Clutch cable Broken again :< Opel Corsa Lite

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Wong

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Hello , My clutch cable has snapped for the second time this year , I dont ride the clutch :/ I have done some research and a lot of people say it might be the clutch pedal please note clutch cable is a gm one , Anyone else have the same problem with there opel corsa , any advice of what I could do to prevent this from happening any time soon ? :o
 
Wong said:
Hello , My clutch cable has snapped for the second time this year , I dont ride the clutch :/ I have done some research and a lot of people say it might be the clutch pedal please note clutch cable is a gm one , Anyone else have the same problem with there opel corsa , any advice of what I could do to prevent this from happening any time soon ? :o
Click to expand...

I have couple of friends who have Corsa lites and their cable are also forever snapping. Some one explained it to me that it is because the Corsa clutch cable goes around a sharp corner, and so it snaps easy.
 
I am also go through cables like crazy.
Does not matter if the cable is GM bought or not (as a fact, the pirate cables seem to last longer than the original GM cables)
The problem it seems is indeed the plastic clip/retainer/guide that sits on the top of the pedal.
 
They still use cable systems for clutches in the 21st Century? :wtf:
Sheez ... if that isn't cutting corners to cut costs I don't know what is.
The last clutch cable system I saw was on a 1970's Beetle.
 
That one of the things which gives away the Lites age - being a 1993 design does have its drawbacks.
Luckily never had that problem on my Lite. BTW, isn't the gears also shifted via a cable in these cars?
 
I thought it was just my car that hated me, apparently its a universal Corsa problem. . .

3 months ago, I had a problem with my cars clutch cable as well. It broke in the middle of a intersection as I was trying to go round a corner. Had fun and games trying to push my car out of the way (being a lady and all and not exactly on the stronger side of the scale). Finally got that fixed, when 4 days later the actual pedal broke where it meets the cable. GM wanted to charge a arm and a leg for a new pedal so my brother who is also a mechanic fixed it. On Sunday while moving boxes from one house to the next, i find I cant change gears on a uphill. Yes, turns out I have yet another problem with the clutch. Only this time its not the cable or pedal but is in fact the clutch plate (?) or as I was told by a mechanic. Apparently this is going to cost me an arm and a leg to fix anyways -_-

In the mean time im driving a beaten up Toyota conquest with no power steering. At least I'm working on that strength problem :p
 
Mmmm, the car has been to a GM garage... there's your problem :p

Seriously though, your clutch can get damage if the clutch cable repeatedly stuffs up. But I blame this whole incident on sloppy GM workmanship. My Opels are very happy cars when they are not serviced at a GM workshop.
 
The problem is caused by the pedal being damaged.

The pedal has a plastic clip where the clutch cable clips in. If that plastic clip on the pedal is broken the cable is twisted at an odd angle when you depress the pedal causing it to fray and eventually snap.

If you peer in down there you'll immediatly notice that there is plastic broken off. The newer ones use metal instead of plastic.

Not sure if it can be bought seperate from GM but a scrap yard may have an unbroken one for cheap.
 
Will check for that plastic clip to see if it is broken , hopefully it is that and not my pressure plate - which the gm dealer said it most proberly is :< - those new pedals are they DIY or must a dealer do it ?
 
Paul_S said:
They still use cable systems for clutches in the 21st Century? :wtf:
Sheez ... if that isn't cutting corners to cut costs I don't know what is.
The last clutch cable system I saw was on a 1970's Beetle.
Click to expand...

Some guys are from oldschool town, there are many vehicles using cable , maybe as late as 2008 even
 
mikeyb said:
I have couple of friends who have Corsa lites and their cable are also forever snapping. Some one explained it to me that it is because the Corsa clutch cable goes around a sharp corner, and so it snaps easy.
Click to expand...

Yeh it seems to be a crap design actually. My clutch takes very low. Funny thing is that i pulled the pedal upwards until it didnt move more and i have noticed that the clutch feels so much more smoother to press.
Its had that same feel for a long time.

I have bought spirex as a brand for a clutch cable, it lasts 1 year on normal 45-50 km driving per day.
I have bought 2 of them , same result for me.
I then bought a Midas brand and it has a nice shield on the cable , its lasted me now for 2(years).5(MAY) years.

I now however notice a creaking sound and it feels a bit rigid but only in some of the motion (middle of the press)
I pressed the pedal with my hand and look at the cable on the pulley but i dont see the cable being frayed or anything , then again it has that film/shielding on the cable so it is hard to see if perhaps some strands have broken and maybe some remain.
I just hope i dont break down in traffic as that must be a pain.
I have AA so i guess thats my only bail out plan.
funny thing, i have a cable in my boot but i am not really sure or confident i can fit it myself, although i know how to do it.
I just dont know if i can manage by myself.
 
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Not sure if you have your car still, but i know a great mechanic only specializing in OPEL , he stays in JHB / Primrose.
Really a great mechanic and he has all the equipment needed for the job and he is trustworthy.

Oh and there are people i know driving from PTA to this guy to get their cars fixed, really true.

there used to be a opel website called www.opelownersforum.co.za but i see it is dead.
anyways, that site made mention of him even.
 
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Well bloody hell, i see that website is back up again, i am so happy about that now.
Trust me, post a message and you get results. its really amazing to use this site.
 
Gnome said:
The problem is caused by the pedal being damaged.

The pedal has a plastic clip where the clutch cable clips in. If that plastic clip on the pedal is broken the cable is twisted at an odd angle when you depress the pedal causing it to fray and eventually snap.

If you peer in down there you'll immediatly notice that there is plastic broken off. The newer ones use metal instead of plastic.

Not sure if it can be bought seperate from GM but a scrap yard may have an unbroken one for cheap.
Click to expand...

That is one of the reasons a Corsa's clutch cable snaps.
I have a 2004 Corsa Lite and my pedal is still 100s, the hooks haven't broken off, nothing. I've bee through 5 cables that have snapped where the cable hooks onto the clutch. Not the pedal.

It could be a cable routing issue too.

Check both your cable route and your pedal. There are hooks for you to secure the cable to.

Also, a pirate clutch cable goes from R80 and R150. Make sure you get the right one.

I also had the clutch's pressure plate collapse because I think I'm a boy racer, I paid R3300 for a new clutch(Sachs, over specced, worth it).

You can feel when your cable is on the way out. Depressing the cable feels rough and grainy. Should give you enough time to prepare your budget for a new cable.
 
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