Cheeky Clio DCI problem - any help?

[tommy89]

I have a 2010 clio 1.5 dci (86) I music on 56000 miles.

Today when going uphill on a duel carriage way I noticed an odd problem. As I accelerated from 50 mph in 5th gear the revs smoothly increased from around 2000 rpm to 2200 rpm.... then dipped back to 2000 rpm without me changing the force I was putting into the pedal. as the revs increased the first time the speed didn't increase much.

It doesn't make a clutch slipping noise ever and has a low biting point.

Does anybody know if this a problem? if so what could it be?

any help would be brilliant as I'm meant to be driving some family to Belgium in this on sunday!

Tommy.

 

[oscar]

sounds like you're in the first stages of your clutch slipping tommy. clutch slip can occur when you have 2mm left or full on 0mm, when theres a tiny bit of meat left it won't make noise. this is the tricky one to diagnose, but it appears that only increasing in RPM by 200 revolutions isn't bad at all and it would appear 56,000 miles is a reasonable amount of miles to expect out of a clutch that has no doubt been there since it left the factory

check the transmission fluid level first, always start with the simple things first and tick them of as you go. there are no fault codes, so you can rule out any kind of fuelling issue within reason.

to find out if your clutch is slipping. go to an empty car park (this is to save you feeling like a plonker) and from a stop, put the car into second gear > lift the clutch as slow as you can. do the revs pick up gradually until the point where it'll drive along in gear at the usual 7-9mph? if so, your clutch is good but could really do with a replacement. try it a few more times, if it stalls every time and you are lifting as lightly and as slowly as can physically be done then your clutch is a dud and will need replaced.

 

[oscar]

If it's revving when you accelerate in a high gear at lowish speeds and not going anywhere that sounds like a slipping clutch.
Difficult to diagnose without seeing it. Try doing about 25-30mph in 4th on a slight hill then flooring it, if the revs increase but your speed doesn't, then sounds like slipping clutch.

 

[tommy89]

Oh Balls!! Not another car with a broken clutch. I know in its past it has had a "clutch pack" at around 20k due to a squeak it had (my sister is the old owner).

It will drive from second gear when doing the method you suggested - I will try the 4th gear thing out when I go to pick the wife up tonight. If the revs don't do anything weird does that mean the clutch is okay?

I am driving it to Belgium on sunday with 4 people and their luggage in..... is this wise? (I can guess not) the only other option is taking the 307.

 

[oscar]

try the fourth gear thing out first, if you prefer the clio then take that. i doubt you'll end up stranded in europe clutches going are very gradual. it would be a good year or so before it becomes undrivable assuming you do the usual 12,000 miles a year so on so forth.

if the revs increase as normal with the speed then it'll be safe to say that the clutch will be fine. realistically though, it's something that somebody would have to look at to figure the problem out. it could be something silly like vauum leak causing weird hunting at a certain rev range i know this sounds ridiculous ... but diesels in general can be very ridiculous pieces of kit! throw in the fact that it's also a moody french backside and you're bang on the money lol

 

[tommy89]

I do prefer the clio (even though its tiny) the Peugeot freaks me out as when sitting in a queue it warms up to 90 on the temp guage (no idea why this freaks me out - as it doesn't ever go any higher... just the clio doesn't even move when in a queue)

I will go try the 4 th gear thing now - theres a pretty manky steep hill near my house to try it on. I only really do about 8 k a year now we have two decent cars to share the miles between. We aren't going far from Calais, and ive taken out top of the range break down cover (I never trust my cars) .... Il drop it into a garage on Saturday... or better still, get the wife to drop it in tomorrow.

 

[tommy89]

Right - went out tot he steepest hills I know around here (Shropshire is rather useful for these!) did what you said, got it to 25 and floored it in 4th - didn't do any rev stuff, speed increased slowly but with no rev blips. Did this about ten times on different hills. also tried to get it to slip in 5th in the same place as before - wouldn't do it! and also tried lower gears with no slip. Even tried hill starts in reverse 1st and second.

Is the clutch ok ? (hard to say without inspecting I know - I will still get it checked this weekend for preasure/ fluid leaks)

 

[oscar]

i've got a funny feeling that you'll get milked from every hole if you mention 'clutch slip' to a garage, even if they are the nicest guys in the world .... doesn't appear to be slipping, perhaps a vacuum leak somewhere which may only show it's face at a certain manifold pressure of which will be fairly high in a diesel. no need to worry about that though. for sure though, definitely no harm in asking a garage to check and top up your transmission fluid if required.

maybe the old girl just had a panic attack over going home to france?

 

[LC]

i've got a funny feeling that you'll get milked from every hole if you mention 'clutch slip' to a garage, even if they are the nicest guys in the world .... doesn't appear to be slipping, perhaps a vacuum leak somewhere which may only show it's face at a certain manifold pressure of which will be fairly high in a diesel. no need to worry about that though. for sure though, definitely no harm in asking a garage to check and top up your transmission fluid if required.

maybe the old girl just had a panic attack over going home to france?

French Car Logic

If it's broken don't fix it

 

[tommy89]

Brilliant - thanks for all your advice Oscar - I will get the transmission fluid checked and topped up before we go. I wont mention anything about the clutch to them if it doesn't seem to be displaying any characteristics here.

Uno it may well could have done! its only ever done a few booze cruises with me - driving its old owner over as she wotn drive abroad. Id love to take the 307 - but it makes no sense to take an older still relatively unknown (only done 1550 miles in it so far) 1.4 petrol car abroad. Not that im going to get much MPG with a fully loaded clio.

would be more comfy in the 307 though as its bigger and "wofty" with cruise control.

 

[jakeyb19]

Could have been moisture on the clutch plates, if its only done it once, IMO, I wouldnt worry massive amounts. It has probably burnt off by now, hence why you cant get it to slip again!
Hope this helps.

 

[tommy89]

Could have been moisture on the clutch plates, if its only done it once, IMO, I wouldnt worry massive amounts. It has probably burnt off by now, hence why you cant get it to slip again!
Hope this helps.

Thank you for that - I hadn't thought of that! tbh I didn't even know moisture could get to the clutch - There was a lot of standing water/ torrential rain happening? might have caused some heat difference based condensation?

Im happy to take it away now Ive asked about it on here - I will get its levels checked tomorrow (may just drop it in for a quick service and transmission fluid check tomorrow)