My Dad's 9 year old, 80 odd thousand mile Tiguan 2.0 TDI went in for a service today. He's on some pay monthly service plan with the local VW dealer.
I've not got the details yet, but they're saying it needs a new clutch. Don't know what's making them suggest this, as there's no clutch slip or strange 'DMF living on borrowed time' noises and there are no shudders, aside from a very slight judder when pulling away first thing in the morning in winter. They've quoted something exorbitant to fit a new clutch and DMF, bit also say that when they've by said the same to other Tiguan owners, the owner has refused their kind offer and often managed another 10k-20k before needing a new clutch!!
He only does about 5k miles each year in it (generally longer runs so no DPF worries) and about 50% of that is towing a 2 berth caravan.
Given that there are no signs of impending clutch failure (no sign of slipping, even when towing), I reckon I'd leave well alone and keep a watching brief/consider chopping it in over the next year.
What are the chances of the clutch failing without warning, rather than starting to slip and giving some clear signs that it's giving up the ghost?
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 6 Jun 18 at 02:13
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>>What are the chances of the clutch failing without warning
Pretty close to nil.
Best use an automatic for towing (tho maybe not a dual clutch?) as pulling a trailer stresses the DMF particularly if the old boy pulls off at low rpm.
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>> Best use an automatic for towing (tho maybe not a dual clutch?) as pulling a
>> trailer stresses the DMF particularly if the old boy pulls off at low rpm.
It's the reversing that does them in, especially if uphill, because the gear is never low enough to get the clutch fully engaged so it slipping continuously while transferring power.
And I don't know what the VWs are like, but the manual diesel CRV and Outlander I had both had too much torque for their clutches, which both started to slip when they polished up a bit. Neither was anywhere near worn out.
I agree a proper auto is almost infinitely better for towing.
And no, I wouldn't replace it prophylactically unless I was about to embark on an overland adventure across Africa or similar.
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If there are no symptoms, I would leave well alone.
When it does come to it, don't use a main dealer for a job like this. I remember when the clutch and DMF needed to be changed on our mk4 Golf TDi, VW wanted a whisker over £800 just for the parts. The same Sachs (VW OE) kit from ECP was £350 at the time with a voucher code. I bought the bits, and a VW tech mate fitted them for me. Even if you pay a good indie to supply and fit, I reckon you'll save 50% on the dealer quote.
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>> ... as pulling a
>> trailer stresses the DMF particularly if the old boy pulls off at low rpm.
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Would you expand on that please? My Citroen C8 has been treated like that for all of its 107K miles. Towing or solo, get rolling on tickover and then add throttle when the clutch is engaged.
I thought it was revs and heat from clutch slipping that killed DMFs.
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>>I thought it was revs and heat from clutch slipping that killed DMFs
Massive heat can damage the moving components of a DMF but low revs are prone to causing greater vibration in the mechanism. Heat is worse for the friction linings of the clutch/face of the flywheel itself.
Smooth use of the clutch mitigates this, rather than being quick to get off the clutch and lugging away from low (<2000) rpm.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnaXB8q3uzQ
Around 2:00 or so on the video you can see how the DMF works to absorb vibration - at low rpm/high load it shoogles more than once up to cruising speed.
Last edited by: Lygonos on Thu 7 Jun 18 at 11:55
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I’d echo everyone else; a clutch is unlikely to suddenly fail but just get progressively worse. If the deterioration accelerates then fair enough, but if it snot abused I don’t see why that would be th case.
Having said that, I have had one clutch fail on me, and that was on a Nissan Almera hire car. It gave up ghost doing a hill start; only in Reading, so not exactly the Pyrenees! But, I suspect as a hire car it’d had more than it’s share of abuse!
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Only time I ever had a clutch fail on me was in the Commer a year before we bought it from my wife's parents.
They had holidayed in Wales in it and had included a visit to a friend who lived halfway up the Blaenau Ffestiniog railway where it had struggled to get up the hill to the cottage.
We took it over and they came home in my car, we drove it round Wales and went to a wedding in Chester and when we were on the way home at the end of the week we had just left the severn bridge services going up the long draw on the M4 I was aware of a burning smell and going slower and slower despite the engine revs not dropping. Clutch burned itself out, so we took the Commer for its first trip on a Relay truck all the way back to Kent.
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Is the reason for suggested replacement stiff/heavy action?
Got similar recommendation on my Skoda Roomster at mileage in mid 70ks. Didn't bother and it's still going strong 20k later.
Don't forget there are other failure modes apart from slip where bits of release mechanism fail leading to either pedal on floor or inability to release.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 6 Jun 18 at 09:33
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Volkswagen Tiguan SUV - VW Tiguan clutch - to replace, or not to replace.. - Lygonos
