Clutch failure?

Car: Volkswagen Golf 4, 1.9 TDI PD, approximately 34,000 km.

- Car accelerates (subjectively) in 1st and 2nd gear. As usual.
- 3rd gear: At 1600 RPM, pressing the accelerator to the floor: The car accelerates moderately at first, then the turbo kicks in, the car accelerates more, and then something happens: The tachometer jumps approximately 300-600 RPM to around 2300 RPM, the engine roars accordingly, but the acceleration is only very weak. If you keep the accelerator pressed, the tachometer freezes at 2300 RPM until the car reaches the speed that actually corresponds to 2300 RPM in 3rd gear, then the tachometer and speedometer needle continue to move proportionally as usual. The car behaves similarly in 4th and 5th gear. Okay.

However, if I release the accelerator pedal (after the tachometer has risen), the needle on the tachometer almost returns to its previous value.

Clutch test performed at the workshop. Master's conclusion: Clutch is OK.

The error is not always reproducible; that is, sometimes the car exhibits the problem during a trip, but then it behaves normally for the next few kilometers, etc.

I also went to the workshop, but the problem didn't occur there.

What do you think about it?

According to other posts, it might be the clutch, but already after only 35,000 km?

The car is still under warranty.

With best regards and seeking advice,

RT.

Based on your description, the clutch is definitely slipping. Please don't do that too often! How was it inspected? Did you check to see if it's oily (even though it's a lot of work)? Transmission or engine failure - simmering issues!

'I'm experiencing the exact same problem with my Seat Leon TS TDI (ARL engine), and it has only 16,000 km on the odometer.'
You can especially notice it in grades 4-6. The engine's speed increases more slowly in that gear.

It seems to only occur at relatively low outdoor temperatures, such as between -5°C and 0°C.
I wanted to test it one more time before taking it to the workshop, but now it's working fine again without any problems.

I've heard from several people who are experiencing the same problem (e.g., on seat-leon.de), but so far, no one has found a solution. I think those people have absolutely no idea what they're talking about if you read the nonsense they're writing.

Here's another one: /viewtopic.php?t=4732

and another one: /viewtopic.php?t=3986

There's probably more to come...
It seems to be quite common, across various engine types...
Is the clutch always the same, though?
In the latter case, it appears that replacing the clutch fixed the problem.

I really can't believe that the clutch is worn out after only 16,000 km!

Regards,
project9

Hello,

Check if the clutch master cylinder is sealed properly. Hydraulic fluid caused my clutch to slip.

Sincerely,
Christian

@matthiasTDI96
I don't do that very often, actually, not really, because I usually accelerate gently. It happened randomly, and since then I've been avoiding it.
It was tested with the handbrake engaged, and if I remember correctly, in second gear. During the test, the engine suddenly stopped -> the clutch seems to be okay.

@project9
Thank you for the posts. I can't process the second one yet. But that hits the nail on the head.

Best regards,

RT.