New Clutch - big mistake?

Ave Sodalis

I drive a Skoda Octavia (2010) and recently the throwout bearing started to go. From reading up about it, I figured a new clutch would be as handy as just replacing the bearing so I went in to a garage to talk about it. They said, as the flywheel is floating on them, that it costs 7-800 for a clutch set but they had recently changed out a clutch in one of those for a solid one and except for the clutch being a little heavier, it worked great and was far cheaper. So I figured that I could live with a little heavier of a clutch and agreed. Was in today to pick it up, and I am having serious regrets.

I love driving, and I got an Octavia, not only for it's lovely driving experience but for it's fuel consumption (which, until now, has been fantastic). I genuinely love that car and until now, was really the only thing I had that worked normally. The car now drives like and sounds like a tractor. It's all extremely heavy, the acceleration is gone to crap and its gone from sitting at 100kph easily in 4th gear, to 60kph in 5th, which means the fuel consumption has gone to crap. So instead of just for a super smooth driving experience, it seems like the car needed the floating flywheel to haul its own weight around. All the pleasure from driving the car is gone, and I paid handsomely for it. I cannot afford to change it again. My financial situation right now is not good and I put every spare bit of money (and then some) that I had into it.

The sickening thing is, I know those bearing can hold for a good while and I could have continued saving to get done properly, but it was made seem that it was only a minor change for a big price difference. Now I definitely can't afford it. I'm kicking myself.

Is there anything I can do, or is it just a case of being tough luck? Or does that even seem normal?

walshtipp

I assume you mean the dual mass flywheel was swapped for a solid flywheel. Was there also a three piece clutch kit fitted, or just the release bearing? Dual mass flywheels are more prone to failure, but offer smoother power transmission. A solid flywheel is basically a round metal plate. Not really sure why a solid flywheel would make the clutch heavier. These parts are connected but pressing the clutch simply separates the two momentarily. As for acceleration, the only thing that I can think of is that the new solid flywheel is much heavier than the old one, hence needing more power to spin up. If the car is really bad I would be taking it back to the mechanic to have it sorted.

Ave Sodalis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118643369#Comment_118643369

Thanks for the response! It was a referred to as a floating flywheel to me, so I'm not sure. It was a whole new clutch kit.

It's really bad. I took it out again on a quiet road to test it. Going down hill in 3rd gear, I buried my foot to the floor. That maneuver would have shot the car off like a rocket before today, but the car barely budged. I also put her in 5th gear on a mostly flat bit of road and took my foot off the accelerator, and it slowed the car all the way down to 50kph, instead of tugging along at 80-100kph. The delay taking off is significant enough that I wouldn't be able to pull out of junctions unless there was a big gap in traffic, and overtaking would be entirely out of the question. There also seems to be a bit of a pop every so often when the clutch pedal is released. It's gone from the most comfortable and pleasant car I've drove, to the worse vehicle I've drove (and that's saying something). I can't drive it the way it is.

I'm going to call back in tomorrow (tried ringing earlier but no answer) and see if they have a solution.

dePeatrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058233314/new-clutch-big-mistake

What size engine is the Octavia?

mk7r

A solid flywheel conversion won't cause this, it sounds like maybe they missed something on re assembly like a boost pipe

Ave Sodalis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118643704#Comment_118643704

It's a 1.6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118643722#Comment_118643722

I'll definitely have a word with them. I'm really hoping it's something like that.

dePeatrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118643749#Comment_118643749

Just had a clutch replaced in a Golf 1.4 €450 in Bestdrive…now they did me a good deal as we are good customers but yours did sound expensive…sorry to have to say.

josip

Got the DMF replaced by a solid flywheel on a 2005 1.9Tdi Octy a few years ago.

I didn't notice any of the things you've mentioned apart from the new clutch having a sharper bite.

Larbre34

Something hasn't been bolted together right there. Don't stress it at all and insist on a full strip down and inspection, the duff repair could have caused additional problems.

kirving

While a DMF (dual mass flywheel) will be a little smoother - a solid flywheel will not cause the problems you are experiencing.

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118644389#Comment_118644389

Clutch and flywheel in a diesel are a lot more expensive than in a petrol.

Yours sounds expensive btw. A few years back i got a clutch done on a 1.4 golf for 250. Luk clutch kit it was

Ave Sodalis

Thanks for all the responses folks! Very glad to hear that it's not normal and that's not how my car is just going to be. I'll pop into them today.

As for price, I was quoted 250, but ended up paying 530 as the quote didn't include labour. The 7-800 would have been for the other clutch, but I'm now going to assume that didn't include labour either.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118644520#Comment_118644520

The bite is all over the place at the moment. In 1st gear, it seems to almost not exist and I have to let the clutch the whole way out to take off. It's very high in other gears too and even then there seems to be a delay. It definitely seem something isn't right so.

Ryano87

The boost problem above is worth checking. I had a clutch done in a tdci focus 1.8 before and was exact same sluggish symptoms. I was devastated and brought it back.

They put it up on the ramp and spotted a boost pipe had been left unconnected at the bottom.. 5 minute job and the car drove like a dream again.

Hope you get it sorted easy. Especially given you put all your funds into it

dePeatrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118645158#Comment_118645158

Ah, it’s a diesel, yes I could have got it done cheaper elsewhere but I’ve been burned so many times over the years by backstreet mechanics that I’d rather pay and have peace of mind.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118645158#Comment_118645158

I replaced my own clutch, bearing and flywheel and I wouldn't have covered the cost of the parts with that.

Larbre34

The price didn't include labour? What sort of cowboys....

Here you are Sir, your new central heating system, shall I throw the boiler, radiators and 100 yards of qualpex into the back of your car for you?

Ave Sodalis

Little update.

I took the car to a job this morning (about half an hour drive). No change in state of the car. I ended up late because I got stuck behind a slow driver and couldn't get enough power to overtake. Even on the way back, pulling out onto the main road, I'd to stay in the hard shoulder for half a mile before I got enough speed to get out. Went straight to the garage from there. They gave it a quick look, seen nothing and took it for a test drive. Insisted nothing wrong and 1.6 don't have much power anyway. I insisted there was something very wrong. Got someone else to test drive it. They insisted there was nothing wrong. I told them that I spend more time in the car than I do in the house, so I know that there is 100% definitely something wrong. Asked about the boost pipe, and was told that there would be a light on for that and it would be in complete limp mode. They took it down to the garage and gave it a good check, and redo bolts etc. Then got a 3rd person to drive it. Still said nothing wrong. I told them that we're going to have to put the old clutch in again (which they said they couldn't see anything wrong with it either?) because all the reasons I got an Octavia were gone and I couldn't drive it the way it was.

They said to give them a shout next week and they'll get a day sorted to put the old clutch in. Got into the car, put her in first gear and could immediately tell the difference because I could actually move. Drove it home and although it still sounds like a tractor when accelerating, the power problem is gone.

Not sure what they did or didn't do. I spent two hours out in the cold (thankfully momentarily between storms so not raining) waiting on it, so I'm not questioning it.

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647514#Comment_118647514

The first guy who checked it was probably the guy who worked on it originally and didn't reconnect the pipe. Reconnected it, and "all good there boss" to cover his ass.

kirving

Most likely thig is that a boost pipe was loose (or sensor) and they fixed it. The car will not put a light on for every single problem.

But if the problem is fixed - they did something and would rather gaslight you than admit their mistake.

A quote not including labour is absolutely disgraceful too. You weren't ripped off at €530 by any means, but it gave you a false sense of the cost when you committed to the work. Do not return to that garage for the above two reasons.

(As an aside, I had a petrol Volvo with a DMF, and the full kit OEM RRP was something like €800 at the time.🤮)

mickdw

Well that's abit of a result. They clearly left something off.

I wouldn't be shouting too loudly how your 1.6 Octavia used to shoot off like a rocket or that you bought it as a drivers car.

Miscreant

They definitely did something while they were checking over the car.

As said by another poster.... next time, find yourself another garage as this crowd sound a little suspect by just quoting you for parts and not labour before the job was done.

Kenny Logins

Can you get your hands on a code reader? Something (overboost?) could be putting it into a limp mode with no CEL. Our Outlander (2008 2.0 Tdi) was always at it and it turned out to be a damaged vac hose. It would seem OK when just pottering about, but no real power when needed. This kind of limp mode resets on every restart BTW.

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647725#Comment_118647725

Can't understand how a 1.6 Octavia would take off like a rocket. I have one and find it sluggish.

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118645692#Comment_118645692

Flywheel wasnt replaced as it wasnt damaged. Release lever broke before damage occurred.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647917#Comment_118647917

If your not used to faster cars it can be nippy enough for a couple of seconds while in the optimum power band, especially if your only used to smaller engined non turbo cars

Ave Sodalis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647662#Comment_118647662

He was the boss!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647725#Comment_118647725

Why? I live in the mountains. By hills, I don't mean gentle slopes, I mean proper hills. Most cars going down them in 3rd gear should shoot off if you put your foot to the floor. I'm not sure what you mean by bought it as a drivers car?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647881#Comment_118647881

I can actually. If the power goes again, I will.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647917#Comment_118647917

Mine is decent on power. Not as good as the Audi A4 I used to drive, but certainly enough that you can safely exit junctions and overtake slower moving cars without worry (and more comfortable to make up for it). Either way, the "take off like a rocket" was going down a hill in 3rd gear.

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118645671#Comment_118645671

Diesels can be horific in price when the flywheel needs replacing.

I got a sachs clutch and dm flywheel replaced on a 09 A4 3 yars ago for 950 incl vat which is meant to be a very good price. Flywheel was knocking at 190k miles

dePeatrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648078#Comment_118648078

Holy ****, you’d expect Audi to be more resilient than that, would you up Audi again?

Gant21

This is exactly why you test drive a car after doing work on it.

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648417#Comment_118648417

Id have no problem going audi again.

190k miles 305k km is very good for a flywheel. They reckon the lifespan of a dual mass flywheel is 100k miles so i think i was doing well at that.

The car tows as well.

I think a solid flywheel was 200 euro less but was advised against it here on boards.

Getting the job done in an audi main dealer at the time was north of 2 grand if i remember correctly

Kenny Logins

I would get the codes read now anyway. An overboost/limp code will hang around for a few start cycles and might solve the riddle for you.

Coddle4dinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647917#Comment_118647917

I'm wondering this myself 😂

Would it even have 100BHp ?

kirving

Can we respect that everyone has had a different experience of car ownership? A 1.6 Octavia will feel fast if you came from a Micra, and a 330i will feel slow if you came from a Tesla.

Not exactly in the spirit of a motors forum to be making fun of someone's car.

Ave Sodalis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118654681#Comment_118654681

Ah I don't mind that so much, except I've already said three times it was going downhill (in a mountain area so steep) in third gear, with a foot to the floor. I have drove bigger cars but even a micra should "shoot off like a rocket" in the same conditions.

Although I'm wondering if posters realise it's an expression and not literal!