Trumble

I know this has been done to death but ....

How do I know when the judder is bad enough to warrant a new clutch under warranty ?

I get it all the time when the car is cold - at least for 15 mins, mainly in 1 and 2.

But its even occuring when the car is warm...

Simply put how bad is bad enough ?

MY 99 (8 months left on warranty) 33K miles, no track days only ppp back box - I guess its been at it since last november.

Thanks

T.

whip

Eyup Trumble

I can't speak for others, but Huggy (MY00 24k) is in at the dealers today to have a new clutch and flywheel fitted under warranty. Initially when I mentioned it at a service they tested it and didn't think it was a problem, but it was a warm day when they tested it. Mine gets much much worse the colder the weather, so after telling them this they got it authorised via Subaru.

One thing I was told is that the clutch is sent to Subaru afterwards for examination (although I have read on other threads that some dealers measure the thickness of the plates) and if the clutch has been abused it will obviously affect the claim. As I generally drive like a nanny and never do fast launches this doesn't concern me too much, although I can't vouch for the way Huggy was driven in the 14k before I bought him.

Good luck m8

Whip

Mungo

Get it looked at asap, so thy can't claim it's a wear-and-tear issue. You need to be aware that if they judge it to be w&t, then you will be liable for the labour costs of taking it apart and putting it back together... (might as well pay for a new clutch at the same time)

Gridlock Mikey

Mine judders like a F**ker when it is cold and damp, now i've done about 24K in MY00 No track days and nothing scary in the quick start scheme of things.

I just know that my dealer will charge me and say it's wear and tear. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] How long should a clutch last eh? 50k? 60k?

Mikey

Mungo

Try another dealer - it's got to be worth the slightly longer trip.
I guess the traction of the AWD puts quite a strain on Subaru transmission components, clutch included.
Clutch life in some performance cars can be as low as 12k miles

Trumble

Basically I heard the same thing from my local dealer, the clutch needs to come out and then they get subaru to authorise the replacement under warranty - they told me they fit P1 clutches now.

If on removal it looks like it has been abused then subaru wont pay up so your faced with a bill for 600 quid.

So the next question is how do I tell if its been abused ? I dont drive like a loony as I have the kids and wife in the car most of time.

T.

T.

JFB

Got mine replaced under Euro warranty at 17K miles and the replacement has been worse since 20K miles. Have now given up!

Jerome

richardsubaru

This may be a dum question but why wait so long before complaining if somthing isnt right take it back and complain

Yorkie

After 20K miles mine began to judder when cold/damp but cleared up after 10 minutes. After a fast start from rest with a floored throttle (clutch feathered) it disappeared altogether Came back again after another 10K, then disappeared after the 30K service. Weird. Not been bad since but still judders a little if left out in the damp cold all day. Incidently my Dads Rover 200Vi has done the same since 9K, must be the clutch materials used these days.

Trumble

Its just thats its got worse since november and last weekend I really noticed along with the passengers !!

I'm going to book it in for 2 weeks time.

T.

paulwadams_my99

my two pennies worth.

Bought my my99 with 24000 miles on clock and noticed judder when cold, told dealer and they said that it was usual. A couple of thousand miles later it started doing it even when warm. A few weeks later i floored it in 5th and it just slipped. Got progressively worse and i had to drive the car for a week on a slipping clutch. It got so bad that it slipped even in second at any kind of revs and this was driving like an angel, believe!

I got a new clutch and my dealer went half and half so it cost me £300, although i personally thought i shouldn't pay anything since my contribution to this failure was about 3000 miles.

10000 miles later it now judders when cold but only for about three clutch releases. After that its fine and never does it when warm. From this experience I would say that if it judders constantly it may be on its way out?

Gridlock Mikey

Sod it!!!

Why put up with it for so long someone posted, well it's a case of, can i live with it or do i offer myself up for a £600 Butt F**king. The first option works for me but dependant on my mood, sometimes i tolerate it cos i know it'll go away within 10 mins and other times i think, i should get this seen to cos it might be ******** something else up.

£600 after being told that it's your fault sucks! Rather wait for it to fail [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] Easy money! Oh look here comes Mr Scoob owner, bet he's got a few quid, let's have some!

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGH! [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Mikey No really i'm ok

Trumble

I'm kind of with you on that one - my last car (mx-6) had for 4 1/2 years no problems with the clutch - sold it at 45k miles and it was fine.

How can they possibly sell a performance car without the components built to take the strain. Ok I accept that if the take it one the track and give it more than usual then yes you have to accept abuse but I dont expect to have to change a clutch after 2 1/2 years and 33k miles with just normal driving as it judders - sounds like a design fault to me.

Um.. just like piston slap.

Have to say makes me wonder (only sometime - but getting more often) whether to have another !!

Yes I dont believe I really said that but I did.

T.

AliWrx

I had the same problem with my P1, juddering from cold. I took it back to Listers who replaced the clutch and the fly wheel under warranty no problems. Can't tell you what its like now as i made a terrible mistake and sold it shortly afterwards! DOH!

dpcc

My Scoob is an MY98 UK car and is 70miles short of 100,000 and is still on it's original clutch... it judders on the first couple of gear changes about once a month but apart from that seems fine. (Touch wood!)

DavidP

whip

Eyup all

Well, got Huggy (as in Huggy Bear, pimpmobile ) back last night and it seems to have been sorted. No mention whatsoever from the dealer of plate wear, abuse etc they just handed me the keys.

I took it to Robinsons of Rochdale who have a good reputation, maybe the story might have been different with a dealer not reknowned for their customer service? Dunno.

Anyhoo, they have fitted a new clutch and flywheel. It does seem to take a bit more pedal pressure than before and the bite point is much lower and more positive. Driving away from my house this morning there was no judder at all, and it would normally judder quite a bit on a cold day like this.

Just a thought here, has anyone actually had the dealer tell them the old 'your clutch has failed due to abuse, pay us labour to put it all back together' routine? I'm just wondering whether the dealer warns about it to put off anyone who has murdered their clutch from trying to make a warranty claim.

Whip

Gridlock Mikey

Good point whip!


Anyone?


Mikey

DJ140

Had mine replaced (MY00)under warranty at 22K, due to judder when cold. At 25K the new one has started to judder again, only when left outside and either cold or wet weather.

At least I have a nearly new clutch, which will hopefully last until 50-60K before needing replacement.

Trumble

I get it when cold even though my car is garaged in the cunny climbs of bedfordshire!

T.

jimbob2

Take your car to the garage complaining of crunching gears e.g. syncromesh problem. Whilst they are checking the gearbox, they can take a look at your juddery clutch - if they say the clutch is too worn for a warranty claim, you won't have to pay the 7 hours labour as they will have the gearbox out anyway.

Cheeky cheeky

Mick James

i had a 97 turbo got 2 new clutches under warranty still didnt cure the prob
youve just got to put up with it. Wot a bitch

Jza

Oh dear.... mines started too....

Its only bad for the first mile and then seems fine...... will it get worse????

Jza

whip

That's what mine was like m8. The 'cure' was to do a hard launch/drag start (don't go mad tho, 2500-3000rpm will do) but as this further decreases your clutch life it's not something I was keen to keep on doing each time the judder came back.

How many miles has yours done/what MY is it?

Whip

Tim Caddick

I can't say where, due to my goldfish memory, but I read in a magazine that when buying an Impreza, clutch judder when the engine is cold is NORMAL, & it should disappear once the engine is warm - if it doesn't, then avoid as the clutch is knackered.
This won't be any consolation, but I had EXACTLY the same problem with my last 2 cars (H reg Rover 414SLi 16v, P reg Rover 216 SLi 16v). The mechanics said this was due to the banning of abestos in friction materials (clutches, brake pads). His solution was to ,once in a while, drive at a steady 50 or 60 mph, & then feather the clutch so that the revs gently rise 1000 rpm or so, for 7 or 8 seconds. He said the idea was to wear down a built-up rim of debris on the clutch. It worked with varying success on the Rovers, haven't bothered on the Impreza. Only try it at your OWN risk!

whip

The buildup of clutch-material dust on the pressure plates is supposedly to blame for the judder, but over a period of time you can also end up with uneven wear on the plates which can also contribute to the problem.

Slipping the clutch at cruise speed would probably cure it (for a while), and would be kinder on the clutch than a drag-start (which fries the clutch a little and stresses the whole drivetrain!) although a lot less fun

I have to disagree with what the magazine stated though. Mine doesn't judder, so by their logic the clutch is knackered? It's brand new! There are thousands of scoobs which don't have this problem for one reason or another, I doubt they're all on knackered clutches though.

Whip

Tim Caddick

Sorry - I meant if the judder doesn't disappear after it's warmed-up, then there's a problem.

MKC

I had a new clutch and the judder when cold was there (slightly better) for the first few minutes as it was with the old one...

babber

I had mine replaced by Tileys after moaning and moaning. Everytime they tested it (warm weather) they thought it was fine, and someone did say they all do that sir!! Left it with them for a few days.

Point to mention was it didn't judder when new!!! Eventually I got fed up and phoned IM direct and kicked off..... They changed it straight away after that

Got a P1 clutch and flywheel fitted now, and it still occasionally judders.

Hard to say how bad, sometimes it quite small and you can live with it, othertimes it almost shakes all the bones in your body

Good luck.

RaZe-=Buzz=-

I cant believe Im reading this and not rushing out to sell the Scoob... Can anyone name me any other car where "clutch judder" is normal? In my experience of 40000 miles a year for many years you only get juddering clutches if the plate is warped, then it will judder on take up. Time for a new clutch if you cant live with it.
If the fly wheel is bent/mis-aligned it will wobble and judder all the time, not just when cold.

Why else would it judder? Has anyone ever been told?

How would "getting warm" suddenly align or straighten the warped/mis-aligned bits ? Thats the thing I just DONT get!!!!!

I also cant believe people seem to accept that a clutch lasts 20k. MY96 turbo with 51k is on the original clutch, and it doesnt judder at all ever, even after sitting in the snow. V6 mondeo did 91k and was on original clutch, and that got hammered cos it was a company car. OK, its not a scoob, but it was still 168 bhp and was subject to many many many fast get aways.

The more I read on these forums the more I become paranoid about Subaru and the way things are going. I thought they were well built and reliable.

Have the new ones been put together by Oompah Loompahs?

Stuart Taylor

I have a MY98 and have had mine replaced 3 times due to judder. I now have a P1 clutch and flywheel and it still does it a little when its cold. I will have to live with it now at its out of warranty. I just give it a few more revs when pulling away from cold if I start to feel it judder.

Stuart