Firefly4322
01-10-2005, 01:29 PM
This is a problem that I have been having with my Jetta 1.8T.
Basically its like this. My first clutch went out at 5,500 mile. No, its not a type-o it really did go out at 5,500 miles. I didnt drive my car all that hard and I didnt race it. I thought it was weird and I took it to the Volkswagen Dealership where I had bought it and they replaced it for free. They told me that it was my driving, I was riding the clutch and misusing the car in some fashion. They also got all raised voice over my strut tower bar and Neuspeed P-Flo intake at the time. They noted in their system that I had these mods and chalked up that its all my fault on the clutch. They replaced it free of charge on their "12,000 mile no fault clause" Which every car no matter manufacture or type SHOULD have. They just dont tell you right off. I also told them that there was a problem with shifting. It would grind into second and I couldnt get it back into first. I know, the RPMs must be down to be able to do that... Well they were, Im talking at Idle... Even when the car was stopped. They said they didnt know why it was happening. Well, I asked to see the clutch and flywheel that they replaced and they said that its just burnt out like any other. What clutch burns out at 5,500 miles regardless of how hard you drive it? I know that I had ridden more cars much harder than I ever did this one and never had to replace a clutch before. So, Im thinkin that VW clutches are just waaaay weak. That shouldnt be the case and I still let it go as just a fluke.
At about 8,500 miles I was having problems with second gear grinding and I would have to Jam the shifter back into 1st to even get it in first. So I had another VW dealership inspect the car. I told them that the clutch was just replaced at 5,500 miles and that shouldnt be the problem. I had had the problem with this happening before AND after the clutch replacement at 5,500 miles. The tech came back and said my clutch was slipping in higher RPMs. They then went onto say that they would not replace my clutch and I would have to agree to pay for it in order for them to replace it. So I then went on to figure out what I wanted to do and figured I would buy a higher grade clutch myself and install it myself because they were going to charge me $1,800 for the swap. Well, at 11,500 miles I had to change out the clutch at that point it was too late clutch gone. So I replaced it with a Spec Clucth and lightweight flywheel. So, I then thinkin that my car is fine and all better I drove it from Yuma to Boston and back to yuma, Did a the 1.8T Challenge and then about 3,000 mile of highway driving back and forth from Yuma to Camp Pendleton a number of times and then again to Boston and back from Yuma. Then over halfway to Boston the last time I noticed my clutch was slipping about 5000 RPM so I took it easy until it finally went at 37,800 miles. So thinkin that 15,000 miles is straight highway driving. Leaves about 11,000 miles on this clutch. I can only think that because it had a high pressure pressure plate and it was a higher grade clutch that it lasted that long.
I did alot of research on this and found that my clutch fork may be to blame for the whole thing. It is indeed bent. The play that it now has may be enough to cause the problem that I had been having. I did purchase a new stronger clutch fork through EIP Tuning and now I dont have the problem with the shifting and I seem to have a much better clutch feel.
What I would like to know is who out there that owns a VW is having problems with their clutches and what model and year their car is, and at how many miles their clutchs went.
I know there are allot of you out there because I have already talked to quite a number.
Mine is an 03 Jetta GLS.
Basically its like this. My first clutch went out at 5,500 mile. No, its not a type-o it really did go out at 5,500 miles. I didnt drive my car all that hard and I didnt race it. I thought it was weird and I took it to the Volkswagen Dealership where I had bought it and they replaced it for free. They told me that it was my driving, I was riding the clutch and misusing the car in some fashion. They also got all raised voice over my strut tower bar and Neuspeed P-Flo intake at the time. They noted in their system that I had these mods and chalked up that its all my fault on the clutch. They replaced it free of charge on their "12,000 mile no fault clause" Which every car no matter manufacture or type SHOULD have. They just dont tell you right off. I also told them that there was a problem with shifting. It would grind into second and I couldnt get it back into first. I know, the RPMs must be down to be able to do that... Well they were, Im talking at Idle... Even when the car was stopped. They said they didnt know why it was happening. Well, I asked to see the clutch and flywheel that they replaced and they said that its just burnt out like any other. What clutch burns out at 5,500 miles regardless of how hard you drive it? I know that I had ridden more cars much harder than I ever did this one and never had to replace a clutch before. So, Im thinkin that VW clutches are just waaaay weak. That shouldnt be the case and I still let it go as just a fluke.
At about 8,500 miles I was having problems with second gear grinding and I would have to Jam the shifter back into 1st to even get it in first. So I had another VW dealership inspect the car. I told them that the clutch was just replaced at 5,500 miles and that shouldnt be the problem. I had had the problem with this happening before AND after the clutch replacement at 5,500 miles. The tech came back and said my clutch was slipping in higher RPMs. They then went onto say that they would not replace my clutch and I would have to agree to pay for it in order for them to replace it. So I then went on to figure out what I wanted to do and figured I would buy a higher grade clutch myself and install it myself because they were going to charge me $1,800 for the swap. Well, at 11,500 miles I had to change out the clutch at that point it was too late clutch gone. So I replaced it with a Spec Clucth and lightweight flywheel. So, I then thinkin that my car is fine and all better I drove it from Yuma to Boston and back to yuma, Did a the 1.8T Challenge and then about 3,000 mile of highway driving back and forth from Yuma to Camp Pendleton a number of times and then again to Boston and back from Yuma. Then over halfway to Boston the last time I noticed my clutch was slipping about 5000 RPM so I took it easy until it finally went at 37,800 miles. So thinkin that 15,000 miles is straight highway driving. Leaves about 11,000 miles on this clutch. I can only think that because it had a high pressure pressure plate and it was a higher grade clutch that it lasted that long.
I did alot of research on this and found that my clutch fork may be to blame for the whole thing. It is indeed bent. The play that it now has may be enough to cause the problem that I had been having. I did purchase a new stronger clutch fork through EIP Tuning and now I dont have the problem with the shifting and I seem to have a much better clutch feel.
What I would like to know is who out there that owns a VW is having problems with their clutches and what model and year their car is, and at how many miles their clutchs went.
I know there are allot of you out there because I have already talked to quite a number.
Mine is an 03 Jetta GLS.