clutch on its way out?

[damon]

Had my 51 plate 172 FF for about a week now and i'm thinking the clutch needs replacing. It seems okish when i'm on my own in the car but when a few people are in then it can struggle on the odd pull away. Yesterday i tried to pull away in 1st, i lifted the clutch and increase the revs and the car was just revving like it wasnt in gear and crawling along, i changed to 2nd, then 3rd and it was doing the same. I put into neutral and left it for a min and then pulled away in 2nd without any probs but i could smell that classic scalextric smell which i hope is a burnt out clutch. I've been driving like an old woman since then and it seems ok but i've noticed that when reaching about 5000rpm the cars power drops off a bit if i'm in 1st. Is this the clutch slipping or is the gearbox fooked etc??

If it is the clutch then i'll prob get an uprated one cos i read the most common problems thread and noticed that the standard jobbie is not all that. Also, my car is approaching 36k so will be needing the A&B service so thats prob not helping either. Any recommendations to garages around the chelmsford/braintree area for where i can get this work done?

 

[damon]

aha i think the power drop off that i mentioned at the end of the post is just the limiter kicking in when its cold. I'm holding onto 1st for too long and i shouldnt be pushing when its cold

Gonna take my car in for a clutch/gearbox check tomorrow though

 

[Fletcher]

Might be because it's cold, i don't take mine above 5K revs untill shes nicely warmed up.

 

[damon]

yeah i wondered that but it doesnt explain the burning smell

 

[Daz]

Hmm, a 51 plate with a dodgy clutch?

Sounds like it's been ridden all it's life or something else is causing it.. surely it shouldn't be gone already! (Unless it's had a SERIOUSLY hard life.. heh)

 

[Lunner]

TBH it completely depends on milage, it could be on 100k!

Could eb a shite driver, slipping teh clutch all teh time, doesn't necessarily mean something is dodgy lol

 

[Daz]

HAlso, my car is approaching 36k

36k of hard miles then? Heh!

 

[Lunner]

36k of hard miles, or 36 of slipping the clutch when manovering.....my scanning failed me

 

[damon]

well if its not the clutch what else would be causing that smell at the time and the complete loss of drive? Handbrake was not on

As i was coming up to that junction i had hit the limiter at prob around 6200ish cos it was cold :X It wouldnt have been some safety mode idle thing would it?? I thought if it was ECU based then the engine wouldnt rev or it would limit revs to 3000 or something. Whatever it is, i'd rather have it checked out because it shouldnt have done it. I've done over 600 miles in the car since i got it last sunday and this is the only time its had no drive on lift off. I only really slip on hill starts etc and occasionally in traffic but never has it caused a loss of drive such as this.

 

[Blue4Ever]

Can't really help with your current probs but I suggest you stop ragging it from cold if you don't want to be posting with more serious problems in the future!

 

[Fred@BTM]

BBPT are in sunny essex, or Mark Fish

 

[damon]

thanks fred, looks like BBPT are only 12 miles from me

as for ragging from cold. I dont normally but give a guy a break, i've had it a week and hadnt taken one of my friends out in it.... what a crap way for the ride to go though hahah i wont be making the same mistake again. Also, i hadnt looked up the best change points etc, i'm used to holding gears a bit longer than what works best in this car.