Can an immobiliser damage the clutch?

Jakmeehan

I have a simple question but it requires a long explanation to get to that question please bear with me!

My uncle's car has been sitting in the yard, unused, for 8 months.

In february he took the battery out and left it in the shed.

Yesterday I charged it up as I wanted to put it back in the car (00 Alfa Romeo 156). As the battery was already removed, I had to use the car key to manually open the door to release the bonnet, as opposed to opening with the remote. That was grand, I got it open etc. As soon as the battery was connected the car alarm went off, so I pressed one of the buttons on the remote which silenced it, but if the car was touched at all the alarm would go back off, requiring me to press the button again and again.

I wanted to move the car so I had to try start it. I clutched, and removed it from gear. The clutch depressed fully but got stuck at the very bottom and wouldn't come back up unless I pulled it back up myself. I tried to start it but it just kept trying to start, never quite making it. That's when it dawned on me that the immobiliser was active. So I got out and closed the door, locked the car with the remote and then unlocked it.

The engine started grand after that. However, the car will not go into gear. The clutch gets stuck when it is fully depressed and will not come back up unless pulled up manually. The gearstick goes into the gear slots (even when the clutch is not pressed) but the gears don't seem to be actually engaged as the engine just revs when the accelerator is pressed.

My question is: Could I have damaged the clutch by pressing it while the immobiliser was active? Or is it a different problem caused by the car being sitting up for 8 months unused?

I would appreciate any opinions on this! Thanks

Tefral

The immobilisor is electronic, the clutch is mechanical. They are not related.

So to answer your question no...

Jakmeehan

cronin_j wrote: »

The immobilisor is electronic, the clutch is mechanical. They are not related.

So to answer your question no...

That's what I thought, but my uncle insists that the immobiliser locks the clutch as part of it's security measure and is convinced that I snapped the clutch cable when I pressed the clutch while it was active

CiniO

What car is that?
If clutch is operated by cable, most likely it got rusty and got stock.
Changing the clutch cable should solve the problem.

mickdw

Clutch issue is not related to the immobiliser.

When you press the clutch, it is actual doing its job - i.r. can you put the gear into gear when the engine is running?

If its not and is just dropping softly to the floor, it could be due to a slow fluid loss in the clutch hydraulics meaning that there is now air in the system.

Jakmeehan

CiniO wrote: »

What car is that?
If clutch is operated by cable, most likely it got rusty and got stock.
Changing the clutch cable should solve the problem.

The car is a 00 Alfa Romeo 156 1.6 T Spark.

That was my opinion, that the cable got rusty from sitting up for 8 months unused but he reckons that since it's encased in rubber that wouldn't happen. I don't know much about cars at all so...

kearney13

Sounds to be something wrong with the clutch slave/release cylinder, it's not an overly expensive fix, 200 quid max

Jakmeehan

mickdw wrote: »

Clutch issue is not related to the immobiliser.

When you press the clutch, it is actual doing its job - i.r. can you put the gear into gear when the engine is running?

If its not and is just dropping softly to the floor, it could be due to a slow fluid loss in the clutch hydraulics meaning that there is now air in the system.

The gearstick goes into the gear slots but the gears don't actually engage. The gearstick will actually go into the gear slots whether the clutch is pressed or not at the moment.

CiniO

Jakmeehan wrote: »

That's what I thought, but my uncle insists that the immobiliser locks the clutch as part of it's security measure and is convinced that I snapped the clutch cable when I pressed the clutch while it was active

Hahhahaha.
Please give us some more stories from your uncle

As you said you can put gears when engine is running even when clutch pedal is not pressed, that means that clutch is disengaged at all times (meaning like pedal was presses all the time).

I assume when you pressed it first time, you disengaged clutch, and it stayed that way.
Now when you pull clutch pedal upwards it comes back, but it doesn't engage the clutch anymore.

IMHO clutch cable needs replacing.

So your uncle was right with that in some way;)

mickdw

If the 156 is the same as the 166 I had, its all hydraulic and a piss poor setup too.

Jakmeehan

CiniO wrote: »

Hahhahaha.
Please give us some more stories from your uncle

As you said you can put gears when engine is running even when clutch pedal is not pressed, that means that clutch is disengaged at all times (meaning like pedal was presses all the time).

I assume when you pressed it first time, you disengaged clutch, and it stayed that way.
Now when you pull clutch pedal upwards it comes back, but it doesn't engage the clutch anymore.

IMHO clutch cable needs replacing.

So your uncle was right with that in some way;)

What would cause the clutch to stay disengaged? Rusted/snapped cable? And would that have been caused by it being unused for so long?

CiniO

Jakmeehan wrote: »

What would cause the clutch to stay disengaged? Rusted/snapped cable? And would that have been caused by it being unused for so long?

Rusted cable - definitely yes.
Snapped - not.

But after you said it was Alfa 156 1.6 T-spark, I'm not sure if that car has clutch cable, or is clutch operated hydraulically.

If hydraulically, there must be some problem further - possibly in the clutch.

Anyway - most certain cause for it, is that car was sitting for 8 months.

If your uncle says it's your fault, because you tried to start it active immobileiser, don't believe him. It's not your fault.

Jakmeehan

CiniO wrote: »

Rusted cable - definitely yes.
Snapped - not.

But after you said it was Alfa 156 1.6 T-spark, I'm not sure if that car has clutch cable, or is clutch operated hydraulically.

If hydraulically, there must be some problem further - possibly in the clutch.

Anyway - most certain cause for it, is that car was sitting for 8 months.

If your uncle says it's your fault, because you tried to start it active immobileiser, don't believe him. It's not your fault.

That's grand - Thanks very much for your advice!