Audi A4 2.0tdi 2011 Clutch Slip

[BenWales]

Hi,

I have an Audi A4 2011 2.0 tdi I am new to this forum and I apologise if this has been posted before.

I recently took my car for its 40,000 mile service (only 37,500 on the clock at the minute) that's just what Audi seemed to call it.

On leaving the garage I thought my clutch was a lot higher up on the peddle than when I dropped my car off, but I was off to France and my ferry was leaving so I set off with no time to return and query. In France on their motorways over taking cars at 70mph putting my foot down I noticed the revs shooting up and dropping back down before the clutch bit.

I nursed the car home on the Sunday and took the car straight back to Audi on the Monday of which they denied touching the clutch on this service, but I could swear the clutch biting point on the peddle was a lot higher.

The lad in Audi was brilliant the mechanic who took the car out and even though it was nowhere near as bad as it was, in fact it was so little of a slip I myself couldn't notice it slipping when he was driving he said I would need a new clutch, possibly also a new flywheel but they wouldn't know this until they stripped the car down. He also pointed out the high bite point on the peddle of the clutch.

Now I was over to the service department and the lady there, very very unhelpful, quoted my £875 for the clutch fitted and this was the funny part, £900 odd for the flywheel, which I possibly may need... This is when I nearly fell off the chair I was sat on!!

The car only having 37,500 miles on the clock and only just being out of warranty by four months I think possibly near £2000 for this is bang out of order.

My bug is also them wanting to fit the same clutch as what is already on the car and hasn't lasted.

Could anyone help me with a few points please I would be grateful.

• When fitting a new clutch is it recommended that you should fit a new flywheel?

• Has anyone else had these problems with the same model car?

• Would you fit the same clutch as in the one Audi are wanting to?

• Would you go elsewhere and fit an uprated/aftermarket clutch? And if so any recommendations?

The woman who I dealt with in Audi tried to say that the clutch could have been damaged by my driving, but I've never had a new clutch on any vehicle I have driven before and I haven't even changed the brake pads on this car so I don't think I should be changing the clutch yet!!

I have a motorbike and any fast/hard driving I wish to do is done on this.

I am so annoyed with Audi and bought a £20,000 car off them with the thought that the badge basically meant it would be bullet proof and now this.

All help and comments much appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[zollaf]

welcome to the forum.
basically yes, it is normal to replace the flywheel as well as the clutch due to it being a dual mass flywheel rather than an old fashioned single slab of steel. it will probably be a luk or sachs clutch and yes, that is what i would expect to fit as these are top quality parts. you could go for something like a black diamond etc, but it would be a waste of money. a clutch will normally last a lot longer. i wonder if the previous owner was a clutch rider, very hard to tell. strange how you though th bite was higher after the service as theres not really any way to change that. its a horrible place to be really.

[BenWales]

Yeah it's a horrible situation, damned if I do and damned if I don't at the minute! Getting Audi to do the job and forking out £2000 for a clutch that potentially could be gone again in 40,000 miles bugs me...

The dual mass clutch versus a single mass clutch? My mate who has a seat leon replaced his dual with a single and he said apart from the noise being louder (which you'll get used to) it's a lot better?

Sorry for loads of questions but also Audi said the flywheel may not need replacing? Does that seem wise? As when you search clutches online they seem to come as a kit with a flywheel?

I don't know what to do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[zollaf]

get a quote from an indy. no reason to stick with audi and the parts will be a lot cheaper. if its been slipping then chances are the dmf has overheated and they don't like this as they melt. i would stick with a dmf though, a smf is fine in the short term, until your gearbox eats itself as a result of the added vibration.

[BenWales]

Cheers what a nightmare though!! Never buy an audi again I know that much!! From the hassle I had when I realised someone was trying to pinch it through the OBD to this!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[zollaf]

to be fair clutch failure can be down to a lot of causes. it all depends how its been treated in its early life. you can blow a clutch in a day if you try hard enough. i have seen it done to a brand new transit towing a mini digger with a very un sympathetic driver, or it can last 305, 000 miles. all modern cars have a dmf, so there is no escaping them. and audi's are nice places to be, but remember that all modern cars cost when they go wrong, its just that there are lots more audis on the road than most anything else, plus the biggest following and network and as a result you hear a lot more horror stories.

[Doctle Odd]

As it's a fresh low mileage car that has full Audi service it can do no harm to ask for some goodwill. When the flywheel decides to die it doesn't give much warning. If you can't negotiate some goodwill an Indie will do the same work with the same parts for half the money. Costs nothing to approach the service manager tho. GL

[BenWales]

I think goodwill might be out of the window after losing my rag in there last week down to me blaming the service the previous day.....! But I will send an email and speak to someone else... They were saying clutch but maybe it could be the dmf.

Around three weeks ago I heard like a grinding noise when I pulled into work but I put that down to a stone in one of the discs but now with what's happened that may have been an early sign?

I see what you're saying with how many audis on the road and you will find a dozen clutches which have gone early and think this is happening to everyone when in reality there's 1000s on the road which are fine, just bad luck!!

**** happens as they say!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BenWales]

Just a quick point aswell..

• Do you think the automatic handbrake release plays any part in damaging the clutch?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Doctle Odd]

Don't worry too much about losing your rag, people in the motor trade generally have thick skins sometimes to match their brass necks. Don't email call in and chat face to face. You could employ Zollaf the Lexicographer he's an Indie and he won't rob you. He's also an expert in origami and will be able to fold you a car from the middle pages of the local paper.