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Clutch problem

Carl H

Carl H

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Messages
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Location
Lancashire
Car
Accord EX i-CTDi
I have a 2007 EX diesel with 69k on the clock.

On the motorway at 60-70mph, sometimes if I give it a bootful the engine revs up but the car does not accelerate. i.e. the clutch is slipping. This only seems to happen occasionally. But it will accelerate up 45 degree hills without the clutch slipping, so I'm not sure it's the actual clutch that's the problem.

I've also noticed that the clutch pedal does not feel quite right. It does not always come up smoothly. When I press it down, sometimes it goes down a few inches before there is any resistance. Other times it feels stiffer than others. I'm not totally sure this isn't my imagination.
Could it be that the master cylinder is worn and the piston is binding? Last weekend I greased it (again) to see if that helped and it does seem to have made a difference to the pedal but the clutch slipping issue is still there. With my head in the footwell I noticed that the pedal seems to have some side to side movement when being pressed - is that normal?
 
The cheapest thing here is to bleed the clutch fluid and do a swap. The retract force of the pedal is primarily from the clutch release lever, which in itself is from the pressure plate, so it's unlikely that a binding piston within the CMC is your clutch slipping issue. However, cheapest things first. It could also be that the fingers on the pressure plate are fatigued.

Anyhow, I'd go with a clutch swap as a final resort after confirm the hydraulics are sound.
 
When the clutch slips it seems the same as if I had my foot on the pedal slightly, that's why I was thinking it might be the pedal that was the problem.

Thanks for the advice - I'll look up how to change the clutch fluid tonight.... and then ring my man at my local garage when it sounds too difficult. :blush:
 
Ha! It's easy enough. I take it, that the clutch pedal bracket is intact?
 
Been quite a few years since I've tinkered with cars so I don't know if I've still got all the right tools and equipment, or even the inclination.

I had a good close-up look at it when I was forcing grease into it at the weekend and it all looks intact. I did notice that when I pressed it down with my hand that the whole ***embly had some side-to-side flex though.

Years ago I had a Datsun Stanza and the clutch cable frayed. The pedal gradually got stiffer but because I'm a big-footed clod I didn't really notice until the bracket broke. I have been a bit concerned about something similar with my Accord.
 
Carl H said:
I had a good close-up look at it when I was forcing grease into it at the weekend and it all looks intact. I did notice that when I pressed it down with my hand that the whole ***embly had some side-to-side flex though.
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It should have some side-to-side flex, but nothing significant. Make sure that it's not fractured.
 
The pedal bracket looks fine. The fluid reservoir is full but it looks dirty so I'll have it changed. I couldn't even find the slave cylinder so it looks like a job for the garage.
 
Well to be fair a clutch bleed is straight-forward for a garage. It's a cheap thing to try first.
 
Just spoken to my mate at the garage. He said that the release bearing was worn and sticking occasionally. If the master cylinder, hyrdraulics, pedal, etc were the problem, then the symptoms would be difficulty in changing gear cos the clutch wouldn't disengage (engage?) properly. :(
 
Hmmm, in my experience a worn release bearing squeals like hell at the point of engagement, rather than sticking. The bearing doesn't mate with splines of the output shaft therefore generally doesn't stick on them. It's the fingers of the pressure plate that shove the release lever back. However, if the release level isn't coming back fully then it's something in the gearbox housing and it's a strip out anyway :(

While you're in there you may as well do the clutch, pressure plate and bearing at the same time.
 
That was based on me talking to him on the phone; he hasn't had a look at the car.

Bizarrely, since I spoke to him, the car has been fine.
 
Slipping clutch. This is a normal problem in this car and most likely either a worn pressure plate spring or self adjuster hasn't fully adjusted yet. There's no fix except to replace the clutch.

I would leave it until it gets to a point where it's doing it all the time.
 
It's fine now so I guess a self-adjuster being slow to adjust seems a reasonable explanation.

I asked my man at the garage for a worst case scenario and he said that would be to replace the entire clutch and the dual mass flywheel as well, and I'd be looking at around £750. Does that sound reasonable?
 
Sounds about right if it includes a flywheel and labour but flywheel replacement is not necessary unless it needs it
 
Yes, that was his rough price including clutch, flywheel, labour, VAT, etc. It's a rough price cos he's not done a 7th gen Accord clutch before so he's not sure of exactly how long it will take.

Getting the clutch replaced is a bit of a gamble as it may or may not also need a flywheel, which more or less doubles the price.

What are the symptoms of a worn flywheel?
 
Vibration and shaking.

My clutch went through a period of slipping (also mostly noticeable on motorways) but has been OK for the last few years. This isn't unusual!
 
Jon_G said:
Vibration and shaking.

My clutch went through a period of slipping (also mostly noticeable on motorways) but has been OK for the last few years. This isn't unusual!
Click to expand...
And it just sorted itself out?
 
 
Carl H said:
And it just sorted itself out?
Click to expand...
 
Yes, I just went easy on it for while and it magically recovered! And it's still absolutely fine. This did come as a surprise, but I've since found out (from several Honda forums) that this isn't unusual. Some reports suggest that 'special' treatment of the clutch (harsh take-offs, pumping it multiple times, buzzing it by selecting an inappropriately low gear while travelling at speed, or even bleeding it) can help the self-adjusters to respond if they are sticking.
 
I think I've had this also on my 2.4. The self adjusters just being a little odd and the occasional odd sensation from the clutch, as if it's slipping or not engaging right. Not enough to put your finger on and say for certain it's slipping, but enough to make you worry a little that something bad is on the horizon. But then it goes away and it's fine for several months. I've had it worse on cold, damp mornings and normally at the start of journeys and in 1st and 2nd gear.

I was a little worried a while back and did some tests on a fast A Road on the way home from work, getting the revs up with the clutch pressed and then dumping into 4th gear. Never missed a beat. The car absolutely took off :lol: . I knew then the clutch was good and that it's just being, well, quirky... Something, as Jon says, is not always unusual to Honda's self adjusting clutches. Seems many people report impending clutch issues that then go away.
 
Carl its deff your pressure plate addjusters it might come back in a few months.
If it do it will last about 12 months and start to get worse as it goes on.
 
I've also had this happen - 4 years and 43,000 miles ago when I first purchased the car. Started to save for a new clutch, then it stopped happening and has been fine ever since.

Usual spot was when coming off the M69 onto the M6 with a bootful of boost !
 
So far it's been five weeks and just over a thousand miles, and it hasn't done it again since. :)
 
Over a year has passed and the clutch has not slipped again since.

The pedal has started making a groaning noise though, so I think it needs a bit more grease forcing into it.
 
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