Mk4 Golf Clutch

Just got a call from the Mrs to tell me that she's sat in a lay-by, awaiting AA, without a working clutch.

It's been ages since I've paid to replace one of these (pug 205 in uni days), so I was wondering how much pain I'm in for on Monday, when the garage opens.

Motor is a X-Reg Golf Mk4 TDI. I've hit Google, but I'm seeing a pretty wide range of figures quoted (as well as nasty words like "dual mass flywheel").

Just wondered if any arrsers out there have recent experience of such a repair.

 

Try the fora on www.honestjohn.co.uk. They are a good bunch who are really helpful.

Litotes

 

When you say a non working clutch I assume you mean a pedal problem ?as opposed to slipping spinning etc...if so put foot under pedal and rise up to dashboard, there is a fault which sometimes arises with the quandrant which shows up from time to time.

 

Hi,
Well if you have dual mass flywheel they are now considered a service item i.e. changed when the clutch gets ripped out.
As a very rough guess (based on my recent clutch change on a fiat)

dual mass flywheel £270
clutch kit £150
labour £200

Those prices are for a local garage to do it not a main dealer

Good luck and avoid the "express fast fit clutch" places, they use total tat parts wise

Regards,

RM

 

Replacement of complete clutch assembly/concentric slave cylinder for my 03 Corsa last week £300- not at the main dealers I might add!

 

As I understand it, she went to change from 4th to 5th, got as far as neutral and then got grinding squealing noise, even with pedal fully down. They coasted in to a lay-by and had a play; end result, not able to select any gear.

Thanks for the link Litotes, I think I might have spotted a few posts from that forum in the Google search results, will have a closer look.

I don't know for certain that it's a dual mass flywheel, but that term does seem to crop up rather a lot during my searching.

I'm Glasgow based, but the breakdown was on the Edinburgh by-pass, so the car has been recovered to a local place that my folks, who live over that side, use; hopefully they shouldn't take the piss too much re costs.

 

Hi again,

Dual mass flywheels cost loads but it is best to bite the bullet and do it all in one hit rather than ripping the gearbox and clutch out again in a few months time.
From what you have posted it sounds as though the pressure plate has collasped, not disimilar to what happened to my car.

Regards,

RM

 

I had a Golf TDi and its clutch EXPLODED on the M25,bits of metal all down the road.The AA bloke AND the VW garage admitted that this was a well known issue!It was by the way the WORST car i have ever had the misfortune to have to drive.It was a right pile of Shoite,nothing worked corerectly,it was constantly breaking down.Im just glad it was a Company car and not my private vehicle.It once broke down just after it had had a major service!!!!I will NEVER buy a VW EVER!

 

To be honest, this is our 2nd Golf Mk4 and it hasn't been any better, or worse than any other car I've owned.

 

I have a Golf Mk 4 TDI which is really nice. The only major fault in 8 years has been a blown turbo which, with hindsight, was caused by me failing to realise that the oil needed changing! If I am sensible, I can average 50-55mph and 60-65mpg at the same time on a long journey and there aren't many cars that will do that!

Bad luck with the bill for the dual mass flywheel but it appears to be a weak point on these cars!

Litotes

 

My mk 4 golf threw a clutch, but it was the actual pedal assembly. (Broken lug). Approx. £30 and about an hour of reasonably straightforward DIY and it was back on the road. Have a little look at VWAudi forums.

 

OK problem is now sorted. Turned out it was the clutch and flywheel that was the problem, as predicted.

The car had some pretty major engine work done about a 24 months ago due to a garage (don't use them any more) fitting a faulty timing kit - to give them their due the garage accepted liability and did all the work under warranty. However, it seems that during the repairs the clutch was replaced, but not the flywheel.

Fast forward to now and the linkage on the dual mass flywheel fails causing lots of play and therefore vibration, knackering the clutch in the process too. So much vibration, in fact, that it stripped the splines off the centre of the clutch friction plate - something the mechanic claimed to have never seen in all his years of dealing with VWs. I've got the remains in the boot right now and it's not a pretty sight!

Total final cost for parts (full clutch kit and flywheel) plus labour was £640.
With VAT £724.

That was with work carried out at a trusted independent garage (deals mostly with Citroen, but lots of VW/Audi experience too). Verve, the offical VW garage, wanted well over £800 before VAT.

Anyways, thanks again for all the input earlier in the thread, it helped me a lot in getting my head round the possible causes of the problem.