Do clutches still fail??

longwalks1

We have a 2003 Audi A4 (petrol, 3.0 V6 engine) that covered 110k miles, we've had it for 7 years with no issues, other than a cambelt change.
Today it seemed to hesitate briefly when accelerating up a hill, and a few miles on when sitting in traffic with the clutch pedal pressed, it felt like it was juddering very very slightly (the pedal itself, not the car).

Could this be the clutch wearing out? I remember years ago you'd often hear of a clutch going or cable snapping, but don't hear of it that much these days.

Just trying to fault find before anything happens as my partner uses it early in morning and late at night, so obviously concerned for her in it

Thanks in advance everyone

Brightonsbest_2

Yes they do but I have had a fully automatic 18 yrs.

however, if driven properly, ie fully realsing the pedal in a controlled manner, should be ok for donkeys years.

Apodemus

Brightonsbest wrote: »

Yes they do but I have had a fully automatic 18 yrs.

however, if driven properly, ie fully realsing the pedal in a controlled manner, should be ok for donkeys years.

I've heard it said that with the current trend to light-weight clutches and fly-wheels they fail much sooner than they used to in the past. Obviously the OP's 2003 Audi is not in that category!

Norman_Castle

britishboy wrote: »

Today it seemed to hesitate briefly when accelerating up a hill,

Did the engine hesitate or the clutch slip?

Ebe_Scrooge

Of course clutches fail - by their very design, they wear out. That said, my car is 12 years old, 160k miles, still on the original clutch ( well, that's now put the kiss of death on it, saying that, hasn't it !! )

But "hesitating", "juddering" - could be any number of things. Engine cold ? Maybe ECU not applying the "choke" sufficiently. MAF sensor, any of the multitude of other sensors on modern cars.

To be honest, if the clutch is dodgy, you'd know about it. Easiest way to test - get on a dual carriageway, do 50 mph. Floor the throttle - if the engine speed increases, but the car speed doesn't, that's your clutch slipping.

But the best advice - get yourself to a decent independent mechanic, someone who ain't gonna rip you off. Describe the symptoms as best as you can, let him take a look.

Strider590

If anything clutch failure is more common now, car are heavier, lot's of torquey diesel engines, more traffic on the roads, more stop/start driving.

Apodemus

Strider590 wrote: »

...car are heavier...

Are they, though? I have no facts to back this up, but I thought the whole point in smaller, torquier engines, light-weight components (such as fly-wheels and clutches) and no-spare-wheel was to reduce weight so as to improve fuel economy and that modern cars are much lighter than they used to be?

custardy

Apodemus wrote: »

Are they, though? I have no facts to back this up, but I thought the whole point in smaller, torquier engines, light-weight components (such as fly-wheels and clutches) and no-spare-wheel was to reduce weight so as to improve fuel economy and that modern cars are much lighter than they used to be?

Early Sierra vs Mondeo

Models before 1990 :1025 to 1135 kg
Current Mondeo weights start at 1,455 kg going up to 1,683 kg

I just picked these as an example but the heaviest Mondeo is nearly 650kg heavier vs lightest Sierra.

Strider590

Apodemus wrote: »

Are they, though? I have no facts to back this up, but I thought the whole point in smaller, torquier engines, light-weight components (such as fly-wheels and clutches) and no-spare-wheel was to reduce weight so as to improve fuel economy and that modern cars are much lighter than they used to be?

Yes, if you put a modern engine into an older car you'd have one very very efficient beast.

Modern cars are a lot bigger and a lot heavier.