I don’t know much about technical parts, but I have been driving my car since 2018 and I can “feel” and hear something is wrong since my clutch and slave cylinder where replaced. I am hoping someone knowledge can provide me some advice please. I will try and summarise.
Out of the blue, whilst away from home, my car gears felt extremely hard and I had to use force to change them. So I parked, extend my stay and called Ford to book my car in (booked in a month later). The next day and until the appointment the car seemed fine to drive but gears sometimes failed to go in.
Car goes into Ford. First in told the machine gives no error and they’re awaiting acceptance of gearbox removal for the model of my car. Finally this is approved and gearbox is removed for clutch inspection. I’m told gearbox is fine, however, that the clutch and slave cylinder need to be changed.I agree to the work.
On collection of the work done the car is stuck on 1st gear. Service guy tries and force it out (terrible loud screaming noise) and car stays.
Car is ready for its second collection. I’m told the clutch needed bleeding but that it has now been done properly. As I collect, my car does not drive properly, gears fail to go in, the clutch needs pumping to work, and there is a weird noise on the background of the motor which was not there before. Ford tries to convince me everything is ok and as I disagree they ask me to do 100 miles and see if the problem persists. My car is finally booked in 450+ miles afterwards.
I take the car in and speak to the garage manager. I’m told that the symptoms I describe are of a clutch that has air in it and needs to be bled out properly. Yes again! So the car stays and supposedly gets bled again.
Car is ready to collect. I drive my car home and realise the following“symptoms”:
- The auto-start-off engine starts working intermittently.
- The humming background noise which appeared on second pick-up is now louder and more persistent (currently 1400 miles afterwards it is very loud). I believe the noise comes from the gearbox because the noise matches the gearbox’s vibrations.
- The car runs on higher rpm than usual, consumes more gas, but has less power. I feel as if it’s “been held back”.
- My gears don’t feel smooth going in as they did before the clutch and slave cylinder repair.
- My neighbour looked under my car and told me that he thinks that the gearbox has leaked.
My gearbox was OK when I first took my car in. I was told so and advised only my clutch and slave cylinder needed replacing.
The garage that made the clutch and slave cylinder “repair” ignored me for over a month after my last pick up and only offered me to speak to a mechanic once the complaint with main Ford was opened.
I have been advised to take my car in to another Ford dealer, and pay another £570 to strip the gearbox and inspect the clutch and slave cylinder.
The have also “commented” that if the gearbox is damaged, they might not see this is related to the clutch and slave cylinder repair.
In my view, my gearbox was ok when I took my car in, because if it needed replacing they would have advised me so. But when I asked directly, they said “no your gearbox is fine”. So, I think that a non well-bled clutch must put pressure on the whole system. Gearbox and clutch are part of the same system and if one is not correctly repaired then it can damage the other.
The 2nd opinion garage is also only supposed to communicate with me and the main Ford complaints liaison. However, are now worried about potential costs and one day before I take my car in they state that they will also speak to the garage that did the first repair. So I am concerned that the 2nd opinion will not be a fresh pair of eyes and will be biased.
I feel that they are trying to take advantage of me. I paid for a repair that was never done correctly and now I am having to pay for an inspection of that repair. Whilst they’re already thinking something non-related is at fault and therefore I will have to pay even more out.
Can someone please give me their opinion based on the “symptoms” and advice on what’s best I do. Thanks in advance. Nuria
