my car has just broken down, what could it be

[Gnome]

LOL! Only on a VW!!

Well, apart from the clutch pulling quite high up, nothing, it's been a dream to drive. only thing is with 3rd gear, the gear wouldn't go in properly and as I ease off on the clutch pedal the gear would pop out and grind... but that was on the odd occasion.

The clutch is goners. Selector shaft should be re-aligned.

Thing is, I've just been driving it properly every day for the last 3 weeks now as I got my drivers 3 weeks ago... I keep my car in neutral most of the time, even when I'm going down hills so that i can save on petrol (my parents give me money for 2 tanks, there after I've gotta pay). I seldom rev my car, and the only time I have to really use my clutch is when I'm going up northcliff hill.

Ok well firstly, you don't save petrol by putting the car in neutral. When you don't apply any throttle while in gear the management doesn't inject ANY fuel and the wheels turn the crank (IE. it costs no fuel to drive in gear with no throttle), if you put the car in neutral the management HAS to inject fuel to keep the engine running and idling can easy take more fuel than driving with throttle at low velocities.

Secondly when you clutch, don't keep the clutch pedal depressed for long periods because it wears out the release bearing.

However, the car has done 150 000 kms with the previous owner, and all the little things are starting to go, like my hand break is getting slack, my radiator has a tiny leak in it... so maybe it is necessary that I send the car in for a full inspection.

A little piece of information, when you buy a car 2nd hand you do a COMPLETE service on it to set it back to 0. I usually do everything, cambelt, auxiliary drive-belt, oil change on both the transmission and engine, fuel filter, air filter, brake fluid, engine coolant, everything. Granted it costs me nearly R 1 000 when I do it myself so it'll cost a lot to do it with a dealer I would think.

Now some cars don't have change intervals for things like transmission fluid (AKA gearbox oil) and engine coolant but that is completely wrong, even when the system is completely sealed. GM used to have no change interval for engine coolant and now a few years later they've brought it back, the reason is simple, the car gets old and there's all kinds of stuff floating around in there, I don't care if it's a Mercedes, it still happens.

 

[scotty777]

Depending on how high the clutch takes, it could be normal. VW clutches tend to take a bit high, unlike, say, a Mazda (damn, those cars have low clutches ).

Sorry to say this, but it sounds like you bought the car with a clutch on the point of failing. Not even the worst normal driver can screw up a clutch that quickly in a 1.4.

Keep the car in gear on downhill stretches and check the fuel consumption display

Definitely have the car checked out. It doesn't sound good at all. Just for the record - do you have the Polo with the square or double round headlights?

it's the polo with double round lights, aka the model before the face lift model...

Sigh, well, the inspection insignia has popped up. But strangely my car is seriously iffy when anything is a miss with it, if my radiator water is a tiny bit low, the light pops up, if my ABS is a little iffy, the light pops up. But yeah, lets pray that this won't cost a lot, my dad is already pissed off with me, and if it's gonna cost more then R5000 to fix I'm dead

 

[Stokstert]

you left a polo at a gas station? you know those cars are easy to steal right?

Not so easy if it can't be driven.

 

[Viper25]

Accelerator cable snapped maybe?

 

[scotty777]

Accelerator cable snapped maybe?

the car revs just fine, just feels like the clutch just isn't biting

 

[Palimino]

Yeah sounds like clutch plate.

But they usually just don't creep up on you.
Has it not been giving you any trouble before the breakdown?

Naah. As you correctly said, a defective “clutch plate don't creep up on you”.

I would rather go with jsheed sa:

Clutch cable snapped.

If it’s that, the cost is trivial – not much more than labour.

 

[Fazda]

My 1.6 popped a seal between gearbox and clutch after about 1500k's, and did exactly what you are talking about. VW replaced the seal and clutch and no problem after that.

The fact that it was taking high was an indication of the fact that it was on its way out.

As for Mazdas taking low...WOW...couldn't agree more, unless I have my Fazda clutch pushed half way through the carpet I grate the bloody gears!

 

[Palimino]

My 1.6 popped a seal between gearbox and clutch after about 1500k's, and did exactly what you are talking about. VW replaced the seal and clutch and no problem after that.

The fact that it was taking high was an indication of the fact that it was on its way out.

As for Mazdas taking low...WOW...couldn't agree more, unless I have my Fazda clutch pushed half way through the carpet I grate the bloody gears!

I don’t know about this. I speak of rear-wheel drive vehicles but even though the engine geometry is different, I think front-wheel drive vehicles are similar.

There is no seal. They are separate units connected by a common shaft. Clutch plates are tedious to replace but not difficult. Where the clutch pedal takes is simple adjustment – you can have it ‘take’ wherever you want. Taking high is an indication of wear but it should simply be adjusted till it takes where you want it to. I would venture that you had 2 or 3 ‘adjustments’ (from mid to high pedal range) before the clutch is ‘worn out’.

 

[ponder]

Clutch.

 

[metalcore]

Ok, so I'm driving with my mates from a nice chill session at Sahara, and I stop at a red robot(like a responsible driver), as it turned green I tried to pull off, and nothing, the car just rolled back... 1stly I though I left the car in neutral, but when I made sure the gear was in 1st, I reved the car, released the clutch and the car just won't pull off. I tried using 2nd gear but nothing.

So wtf is wrong with my car? My gears seem fine, and when I release the clutch while the car is in 1st, the revs drop just slightly and the car moves a tiny bit. I left the car at a petrol station, and will take it to the mechanic tomorrow.

Any ideas on what may be the problem here? How much am I looking at?

oh, and it's a 1.4i VW polo, 2003 model...

Could be that your clutch is slipping. Did you get a funny smell recently of something burning when you pulled away.

Not sure if the Polos have the electronic clutches, which can cost upwards of R7000. Otherwise you looking at a few thousand at least.

If its not the clutch the problem is somewhere in your drive train either broken gear or shaft in gearbox or even a broken diff or driveshaft or something. Its going to be at least R1000 if its a driveshaft.

 

[bond007]

:erm: Not the starter - car is running when it happens.

Scotty, I'm assuming that the car actually does go into the gear you select (you've mentioned that the car moves forward a bit, so it's not the gearbox). The way you're describing the problem it sounds like a worn clutch plate. R3500-R5000, depending on the labour cost of your local VW agent.

spot on i think. because he said the car does move slightly it is unlikly that it is the gear box... then again if it is only a worn clutch plate how is it possible that it could happen so suddenly? unless he did something to make the clutch mad?

 

[metalcore]

I don’t know about this. I speak of rear-wheel drive vehicles but even though the engine geometry is different, I think front-wheel drive vehicles are similar.

There is no seal. They are separate units connected by a common shaft. Clutch plates are tedious to replace but not difficult. Where the clutch pedal takes is simple adjustment – you can have it ‘take’ wherever you want. Taking high is an indication of wear but it should simply be adjusted till it takes where you want it to. I would venture that you had 2 or 3 ‘adjustments’ (from mid to high pedal range) before the clutch is ‘worn out’.

The seal in question is most likely the crankshaft seal, which if it leaks will leak oil onto the clutch causing it not to take properly. Rear wheel and front wheel drives have the engine and gearbox connected the same just that with most front wheel driver the gearbox and engine sit transverse and the diff is integrated into the gearbox.

 

[metalcore]

it's the polo with double round lights, aka the model before the face lift model...

Sigh, well, the inspection insignia has popped up. But strangely my car is seriously iffy when anything is a miss with it, if my radiator water is a tiny bit low, the light pops up, if my ABS is a little iffy, the light pops up. But yeah, lets pray that this won't cost a lot, my dad is already pissed off with me, and if it's gonna cost more then R5000 to fix I'm dead

Show your dad this forum and tell him its not your fault the car already has 150 000km on it and most people who drive VW's push them hard because you can and I have seen many VW clutches go before 150 000km.

 

[Budza]

I'm still curious as to how exactly you "use the clutch" to get up that hill

As for the peasants slipping the clutch at robots etc, SUCK IT> cough up and pay for your ignorance. I just hope never to buy a car from one of them.

Hope you managed to avoid that too, Scotty!

 

[Palimino]

The seal in question is most likely the crankshaft seal, which if it leaks will leak oil onto the clutch causing it not to take properly. Rear wheel and front wheel drives have the engine and gearbox connected the same just that with most front wheel driver the gearbox and engine sit transverse and the diff is integrated into the gearbox.

It most probably is (although you would expect clutch degradation – not a ‘sudden death’ problem at a robot). I am addressing the semantic issues. Fazda said between the gearbox and clutch rather than the engine, where your diagnosis would probably be accurate (there are no crankshafts in the gearbox or clutch). Maybe the gearbox seal? Same scenario. However, there is still the degradation issue. I will stick to my broken clutch cable theory.

 

[Rouxenator]

Never buy a second hand VW

What ?!

Never buy a VW

+1

 

[Fazda]

The seal in question is most likely the crankshaft seal, which if it leaks will leak oil onto the clutch causing it not to take properly. Rear wheel and front wheel drives have the engine and gearbox connected the same just that with most front wheel driver the gearbox and engine sit transverse and the diff is integrated into the gearbox.

That is correct and that's the seal that went on my car. Sprayed oil all over the clutch and stuffed it up in the process. I didn't get any warning about it either, so to me we are probably talking the same thing, though a sudden lack of clutch can also be cable snapping and at 150 k you're due for a new clutch anyway!

 

[metalcore]

Yeah it could be the clutch cable but I don't think the polos use clutch cables they probably got hydraulic clutches. Most cars seem to have hydraulic these days, but I could be wrong.

With clutch linings I've seen clutch linings come off and suddenly no clutch, but there is usually a warning sign and you notice the engine spikes a bit as the clutch looses traction before suddenly failing and then theres that smell.

If one of the driveshafts or CV joints breaks or sheers off in the diff then the car also won't move, if one wheel is looses complete traction the diff doesnt move the other wheel anymore and sometimes the friction of the oil can make the car move forward a wee bit when you rev up.