other things to chuck my money at instead.

Huuuuuge turbo, so whats next?