Clutch died, though which bit ?

Magic_x_uk

Magic_x_uk

Magic_x_uk

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Joined
11 Oct 2005
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Location
Derbyshire
Hi I drive a Renault Laguna (W Reg) 1.6 Alize.

today on the way back from work the clutch went at some traffic lights which left me standing there for 30 minutes till the recovery truck turned up and towed me to my local garage (which cannot start work on it till monday)

Now I know nothing about cars.

But any ideas on what it may be?

The clutch has been fine apart from it sometimes makes a squeel when you depress the clutch pedal for the last couple of weeks.

When it broke I could not even get it into gear. The clutch pedal is 'floppy' for want of a better work.

If i press it, nothing, no resistance on the pedal at all.


Any of you experts know what could possible be the problem ?

thanks..
 
The squeal is the release bearing, so chances are part of the release mechanism's gone pop.

Unless it's just a snapped cable, to replace any part is going to mean taking off the gearbox so you may as well have the whole clutch replaced as they come in kits
 
That sounds like a broken clutch cable, but in a car like that I'd be surprised if your clutch is cable operated and not hydraulic.

To add, you won't need to remove anything more than a few bolts, to change a clutch cable. Half an hour for a garage to rectify.
 
Cheers guys. Hopefully my local mechanic will sort it easily monday morning. Luckily weathers good so I can use the bike in the mean time.
 
sounds like the clutch cable. the pedal going floppy is a sure indication that it's the cable.
It could still be a hydraulic clutch but total failure like that with a hydraulic clutch is rarer.

you won't have to remove the gearbox to fix it.

old cars always squeak, so no point reading too much into that.

as a side note, i find it really frustrating when people post in these threads who really don't know what they are talking about giving duff advice. it makes it harder to see the good advice.
 
No, old cars don't 'just squeek' most of the time a squeek is a tired bearing and a tired bearing can fail knackering the clutch in the process.

No one will know until a mechanic looks at it. No one likes a smart arse.
 
I think he was confusing a squeaky pedal (which a lot of old cars suffer from) with a squealing bearing.

I never said that was the cause, without having it poperly looked at its impossible to know. But generally thats what a squeal indicates...

The other part of my post just said that any clutch repair beyond cable/pedal would be a gearbox off job, so it would be reccomended to replace the lot - I dont see the problem with that advice. :confused:
 
Well it looks like he's devised a method for diagnosing faults with little description over the internet!

Until a sweaty oaf with a spanner takes a look at it, no one will be any the wiser really.
 
Worst case the squealing was the release bearing in it's death throws which has now seized and machined through the clutch fingers, giving the aforementioned floppy pedal. Obvioulsy a complete new clutch required.

Floppy pedal can also be caused by a snapped cable or in a hydraulic system, a faulty master or slave cylinder.
 
Janesy B said:
No, old cars don't 'just squeek' most of the time a squeek is a tired bearing and a tired bearing can fail knackering the clutch in the process.

No one will know until a mechanic looks at it. No one likes a smart arse.

Well it looks like he's devised a method for diagnosing faults with little description over the internet!

Until a sweaty oaf with a spanner takes a look at it, no one will be any the wiser really.
Click to expand...

If nobody likes a smart arse then why do you always try so hard to be one ;)

Magic_x_uk - Laguna of that age is a cable operated clutch. Over the years they wear out and eventually snap. The pedal flops to the floor and you will be unable to get the car in to gear easily with the engine still running.

Clutch cables are not generally expensive (£10 - £30 is about right) but can be a little bit fiddly to fit - note fiddly not usually a genuinely difficult or particularly time consuming job.

Squeaky clutch is very common, usually caused by the bush that the clutch pedal pivots on. A squirt of silicon lubricant/WD40 etc (don't get it on the pedal!) on the rubber bush will usually cure it if only temporarily.

Squeaky clutch sounds like this:


A worn thrust release bearing doesn't sound anything like this and the noise is quite obviously not coming from within the cabin itself. I couldn't find a decent online sound clip as it's a fairly "gentle" sound by comparison.

So hopefully you will have a cheap fix :) Worst case scenario is knackered release bearing (unlikely IMO) and that will essentially mean new clutch time.

Just a tip for anyone who finds themselves stuck in a dangerous position with a snapped clutch cable - if you turn the engine off, put the car into second, and then start the engine and press the accelerator straight away you will be able to get moving (albeit in a rather jerky manner!)
To stop again just switch the engine off and it will stop relatively pronto.

Better than blocking a set of traffic lights for hours waiting for recovery service. Not to be attempted if you are a cack handed imbecile :D
 
The easy way to tell the difference is if the noise is constant when the pedal is pressed (thats how I read the OP) then its not a squeaky pedal.

If it is a squeak like that clip then it could also be the cable rubbing on something (had this on one of my old cars) which would explain the snapping.

Its relatively easy to drive a car without a clutch once you get used to changing gear by matching the revs. You'll be able to knock it into neutral to stop rather than trying to slow down without the engine running, although you'll obviously need to stop it in order to get it back into gear :)
 
iaind said:
Its relatively easy to drive a car without a clutch once you get used to changing gear by matching the revs. You'll be able to knock it into neutral to stop rather than trying to slow down without the engine running, although you'll obviously need to stop it in order to get it back into gear :)
Click to expand...

I agree, but a lot of our members have trouble wiping their own backsides never mind driving clutchless :D
 
Thanks guys.

By the sounds of it then it is perhaps the cable.

But it did make a squeek from the engine compartment when you depress the clutch. Not the pedal itself making a noise. It was coming from the engine area. Before the pedal went floppy.

Anyhow. Let's see what Monday brings.

once again thank you people
 
If it was a constant squeal, its almost certainly the bearing making the noise. Whether thats the cause of the floppiness is impossible to say.

If it does turn out to be the cable and the squealing persists, you might want to keep an eye on it and look at getting the clutch changed anyway
 
My dads laguna(p reg) has had 3 clutch cables i think. When they go the pedal just sits at its lower point though. You can check if it's the cable by looking in the engine bay and looking ontop of the gearbox,you can follow the cable from the drivers side bulkhead? to the box. That was on a 2.0 though.
 
Turned out to be clutch cable, just got it back and had to take it back as it wont disengage clutch when pedal pressed very easily at all. So he (mechanic) is having a look at it again. May need a new clutch £300 ish installed.

Which makes me wonder if I should get rid of it or not
 
Magic_x_uk said:
Turned out to be clutch cable, just got it back and had to take it back as it wont disengage clutch when pedal pressed very easily at all. So he (mechanic) is having a look at it again. May need a new clutch £300 ish installed.
Click to expand...

Could be the ratchet on the end of the pedal is also shot. I had a similar problem on my 19 when I had a new clutch fitted. The self adjusment on the end of the pedal was badly worn and resulted in very difficult gear changes as it wouldnt disengage the clutch fully.
 
iaind said:
Its relatively easy to drive a car without a clutch once you get used to changing gear by matching the revs.
Click to expand...

Is that liable to damage the gearbox more? Just had a go driving back home, more clunky, but that's to be expected I suppose..
 
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