As there was talk about caravans and I'm not a motor head like some of you, can I pick your brains.
The other day going on hols with the caravan, the main road was closed due to accident (A29 Bury Hill). Diversion sent me down the narrowest of country roads with passing places.
Loads of traffic, unsurprisingly, trying to go both directions and making the most of passing places.
It was the thing of nightmares when towing a caravan. I did have a moment of pity towards the guy in the shiny new Bentley coming the opposite way, and wished him well for a scratch-free journey.
I managed to get to the end without a scratch, thankfully. However, at the end there was an incline and the road was covered in loose chippings. Cars still piled up in the opposite direction leaving very little space to get through.
The poor car didn't like the hill start, with lots of wheel spin and within seconds of clutch slippage, loads of smoke out of the bonnet from the burning clutch, and the signature fishy smell. The clutch then wouldn't even engage. Presumably some hydraulics have had enough.
All passengers decamped, and left it a moment to cool down.
I then managed to get it up the hill to the top without further clutch frying, having enough space to make it through.
Since then the clutch has seemed to be ok, but I rather feel sorry for the poor car.
Is there anything I should check or do as a result of this?
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If it's driving/changing gears fine now the clutch has cooled down you've likely only smoked 10k miles of life out of the clutch.
My mate knackered his flywheel (dual mass type) pulling a neighbour out of the snow - no good deed goes unpunished.
If there is any notchiness or funny noises on starting get a new car (especially if you plan on towing more!)
Last edited by: Lygonos on Mon 22 Aug 22 at 11:26
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I had a similar experience when there was a jam on the hill up out of Kendal. Not quite to the point of visible smoke.
Manual cars are not good for hill starts with caravans, and hopeless for reversing uphill.
I had to do some very protracted manoeuvring with a trailer a couple of weeks ago, that simply could not have been done with a manual car without clutch burning unless it had low range. With the (proper) automatic Outlander it was a joy.
Probably nothing you can do. It might well be OK.
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 22 Aug 22 at 11:57
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You haven't mentioned the make and type of your car or the gross weight of your caravan.
Due to age and infirmity I have given up caravanning but I have never experienced this, even when towing in Austria.
It seems to me that your car is not suitable for towing a heavy caravan.
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>> You haven't mentioned the make and type of your car or the gross weight of
>> your caravan.
Assume from the thread heading that the car's a Skoda Octavia II. Would be useful to know the engine details. kerbweight and the gross weight of the 'van.
Also how many pax in the car and whether children or adults.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 22 Aug 22 at 12:18
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2L diesel estate, 4 adult pax and caravan 1.4T - so it's quite heavily loaded. They all got out to get up the hill.
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>> 2L diesel estate, 4 adult pax and caravan 1.4T - so it's quite heavily loaded.
>> They all got out to get up the hill.
What's the cars kerbweight
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Occasionally get a chirrup of wheelspin from the Berlingo when towing. The local bridge that replaced Banbury Lane Level Crossing and goes over the West Coast Main Line and the Grand Union Canal is a favourite. Presumably with the intention of preventing it becoming a rat run it was set up as single alternate working with traffic lights. It's moving away from the lights that creates the chirrup.
Few other problems, even on some fairly minor roads to/from the campsite in the Auvergne during our French trip.
Is it possible to bleed the Octavia's clutch hydraulics?
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As the doc says, if everything else feels and works fine now its cooled down, you have only shaved a chunk of life* out of the clutch. The issues you had after you cooked the clutch were because you had glazed the friction surfaces, the subsequent clutch use when cold has taken the glaze away.
*who knows how much life has been taken out, Docs never give you a life expectancy.
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With a TC auto, Auto hill hold, 4wd and 340 HP, towing with the beemer is a breeze.
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…and it’s kind of beige and you wear Crocs.
Full package really.
;-)
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Back in my caravan days and using manual Sorrento and Sante Fes. All AWD (when conditions dictated kicking the rear wheels into driving). I found any form of maneuvering backwards on lock soon had the clutch smelling. So the aim was to get a straight reverse to minimise clutch abuse.
Kia and Hyundais seem too suffer more than their fair share of clutch issues and seem to be borderline as regards durability and longevity.
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I get the same smoke & smell when putting my car up on ramps every year when I service it. I suspect you experienced the equivalent of 'brake fade'. Clutches and brakes are made from very similar materials, I suppose.
Hopefully you'll get away with it, although you'll worry for months.
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>> …and it’s kind of beige and you wear Crocs.
>> Full package really.
>> ;-)
you can drive in Crocs you know.
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Rest assured, I shall never feel any need or have the slightest occasion to test that theory.
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...is that "well, you can drive in Crocs, but....." ?
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Skoda Octavia II - Caravans and clutches - Lygonos
