3

I'm having a bit of trouble with my car; it's a Ford Fiesta 1.4 Zetec (2008 model).

These past few weeks when I accelerate hard the rev meter rises steadily up to a point and then shoots to the top very quickly. It does this in every gear. It's making driving very difficult at the moment and it means I have to accelerate very slowly. This is fine on side roads but as soon as I hit a motorway it causes me problems.

I'm worrying how much this is going to cost to repair as well.

Has anyone seen this problem before?

Mark Johnson
  • 3,931
  • 7
  • 33
  • 56
Dan Hanly
  • 131
  • 1
  • 5

2 Answers2

4

That sounds like a clutch that's reached the end of the line. If you're applying throttle and the rev's start to climb faster than the car is accelerating then the clutch is slipping.

A clutch can go that quickly... depends on driver skill. I've seen clutches last 180k and still look fresh. There are other folks that have destroyed their clutches in less than 40k as well...

Seems like your from the UK, a job like that takes approx 4-5hrs, not sure what the hourly labor charges are over there. Expect to pay around 100-150 quid for a new clutch + pressure plate.

Dude318is
  • 717
  • 3
  • 7
2

It looks like your clutch is worn out, but that's a few years (and certainly) many miles too soon. Does the clutch slip in every gear? And always at a certain speed/rpm? It could be worn out plates, but also a broken pressure bearing? How does the clutch feel when shifting gears? Does it operate smoothly without any grinding (or other weird) sounds? Please try the following: Park at a empty parking place with lots of free space around you. Put the gear in 1st and gently engage the clutch without pressing the throttle. When the engine stalls your clutch might be alright, in which case we need more information, and when the engine keeps running without moving the car your clutch is gone.

Alex
  • 2,305
  • 15
  • 10