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i have a nissan interstar , same as renault master van lwb, 2004 , 6 speed gear box, it was working fine and parked it up over night, the next day the clutch peddle goes to the floor... so it cant be driven, there is some oil leaking out, but not sure from where, i think it is possibly the slave cylinder, has anyone got any ideas, and how would i change it if it is ,,, why has this happened when not in use ? any help please.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 05/02/2009 at 15:45
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I have the same problem with a 2000 model Movano. OK one day leaking the next. The oil will be very thin and smell like brake fluid.. which is what it is, running out of a drain hole at the bottom of the clutch housing.
If it's like mine the gearbox has to come off as the slave cylinder is fitted from inside the clutch housing... Which also means that the l.hand front hub/driveshaft has to come off too. Great design ain't it.. a full days work for a 30minute job. Obviously they design them to defeat the Home mechanics..
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Our old Renault Grand Scenic (which uses the same 6 speed transmission) suffered sudden and catastrophic failure of the release bearing and slave cylinder recently at 64,000 miles. The repair bill, at an independent, was £50 short of a grand because of the labour required - on the Scenic, the 6 speed gearbox can't be removed without dropping the complete front subframe out of the way.
Maintenance access is not even on the design brief for cars any more. Actually looking at some of them, I suspect maintenance access is deliberately made awkward for maximum service revenue.
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Maintenance access is not even on the design brief for cars any more. Actually looking at some of them, I suspect maintenance access is deliberately made awkward for maximum service revenue.
Yes and yes, DP. Same 'philosophy' as worse-than-useless expensive ornamental panels instead of bumpers.
Someone should publish a survey of this sort of thing to concentrate the minds of the car makers. It would wreak havoc with sales of some models.
I hesitate to suggest that our leader should do it though. Occasional comments are one thing, but a published list of heroes and villains would seem to some firms like fighting talk. And they fight dirty, big as they are.
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"Maintenance access is not even on the design brief for cars any more. "
Not necessarily. You are buying the wrong cars.
Japanese cars are by and large easy to work on. Lift the bonnet on a typical Japanese car and you will find it all logically laid out with routine service items easy to get at.
I remember a while back seeing some data on typical workshop times for repairs. I think it was an Autodata manual but may be wrong. Anyway the Japanese cars scored well. Also specialist tools are rarely needed and working on a Japanese car is a joy - things are designed to come apart and go back together easily. Next time you have an opportunity have a look at the electrical connectors the Japanese use compared to some 'other makes'. It's no coincidence that in many Third world countries you see almost exclusively Japanese 4x4 vehicles. A breakdown could cost you your life and many garages have the most basic of tools and equipment. I know quite a few mechanics who drive Japanese. I think that says it all.
Ford are quite good in this area as well - Mondeo clutches excluded.
A lot of people don't think about these things until they get a nasty bill, placing more emphasis on style, image, gadgets and other such nonsense.
"I hesitate to suggest that our leader should do it though. Occasional comments are one thing, but a published list of heroes and villains would seem to some firms like fighting talk. And they fight dirty, big as they are."
There's no need - as I mentioned above, the data on workshop times is available, these days probably on the web as well. All it needs is for people to spend as much time looking at the data as they do deciding what trim level or extras to specify. The information is out there for those who wish to use it...
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