Clutch Wear: Symptoms and Replacement.

Hello everyone!

Over the past few days, I've been constantly driving alongside other cars (also TDIs).
While getting into my A3, I noticed that...

The clutch actuation forces in my A3 are lower than those of all other vehicles.
2. The pressure point is located very far to the outside, just before the pedal reaches its unloaded end position.

Does the position of the clutch engagement point indicate that I will need to replace the clutch soon?
My A3 has just reached almost 170,000 km. That seems far too early for the clutch to fail. I've also always treated the clutch relatively gently and never subjected it to extreme loads, such as towing (since I don't have a tow hitch).

The clutch hydraulics must be in good working order. Initially, there was a problem with the slave cylinder, which was replaced with an improved version.

What else, besides tread wear, could be responsible for the shift of the pressure point towards the "front"?

Thank you for your help!

Regards,
Alex.

Hi,
Actually, it seems almost contradictory to me, but I still want to make a statement, even if I get criticized for it.

If the nice guys at VAG decided to install a completely different cylinder, perhaps it had different dimensions?

'It's possible that, with the same pedal travel, more travel is generated than in other vehicles, causing the clutch to disengage more easily.'

Then your pedal should actually require more force to press than the others.
(p = F/A)



Alternative:

The new actuator cylinder has different mounting hole spacing than the old one.
so that the dead end is shorter.
Perhaps it's simply because a shorter distance needs to be traveled in the retraction stroke, as less pressure needs to be built up, since there's always a 'base pressure' present.



Last idea; maybe it's also due to the driving style (grins).

Best, Alex.

Hi,

Quote:

What else, besides pad wear, could be responsible for the shift in the pressure point towards the "front"?

Air in the system, for example, if the brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low and fluid cannot reach the clutch. The purpose of a hydraulic clutch is automatic adjustment of free play. Therefore, during operation, nothing should change over time.

Best regards,
Albrecht

170,000 km with the original clutch... Respect...

The clutch release bearing is probably starting to wear out as well; it seems to be making a little noise at the engagement point, but not much.
Old brake fluid is another issue.

My clutch in my G4alh (90PS!!!) was almost completely worn out after 72,000 km, mostly driven on long distances, with about 60% being highway driving (a terrible LUK clutch), and the release bearing was completely shot. I think you deserve a congratulations for reaching 170,000 km.

170,000 km with the original clutch..... Respect....

Hi,
and again I ask myself: Is my car abnormal?

Because my Golf III 1Z now has 201,000 km on it, and I want nothing to break (everything is still original from the factory, except for the suspension and minor things, of course), including the injectors, ESP, clutch, and transmission *knocks on wood* .

I've also just noticed that the clutch engages very late, as described by donalexo.

Best regards,
Mathias.

I also have 250,000 km on the clock, and I'm still using the original clutch. I have no idea when it will break.

Regarding the clutch: self-adjusting clutches are installed, so the engagement point does not change.
One can only make a rough estimate of the necessary pedal force to infer the wear on the clutch. However, the change in clutch performance over its entire lifespan is so gradual and slight that it is hardly possible to determine in practice.

Julian wrote:

170,000 km with the original clutch..... Respect....

This statement surprises me as well.

"I replaced mine at around 165,000 km because I was experiencing the same symptoms as Alex, and I was planning to drive 3,000 km with a caravan, and I wasn't keen on having any surprises. The conclusion is that the old clutch could have lasted almost as long. I bought the G3 AHU with 155,000 km on the clock and had no idea what kind of driving the previous owner had done."

Regards,
Guste.

170,000 km with the original clutch..... Respect....


My first clutch is now at 266,700 km .

LOL. Mine had already lasted 274,000 km, with 65,000 of those km being driven by me.
Then it was broken.
Due to the rear crankshaft oil seal. It didn't look very appetizing.

And the last 60,000 km were more than the standard performance.

Hello!
I've had very similar experiences.
My first clutch now has 243,000 kilometers on it.
I recently test drove an A4 Avant TDI with 81 kW because I was considering buying it. It had 80,000 km on the odometer, and its clutch felt significantly (!!!) heavier than mine.

Best regards, D.

"Actuation forces are, of course, also influenced by the different materials used. In my Golf IV with the ASZ engine, you can definitely talk about a 'housewife clutch.' It's very light, with the engagement point roughly in the middle of the pedal travel, and very easy to operate. In my company's Passat (also a 96kW TDI), it's completely different. Subjectively, you need to apply roughly double the force. However, it's a matter of getting used to it, and I personally find that slightly higher actuation forces are very useful and provide good feedback."

In the Passat and Golf models, longitudinal engines meet transverse engines, which results in different types of transmissions. However, I assume that there are likely to be similar types of clutches used in both.

I believe it is difficult to determine the condition of the clutch based on the hydraulic actuation alone.

The clutch in the Passat also engages relatively late (in the last quarter) and with a strong bite.

Best regards, WarLord.

Ibiza AHU engine, 130,000 km. The clutch will likely need replacing much later than in other cars, but according to the last service, it's still in excellent condition. As far as I know, the engagement point doesn't change due to wear like it does with 'mechanical' clutches; instead, the clutch becomes more aggressive as it wears.

From what I've read, the pressure point changes slightly, but not directly because of pad wear. Instead, it's because the disc spring is at a different angle as the pad wears down.
There should also be clutches that have an automatic adjustment mechanism built directly into the clutch disc to overcome this issue.

My brother sold his Golf II car a year ago.
A customer came, depressed the clutch pedal, and said, 'This one is already worn down!'

'It's good that you notice that!' - my brother said.
Since we had replaced the transmission 20,000 km earlier, we were already familiar with the condition of the friction material.

The only thing you can test with the pedal is the spring force of the clutch!

A good engineer will arrange the springs in such a way that they can withstand the pressure exerted by the clutch lining.

mueller900 wrote:

A good engineer lays out the springs in such a way that they allow the clutch lining thickness to last.

It should also be available!!!