Corsa D 2009 1.2 litre Cable or Hydraulic clutch?.

[tony sayer]

Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!

I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?



Cheers..

[Tim+]

Post by tony sayer
Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!
I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?
Cheers..

An eBay search brings up bazillions of cables, but no slave cylinders.
Purely based on the fact that it’s a “base model” vehicle (from 11 years
ago) I’d go for it being a cable operated clutch.

Tim

[Fredxx]

Post by Tim+

Post by tony sayer
Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!
I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?
Cheers..

An eBay search brings up bazillions of cables, but no slave cylinders.
Purely based on the fact that it’s a “base model” vehicle (from 11 years
ago) I’d go for it being a cable operated clutch.

Gazillions of cables sounds ominous for the OP. At least they're easy to
fit when compared to a concentric slave cylinder.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Post by tony sayer
Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!
I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?

Could she check if it has both a brake and clutch master cylinder?

[Peter Hill]

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!
I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?

Could she check if it has both a brake and clutch master cylinder?

Many cars now use the brake master cylinder reservoir to feed the clutch
master cylinder via a short tube.

The Corsa D master cylinder is under the dash. There is nothing much to
see in the engine bay other than 2 tubes to a bulkhead connector.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OEM-VAUXHALL-CORSA-D-E-CLUTCH-MASTER-CYLINDER-55190994-NEW-PART/293623903160?fits=Car+Make%3AVauxhall%7CModel%3ACorsa&epid=1827113731&hash=item445d5933b8

Seems it was available with a MTA, which has some other fail modes -
like if it gets too hot.

First thing would be to check brake fluid level and top up if low. The
feed to the clutch is on the side of the reservoir so it can't drain the
brakes but can be high and dry. Seems you depress the pedal, open the
bleed valve and just let fluid drain though, no pumping of pedal and
pressure bleeders will pop the slave cylinder seal.

Then look for the leak but it may just be brake and clutch pistons all
being extended dropping the level in the reservoir.

Check for fluid under dash - master cylinder is cheap and fairly easy.
Check for fluid weeping from transmission - slave is PITA.

How to make a £150 job cost £750. If the slave is leaking you most
likely need a new DMF and clutch kit as well. Simple old fashioned
external slave leaking wouldn't get fluid to the plate and rubber in
DMF. But a pivot and arm costs money, which would make the car cost
£50-£100 more in the showroom. If they can save £50 on the "lifetime"
cost of first three years for fleet buyers they will do it even if it
costs the 3rd/4th user that can't afford it £1,000. If it was RWD where
the gearbox just falls out it wouldn't be too bad but FWD means drive
shafts have to come out, which means front suspension has to have lower
ball joints split to move hubs outwards off splines, brakes have to be
removed as hoses don't stretch.

https://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/threads/clutch-slave-cylinder-on-2009-corsa-1-4.395438/

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/corsa-d-clutch-slave-cylinder.505636/

11 years old is a bit early for it to go to the scrap yard. Typically
cars are scraped at around 14 years old in UK, so is it worth it for 3
more years?

Get an EV, won't have a transmission, wont have cam belts or chains,
won't have an emissions system that feeds exhaust into the intake
filling the intake system with carbon. Shouldn't be getting scrapped for
simple £75 part failure that costs £750 to fix like ICE cars.

Ford have put cam belt on on the clutch end of the 2012 1L ecoboost
engine. 10 years or 150k miles = Cam belt = engine out and strip down
job = £1000+ = scrap car or just run it till the belt fails. So in 2 or
so years time this will be an issue and word will get around that 10/9/8
year old Ecoboost Fiesta's are worthless. It's going to wreck the resale
value of Ecoboost Fiesta and that's going to ripple back up the resale
chain to 3 year old cars. Then what are the fleet buyers gong to say?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Post by Peter Hill

Post by Dave Plowman (News)
Could she check if it has both a brake and clutch master cylinder?

Many cars now use the brake master cylinder reservoir to feed the clutch
master cylinder via a short tube.
The Corsa D master cylinder is under the dash. There is nothing much to
see in the engine bay other than 2 tubes to a bulkhead connector.

Quite - but presumably you can see both the cylinders if you look above
the pedals? Or is it boxed in?

[tony sayer]

Post by Peter Hill

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!
I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?

Could she check if it has both a brake and clutch master cylinder?

Many cars now use the brake master cylinder reservoir to feed the clutch
master cylinder via a short tube.
The Corsa D master cylinder is under the dash. There is nothing much to
see in the engine bay other than 2 tubes to a bulkhead connector.

<snipped a tad!>

It is Hydraulic and it seems that it may be the slave cylinder thats
inside the bell housing and as Peter says its clutch out etc.

Been quoted by a local small garage we use as 3 to 400 quid!

Saw late last night a vid on Youtube bloke there specialises in them and
it takes around an hour to do mind you he has everything to hand inc
some power drivers that just whip the bolts and screws etc apart!

And yes it does have a combined cylinder. It seems earlier ones did have
cable operated clutches..


Interesting on what you say re EV's suppose the battery's going to be
the main concern but i bet someone will say;

You need a new charge/ motor management system module guv!, best price
will be around £1000 odd;!!..


Offside front motor will be £???, anyone's guess i suppose?..

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Post by tony sayer
Saw late last night a vid on Youtube bloke there specialises in them and
it takes around an hour to do mind you he has everything to hand inc
some power drivers that just whip the bolts and screws etc apart!

You might check with a clutch place like Mr Clutch - if they still exist.
But first check it's not the master cylinder. Or simply low in fluid.

[Fredxx]

Post by tony sayer

Post by Peter Hill

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!
I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?

Could she check if it has both a brake and clutch master cylinder?

Many cars now use the brake master cylinder reservoir to feed the clutch
master cylinder via a short tube.
The Corsa D master cylinder is under the dash. There is nothing much to
see in the engine bay other than 2 tubes to a bulkhead connector.

<snipped a tad!>
It is Hydraulic and it seems that it may be the slave cylinder thats
inside the bell housing and as Peter says its clutch out etc.

My limited experience of this type of slave cylinder is the pedal starts
to sink and there's wet patch under the bell housing.

If there is literally no clutch, the fluid level stays high and there is
no leak I would first suspect the master cylinder before any major
dismantling.

[tony sayer]

In article <rkba7a$mm5$***@dont-email.me>, Fredxx <***@nospam.com>
scribeth thus

Post by Fredxx

Post by tony sayer

Post by Peter Hill

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
Hi .. trying to remotely diagnose a clutch problem on daughters Corsa D
2009 car seems all was well driving normally then the clutch stopped
working very abruptly!
I'd have thought it was a clutch cable become broken but it seems it
might be nasty with a slave cylinder that apparently costs a fortune to
fix!, so anyone know if a model of that year was cable or hydraulic
operated?

Could she check if it has both a brake and clutch master cylinder?

Many cars now use the brake master cylinder reservoir to feed the clutch
master cylinder via a short tube.
The Corsa D master cylinder is under the dash. There is nothing much to
see in the engine bay other than 2 tubes to a bulkhead connector.

<snipped a tad!>
It is Hydraulic and it seems that it may be the slave cylinder thats
inside the bell housing and as Peter says its clutch out etc.

My limited experience of this type of slave cylinder is the pedal starts
to sink and there's wet patch under the bell housing.
If there is literally no clutch, the fluid level stays high and there is
no leak I would first suspect the master cylinder before any major
dismantling.

All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Post by tony sayer
All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

If it is one of those where you have to remove the box to change, I'd have
fitted a new plate anyway. Given the cost of that against the labour.

[Fredxx]

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

If it is one of those where you have to remove the box to change, I'd have
fitted a new plate anyway. Given the cost of that against the labour.

Given the symptoms I would check the master cylinder isn't all nice and
shiny.

Perhaps I'm too cynical abut garages. There are very few I would trust.

[tony sayer]

In article <rkfroc$c4r$***@dont-email.me>, Fredxx <***@nospam.com>
scribeth thus

Post by Fredxx

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

If it is one of those where you have to remove the box to change, I'd have
fitted a new plate anyway. Given the cost of that against the labour.

Given the symptoms I would check the master cylinder isn't all nice and
shiny.
Perhaps I'm too cynical abut garages. There are very few I would trust.

The one in question is fine and inexpensive tho if you want a
complementary cuppa you have to make it yourself and one each for
them!....

[Fredxx]

Post by tony sayer
scribeth thus

Post by Fredxx

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

If it is one of those where you have to remove the box to change, I'd have
fitted a new plate anyway. Given the cost of that against the labour.

Given the symptoms I would check the master cylinder isn't all nice and
shiny.
Perhaps I'm too cynical abut garages. There are very few I would trust.

The one in question is fine and inexpensive tho if you want a
complementary cuppa you have to make it yourself and one each for
them!....

I might well be maligning them. But a quick check would go a long way to
continue to hold this garage in high esteem.

[tony sayer]

In article <rkimt4$bum$***@dont-email.me>, Fredxx <***@nospam.com>
scribeth thus

Post by Fredxx

Post by tony sayer
scribeth thus

Post by Fredxx

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

If it is one of those where you have to remove the box to change, I'd have
fitted a new plate anyway. Given the cost of that against the labour.

Given the symptoms I would check the master cylinder isn't all nice and
shiny.
Perhaps I'm too cynical abut garages. There are very few I would trust.

The one in question is fine and inexpensive tho if you want a
complementary cuppa you have to make it yourself and one each for
them!....

I might well be maligning them. But a quick check would go a long way to
continue to hold this garage in high esteem.

No their fine, been taking my car/s there for some 15 years now!..

Cheers...

[Fredxx]

Post by tony sayer
scribeth thus

Post by Fredxx

Post by tony sayer
scribeth thus

Post by Fredxx

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

If it is one of those where you have to remove the box to change, I'd have
fitted a new plate anyway. Given the cost of that against the labour.

Given the symptoms I would check the master cylinder isn't all nice and
shiny.
Perhaps I'm too cynical abut garages. There are very few I would trust.

The one in question is fine and inexpensive tho if you want a
complementary cuppa you have to make it yourself and one each for
them!....

I might well be maligning them. But a quick check would go a long way to
continue to hold this garage in high esteem.

No their fine, been taking my car/s there for some 15 years now!..

I recall replacing brake shoes on a relative's car. It was for a Ford
Escort Mk3/4. The rear shoes were designed to be different thicknesses
as the wear rate for leading and trailing shoes would be different.

2 months later they had it serviced with an MOT. Guess what they changed?

The garage owner had taken on a second mechanic. When he got the new
shoes the lack of wear would have been apparent, but still he changed
them and charged full wack for the privilege. This is after my relative
had been a patron of this garage for many years.

[tony sayer]

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by tony sayer
All done now that was the slave cylinder fortunately it didn't damage
the clutch plate with fluid so we've decided to just change the cylinder
and seems fine.

If it is one of those where you have to remove the box to change, I'd have
fitted a new plate anyway. Given the cost of that against the labour.

Yes point taken but from what they could see of it all looked fine.
Its not intended to keep that car for much longer so seems a valid
risk.....