Is my clutch about to go?

quenching · 03-11-2008 7:56am #1

Any of you more mechanically minded like to advise me if the clutch in my 1.6 petrol Citroen Xsara Picasso 02 is about to go. 70K miles. In the last few days when driving uphill and changing up into 2 and third gear the engine revs will rise with no increase in road speed then drop again. Only for a second or two and then not again. I suspect a slipping clutch but could be wrong.

So, is this the likely cause and if so is it expensive to get fixed and is the car likely to sit down at the side of the road one day, or is it the type of problem that gets progressively worse rather than just working one day and dying the next?

Plug · 03-11-2008 8:09am

Does it bite back in? Or does it stay revving? Does it accelerate slower with higher revs? If so its probably a clutch.
Have you got 600 - 700 bucks handy?

quenching · 03-11-2008 8:13am

Plug wrote: »

Does it bite back in? Or does it stay revving? Does it accelerate slower with higher revs? If so its probably a clutch.
Have you got 600 - 700 bucks handy?

Yep, bites back in, higher revs just for a second or two with much slower acceleration, then revs drop to normal and acceleration is normal. So, sounding like I need a new clutch then. all donations welcome!

Plug · 03-11-2008 8:18am

Make sure they replace the release bearing aswel.

Type 17 · 03-11-2008 5:30pm

I presume that a car of that vintage has a hydraulically-actuated clutch but, on the extremely unlikely off-chance that it is cable-operated, check that the cable isn't too tight, because it needs loosening as the clutch friction plate wears and becomes thinner.

Assuming that there is no adjustment possible, a test to be totally sure that a clutch is required would be to drive at around 50km/h in third gear and then floor the accelerator (conditions permitting) to see if the clutch slips - if so, you need to get it sorted soon, as it may only last a week or so before you get stranded somewhere (personal experience speaking here

).

Sam Kade · 03-11-2008 5:46pm

Put the car in fourth gear with engine idling keep brake pedal pressed then leave the clutch up slowly if there is no pull on the engine and the car doesn't move with the clutch up then the clutch is gone.

Eoin · 03-11-2008 6:02pm

quenching wrote: »

is the car likely to sit down at the side of the road one day, or is it the type of problem that gets progressively worse rather than just working one day and dying the next?

I don't know the ins and outs of different manufacturers, but I let it go too long in my old car. It gave up one day in rush hour traffic, and was obviously completely undriveable. Also, because I let it go so long, it also meant that I needed a new flywheel, which doubled the repair bill.

Is my clutch about to go?

Comments