1.4 tsi Clutch issue ? ?

[Jeggsy]

Hi all,

Been a long time lurker on here but my 1st post ! ! !

Got a 68reg 1.4tsi 125 FR Tech with only 16,000 miles on but I seem to have a bit of an issue with the clutch.... All of a sudden the bite point has got pretty much to the top of the peddle.

The clutch action itself feels OK with no noise, judder etc and seems pretty smooth but just the bite point has gone really high. One thing I have noticed though is the bite point seems to be a bit wooly and sometimes seems to move. For some reason, it seems to go nearer the top if you've travelled a few miles or if it's a warmer day. I also noticed it when you got other people in the car too and that was really high then. Hill starts are a bit of a butt-clencher as it feels like your going to run out of pedal travel before you reach the bite point.

Clutch isn't slipping and no clutch smells. Haven't had any gear selection issues so far. Car completely standard with no mods.

The car has been really well looked after and I don't consider myself to be a heavy user of the clutch.... Certainly don't hold the clutch on the bite point etc. and always use the handbrake etc. Auto handbrake is turned off as didn't really like that feature.

Surely the clutch can't be worn out with that low milage ? ? ? ? Had many cars over the years and never had an issue before.

I have just popped into my local garage and had a chat with him as I was going to get my yearly oil change done and he did say about bleeding the clutch which seemed sensible to me and certainly a good starting point.

What do you guys think ? ? ?

Cheers

 

[SuperV8]

Could try bleeding the clutch - but if the biting point is moving I would think it could be a seal issue in either your clutch master or slave cylinder.
Luckily on your gearbox you have an external clutch slave cylinder, so would be a simple job to replace - unlike the stupid internal concentric slave cylinders they put on the beefier gearboxes which you need to remove the gearbox to change!

 

[Jeggsy]

That's interesting..... I thought the slave cylinder was inside the gearbox.... potentially better and less expensive news ! !

I had expensive visions of the slave cylinder being the issue and then ending up have new clutch, flywheel etc. just because you got the gearbox off to do swap the slave out.

To me it makes sense if it was more a hydraulic issue than a mechanical clutch issue but then I'm no expert ! ! !

I have checked the brake fluid and that's on the max line so I'm not loosing any fluid. Certainly no wet patches under the clutch pedal area and top of gearbox area.

Make sense to stick to the plan of bleeding it first and then see what happens and then change master and/or slave cylinders and see what happens.

 

[SuperV8]

The clutch hydraulics can leak internally - so the pressure goes past the seal - but not to leak outside.
On my TDI gearbox, yes I have an internal concentric clutch slave cylinder - which is a gearbox off job! - and one you might as well change the clutch while you 'you're in there'!
On yours i'm 99% sure (I checked a 2018 Leon 125ps 1.4tsi which did) you have an external clutch slave - so probably just remove your airbox and it should be around the gearbox area.
something like this:

I can't see how a clutch mechanical issue would make the bite point change, but a hydraulic issue could.

 

[Jeggsy]

Just went out to the car during lunchtime and confirmed it is an external slave cylinder.... just like you posted.

How would you know if it's the slave or the master that's potentially causing the issues ? ? ? I pressume the slave cylinder is potentially the easier one to swap first ? ? ?

 

[SuperV8]

The clutch slave cylinder can only leak externally - so I would unbolt the slave and inspect for leaks.
If it's all dry - I would suspect your master cylinder.
Although going by the fact your fluid reservoir isn't dropping I would first suspect the master cylinder.

edit# first I would try flushing some new brake fluid through it - see if that helps.

 

[Jeggsy]

Thanks for your help on this.... Much appreciated !

Car booked in for 22nd so see what that brings

 

[Jeggsy]

Well.... bit of an update on this.

Just come back from my local garage and he done a flush on the fluid earlier today. He did say there were a couple of small air bubbles come out when he flushed it through but the clutch pedal still feels pretty much the same and the bite point really high up.

He said perhaps give it a couple of days and see what I thought of it.

He said to him it feels about right but I'm not so sure.... Bite point has never been high like it is now. It was varying a bit too but will need to give it a try to see if it still varies after this fluid flush through.

I did say to him about master cylinder and/or slave cylinder but he didn't really say much about it only that they should be OK. He did agree with me that he thought the clutch itself should be OK and that it did sound like a hydraulic issue.

Not sure what to think about this..... Thing is I got a holiday next week which is a 250 mile round-trip and car will be packed to the gills so not a massive fan of taking it at the moment.

Cheers

 

[Jeggsy]

Bit of an update....

Just been to see my local garage about getting the master cylinder and/or slave cylinder replaced and he threw me a bit of a curve ball..... When I was there, he rang one of his mates who specalises in VW's and he said about it possibly being a faulty clutch.

After the call, he explained to me that there's a service bulletin out about the type of clutch I have that have issues with the self adjusting clutch mechanism and that it's probably that. After he looked on his laptop, after typing in my car reg, sure enough LUK clutch with fault/broken SAC.

I does make sense to me as the bite point in my car is still varying... This morning it didn't feel too bad.... still on the high side but no too bad. Went to see the guy in the garage this lunch time and now the bite point is way up.

The guy at the garage said that knowing about this service bulletin etc. and what his mate said, he said it's a waste of money changing any of the clutch cylinders.

What do you guys think ? ? ? ?

Last thing I wanted was the gearbox off and a big bill for new clutch etc. but sounds like it may have to be.


Cheers

 

[SuperV8]

Sounds plausible to me - if this mechanism was faulty:

 

[Fester999]

I've just spent £1400 on my 2017 1.4 fr leon. The clutch pedal stayed at the floor, I managed to limp to a garage in my street. They said new clutch but couldn't get the parts lbc or sacs due to the Ukraine war.
This meant a delay so I used my motorbike in January and got knocked off at a red light claim ongoing!
Finally got clutch done still same problem! Had the car recovered to Seat in Stoke-on-Trent. They diagnosed master cylinder, this fixed it! Sometimes main dealers are better. Car had done 40k FYI.

 

[Jeggsy]

Cheers guys.....

My heads swirling at the minute.... Not sure what to think.

Do I risk spending £200-£300 to get master and/or slave cylinder swapped out in the hope that it is that and then only to find it could be the clutch. Or do the clutch to find it's one of the cylinders.

The nearest Main Seat garages are approx. 25-20 miles in either direction for me but didn't know if it was worth seeing what one of them had to say about it before commiting to anything.

Cheers

 

[SuperV8]

Can you try LUK technical help line?

The clutch slave can only leak externally - so as I mentioned, if you unbolt and check that its dry you would only need to change the master if you do choose to go down the hydraulic route.

You can test the master cylinder - but often its easier to just fit a new one - looks like they are around 40-70 part cost.

Personally I would be more annoyed spending 1,100 when I would have only needed to spend 100 - than spending 1,100 if I would have had to spend 1000!

Though only you can decide on how you spend your money.
Will the garage guarantee their diagnosis that its the clutch?