clutch wear

[jjaammeess]

My clutch cable snapped the other day .the car was towed to a local garage .He put the cable in that said that the clutch needed renewed at a price of �300.But the clutch was OK before the cable snapped .I did not get the clutch renewed. he insisted it could collapse at any time and it seems OK since I have driven it. Can anyone tell me what are the symptoms of a clutch that needs renewed and was this mechanic trying to fleece me.all answers greatly appreciated ----James

[Birt]

Symptons include slipping, judder , noise, poor clearance (hard to select gears). Is the biting point right at the top of the pedal travel? Are the brake and clutch pedals level?

[Buenchico]

If there's excessive wear to the clutch, an increase in revs won't be matched with a corresponding increase in speed.

Try putting the car into a high gear at a low speed. e.g. put it into 4th gear at 20mph. Then put your foot down. If the car struggles up to the correct speed, the clutch is fine. If , however much you increase the revs, the speed doesn't increase, the clutch is slipping and won't last much longer.

When a clutch finally packs up, you start to notice a drop in speed as you're driving along. e.g. If you were driving at 70mph, you find that your speed has dropped to 60mph. You put your foot a bit further down and your speed goes back to 70mph. A little further along, you notice another drop in speed and, once again, you press the accelerator pedal further down. Eventually, even with the pedal on the floor, you can't keep the speed up and it gradually drops lower and lower. At about this time, the car starts to fill with a dry, acrid, burning smell. At this point, get off the carriageway as soon as possible because you're definitely not going much further!

Chris

[jjaammeess]

thanks very much for your very helpful answers----James
I have gone through all your symptoms and it has none of them I believe I was being conned

[neg213]

Complain to Trading Standards, they may give you an independant (and honest) check of your clutch