Hi,
I have an old (H-plate) Sunny which has been going great for around 10000 miles since I bought it for a few hundred quid last year but recently I've become a bit concerned about the clutch.
* It only bites with about an inch or two travel left on the pedal
* It seems to be pretty much impossible to stall this car!!! It'll take off in any gear although it judders like crazy in fourth (pretty normal I guess...) Mind you the car has always been like that
* Changing gears are not a problem at all though, and it doesn't appear to be slipping (although this afternoon I floored it in second and it seemed to accelerate much more quickly than normal, I must say though I didn't notice what speed it got up to so it may have slipped then)
* It doesn't seem to be stiff or anything.
Is the clutch worn out? It doesn't smell of burning or anything like that, but I'm not convinced about it, it feels really sloppy compared to the works Ford Escort (which is brand new).
If it needs replacement, how much are we talking here?
Thanks in advance.
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Perhaps the clutch needs adjusting?
But if you keep driving like you say you are it will need to be replaced quite soon anyway!
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lol yeah I know what you mean but I've only started off in higher gears when I was trying to coax the clutch to do something bad. As for the flooring in second, well I don't do that too much either... trust me, I treat the car with respect 99% of the time! ;)
I'll have a word with my mechanic about the adjustment (I think it's manual with this model).
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Hi, j_j,
You succeeded in getting the clutch to do something bad.
The result you want when testing the clutch like this, is that it should stall.
You can probably save your clutch if you adjust it / get it adjusted without delay.
Many Nissan models have the simplest form of cable - operated clutch. Even new Nissans. Simple, but effective. You need your clutch to bite lower down or it will soon trash itself.
See if yours is the uncomplicated sort; if it is, and you can adjust a bicycle`s brakes, then you can adjust the clutch cable.
Take a look under the bonnet while an assistant operates the clutch. N.b. handbrake on hard, engine NOT running. If it is a cable you will see it moving low down on one end of the engine.
Is it a cable? Do you have some spanners and pliers?
Send your assistant away, you don`t need them any more, and you don`t want anybody operating the controls while you`re working.
Where a cable joins the clutch lever arm under the bonnet there will be a locknut, and an adjusting nut or ring right by the locknut. I`m thinking you won`t be able to move your clutch arm with your fingers, but when it is adjusted right, you should be able to wobble it a little.
Loosen the locknut and unscrew it a few turns. Then turn the adjusting screw or ring in the same direction as you loosened the locknut. Try something like four revolutions if as it seems your cable has got way too tight. Now you should be able to wobble the clutch arm about 2 millimetres, maybe a little more since you don`t report any problems of your clutch dragging. Next, tigthen the locknut securely while ttrying to stop the other nut from moving. They must lock together.
There, job done. Or it will be if it road tests OK. If not, then repeat until you`ve got the clutch working like you want it.
hth. Or have a word with your mechanic! This should cost practically nothing.
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Thanks a million mate, this is brilliant, cheers for the info.
I'm pretty sure it is the type you mention, I have the Haynes manual for the car, it does talk of adjustment and the clutch is the single dry plate operated by a cable, so it would seem that's the same sort of thing you're talking about.
I'll have a look into this in the next couple of days (going away until Tuesday) but thanks again!
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Happy to help, j_j, having done this easy job recently.
Just one thing, I said: .... Then turn the adjusting screw or ring in the same direction as you loosened the locknut....
In fact on your car I`m pretty sure that it`s the opposite way becauase the adjusting ring and the locknut are on opposite sides of the crank piece.
Remember you`re trying to loosen things up - you`ll soon have it sussed.
Regards.
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