new clutch @ 38 000 miles?

[bops]

Hi im after a few opinions on this clutch please. It just came of a 2011 gold @ 38000 miles. Mechanic was quite shocked and reckons maybe there was a fault with the parts? Any thoughts anybody?

[Adrian E]

Depends if you've had it from new, or if it could've been driven half a mile to the shops with the clutch being ridden the whole way by its original archetypal granny owner?!

You certainly wouldn't expect it to fail in normal use at that mileage but if it's not VW taking it apart, or they've not serviced it every year, I doubt you'll get far in goodwill terms.

Is the flywheel knackered too?

[lemonslap]

bops said:

Hi im after a few opinions on this clutch please. It just came of a 2011 gold @ 38000 miles. Mechanic was quite shocked and reckons maybe there was a fault with the parts? Any thoughts anybody?

Drivers foot slipped of the clutch pedal maybe causing the damage to the pressure plate? What does the clutch plate and flywheel look like?

[SuperchargedVR6]

Seems to be quite a bit of blueing on the cover plate springs, signifying a lot of heat, which could have caused the retainer ring to snap like that. In other words, what Adrian E said - owner abuse!

This is precisely why VW only offer a 6250 mile warranty on wear parts. They cannot be held liable for people who can't operate a clutch properly.

[silentbrown]

SuperchargedVR6 said:

Seems to be quite a bit of blueing on the cover plate springs, signifying a lot of heat, which could have caused the retainer ring to snap like that. In other words, what Adrian E said - owner abuse!

Never seen one like that! Not sure about the blueing... If the spring fingers had got that hot, then the rest of the clutch would be totally shot, surely? Was the driven plate ok, or worn down to nothing.

Useful guide here, BTW : http://www.schaeffler.com/remotemedien/media/_shar...

[SuperchargedVR6]

Well it's impossible to diagnose it after the fact and without seeing how the car was driven, but given the bluing is right next to the friction surface, heat was the only theory that seemed logical.