Is this my clutch or.....

abby1234519

We have an 02 plate Fiesta which recently (last few weeks) has started doing something I don't recognise.

The first time I noticed this was when I was at 30mph through a speed camera in 4th gear, I went to accelerate after the speed camera (don't worry I had just gone into NSL) and the car revved as normal when one speeds up but then suddenly the rev counter rocketed up and down again back to normal. I did google this not sure if this sounds like the clutch is slipping? Its done it a few times. Its almost like 'what mood is the car in today'. If I drive very very smoothly its okay but if you are my other half who doesn't drive so smoothly then....

Obviously I might have to take this to the garage but I would rather fix it myself. I've previously cleaned the throttle body myself (got to love the Haynes Manual) so if it was something like adjusting the throttle sensor then I don't want to fork out for a new clutch. It also only started doing it when the weather got so hot. I swear it only does it in the heat!

It is an 02 plate but only has 60k on the clock, had 55 as of July last year.

smashingyour...

What happens when you release the clutch with the handbrake on?

Strider590

Handbrake on, 4th gear, give it a few k rpm and come up off the clutch quickly. If it stalls near instantly the clutch is likely OK.

abby1234519

Strider590 wrote: »

Handbrake on, 4th gear, give it a few k rpm and come up off the clutch quickly. If it stalls near instantly the clutch is likely OK.

few k rpm? as in put my foot down?

smashingyour... wrote: »

What happens when you release the clutch with the handbrake on?

well it trys to go somewhere, but like I said its tempermental. I can drive normal for days and then it has a day like today where I daren't drive fast. And by Fast I mean over 50 miles an hour. The revving doesn't do anything, it doesn't judder it just makes a rather loud noise before going back to whatever rpm it was at before

arcon5

If it was your TPS you would likely see an occasional change at idle as well.

Wywth

abby1234519 wrote: »

We have an 02 plate Fiesta which recently (last few weeks) has started doing something I don't recognise.

The first time I noticed this was when I was at 30mph through a speed camera in 4th gear, I went to accelerate after the speed camera (don't worry I had just gone into NSL) and the car revved as normal when one speeds up but then suddenly the rev counter rocketed up and down again back to normal. I did google this not sure if this sounds like the clutch is slipping? Its done it a few times. Its almost like 'what mood is the car in today'. If I drive very very smoothly its okay but if you are my other half who doesn't drive so smoothly then....

Obviously I might have to take this to the garage but I would rather fix it myself. I've previously cleaned the throttle body myself (got to love the Haynes Manual) so if it was something like adjusting the throttle sensor then I don't want to fork out for a new clutch. It also only started doing it when the weather got so hot. I swear it only does it in the heat!

It is an 02 plate but only has 60k on the clock, had 55 as of July last year.

Did the engine speed actually increase & decrease, or was this just a fault of the rev counter?

If the engine speed did not increase in line with the rev counter, then it's not a clutch issue

Strider590

abby1234519 wrote: »

few k rpm? as in put my foot down?

Forget that if your unsure, do it without touching the throttle, come off the clutch in 4th, it'll either jerk forward and stall or it'll slip the clutch.

The other thing of course is to make sure your not actually just spinning the wheels. Cheap tyre's in hot conditions, they're not exactly predictable.

gabitzul

Sounds like clutch to me. Do you have a good local garage? Take it for a quick test (should be free).

abby1234519

Wywth wrote: »

Did the engine speed actually increase & decrease, or was this just a fault of the rev counter?

If the engine speed did not increase in line with the rev counter, then it's not a clutch issue

no the engine speed increased at the same rate as before, the rpms shot up and then died down again

Norman_Castle

Try pulling away with the handbrake on. If you can lift your foot off the clutch without stalling its slipping!. Is it possible you are pressing the clutch without realising?. Different shoes in the hot weather?

abby1234519

I put my foot on the floor when it's not on the clutch.

I will take it to a local garage however they've quoted me £372 if it is the clutch because the clutch and the gearbox have to be done st the same time in my car? Argh