Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell?

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 20 Aug 2015 00:20
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - jazzyman

My daughter has a problem with her 2014 Vauxhall Astra Mk6 1.7dti. There is a burning smell coming from the engine. The car was taken to the Vauxhall main dealer and it was diagnosed to be a clutch problem and therefore doesnt come under the car's warranty for repair.

The smell of burning is even when the car is stationery with the car idling. This looks like it is going to be a very expensive repair.

Anyone had a similar experience with their astra? and what was the cost of repair? Is it likely that the DMF also needs to be changed?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Aug 2015 00:24
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - Peter.N.

The only thing I can suggest is driving it in such a way that the clutch is not allowed to slip, takes a bit of restraint but it could add possibly thousands of milles to the clutch life, providing its not already slipping in normal driving.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Aug 2015 01:01
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - jazzyman

Thanks for the information. However, she is not happy to use her car with this fault, she relies on her car for work.

Just be interested to know if anyone else has had a similar problem? and what was involved to get it repaired?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Aug 2015 09:36
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - Railroad.

You should notice if the clutch is worn and consequently slipping. Firstly the clutch biting point would be fairly high on the pedal. and secondly as you accelerate up a hill you would have an increase in engine speed with a less proportional increase in vehicle speed, if any.

Is your daughter a new driver? Did her instructor teach her to hold the car on a hill on the clutch biting point? Many do, and it works of course, but they also fail to understand that doing so will significantly reduce the working life of the clutch. Driving instructors teach students how to pass their test. They do not teach you how to drive. You have to teach yourself that, and the fact is like everything else some people are better at it than others.

Replacing the clutch is not a massive job. You car woulod be in and out in a day. You'd be unlikely to expect a replacement clutch to be fitted under warranty if the failure is down to normal wear and tear or even misuse, but you would if it's due to a manufacturing defect. The failure will become obvious when the clutch is removed and inspected. If the centre plate friction surfaces are worn it's game over, and you'll have to pay for the job. I'd say the likely cost would be around £300.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Aug 2015 12:38
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - jazzyman

Thank you for your reply.

Not sure on wheter to take the car to the main dealer, quoting around £530 (just the clutch change and not the flywheel) or to take it to an independent garage which will be much cheaper.

If the clutch components are defective hopefully it will be covered under the warranty with the main dealer option, but what's to say that the main dealer put it down to wear and tear regardlessly? Would it be reasonable to ask for the old clutch parts back so that an independent engineer could check if it is wear and tear?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Aug 2015 13:45
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - Quicksilver

Car is still under warranty. I would let the main dealer handle it as a manufacturing fault might be found.

Q.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Aug 2015 13:53
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - Railroad.

With the burning smell that you describe, together with any partial loss of drive, if indeed there is, it sounds highly likely that the clutch failure will be due to wear, and in which case a warranty claim would stand little or no chance of being successful. In any event if the clutch was faulty or if there was a manufacturing defect then this would with almost certainty have shown up long before now.

Every motor technician everywhere will know of a case where someone has burned their clutch out within weeks of a new one being fitted. I remember years ago when I worked in a Vauxhall Dealer we had an elderly lady customer with a Chevette that needed a new clutch every six weeks. If you'd seen how she drove it you'd know why.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 20 Aug 2015 14:01
Vauxhall Astra MK6 1.7dti - Astra Clutch - Burning Smell? - galileo

With the burning smell that you describe, together with any partial loss of drive, if indeed there is, it sounds highly likely that the clutch failure will be due to wear, and in which case a warranty claim would stand little or no chance of being successful. In any event if the clutch was faulty or if there was a manufacturing defect then this would with almost certainty have shown up long before now.

Every motor technician everywhere will know of a case where someone has burned their clutch out within weeks of a new one being fitted. I remember years ago when I worked in a Vauxhall Dealer we had an elderly lady customer with a Chevette that needed a new clutch every six weeks. If you'd seen how she drove it you'd know why.

My local indy showed me the clutch he'd taken out of a lady's car: the three release fingers were blued by heat due to friction - the driver had used the clutch pedal as a footrest!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide