Drive a Mondeo, so easy on fuel!

[Johnny Walker]

I have been plauged with my car since the day I bought it and it has cost me a small fortune to keep it running.

 

The latest is I had a new Clutch kit, Flywheel and hydraulic release fitted about 4 months ago at a cost of £1,000. The parts were all genuine Ford parts bought from the local Ford dealer. My local garage fitted the parts and not the Ford Dealer as it would be even more expensive.

 

Two weeks ago, I went to put the car in gear and it wouldn't work. To cut the long (expensive!) story short, it turns out that the clutch kit is faulty and not doing what its supposed to do.

 

Where do I stand now, can I take the car into Ford now and ask them replace the faulty parts as it is a big job to change the clutch and I have already paid for it to be done once? I don't want to have to pay for it twice because of the faulty goods supplied.

 

Any assistance is appreciated

[Hammy1962]

Hi Johnny

 

What is wrong with the car, does it drive or is it difficult to select gears. Why was the long story expensive and does this have any bearing on the clutch problem (no pun intended ).

 

Has someone diagnosed a traceable fault to one of the components of the Ford kit, supplied but fitted by another garage? Did they tell you the bit that it dosn't do? Maybe, and this is only an opinion, the problems wouln't be there if it was fitted correctly in the first place.

 

Ford is a manufacturer of cars. A Ford Dealer will replace the faulty parts if they can accuratly diagnose the problem and trace said problem to one of clutch parts, you will need a copy of the invoice for the clutch kit and related parts.

 

Be careful however, if problem is caused by incorrect fitting of clutch or related parts you will end up with an invoice for the repair, however genuine the parts were!

 

I'll help as much as I can on here as long as the post dosn't take a silly turn like some other recent ones.

 

Hammy

[midas..not]

it turns out that the clutch kit is faulty and not doing what its supposed to do.

 

did the mechanic who fit the clutch tell you this from his own diagnosis (it could be a bad workman blaming his tools so to speak) or is there a general problem with that type of clutch that he knows about?

 

What did the mechanic advise you to do next?

 

It might be an idea to ring the Ford Dealer quoting the part number to see if there has been a general problem. (and maybe other suppliers)

[Conniff]

You should always give the garage that did the original repair the first chance at rectification, he can get a reimbursement from Ford if the clutch proves to be faulty.

If you get the dealer to do it and there is no fault then you will have to fork out for it and will be very unlikely to get any recompense from your local garage.

[LancerQRL]

parts should be under ford warrenty, your garage should be the ones to sort it out as they purchased the parts

[Hammy1962]

A minor point but, we need to seperate Ford and a Ford Dealer. The non-Ford Dealer can get re-imbersement from the Ford Dealer who supplied the parts, the Ford Dealer in turn, can then claim the cost from Ford.

[Johnny Walker]

Hmmm Thanks for your advise on this so far...

 

The problem with the car is sometimes it will drive perfectly for a day or two and then all of a sudden it just won't go into gear. If you start the car with the clutch depressed, you can drive it but the clutch is not completely disengaging from the flywheel when you try to change gears. So its almost like driving the car with no clutch at all. Then the next day the car is perfect again.

 

I have had second, third and fourth opinions from different mechanics and the all say that it sounds very like the pressure plate is faulty. This can happen but not very often.

 

The mechanic who fitted the part is very reluctant to take the transmission apart again because he is not sure what the problem is and he says he has fitted lots of clutches and never heard of this problem before.

 

I will call Ford when they open again after the Christmas break and see what they say.

 

Thanks for your replies and Happy Christmas to you all.

[Hammy1962]

Well, if you want a fifth opinion, just to muddy the waters a bit more, it sounds like the hydraulics to me, could be the master or slave cylinder. The pressure plate is completley mechanical in operation, it doesn't really have intermitantant faults, either works or it doesn't. The Master cylinder can be changed without removing the gearbox, the slave cylinder needs the box out.

 

Hammy

[Johnny Walker]

Thanks Hammy but the waters are clear! I have replaced the slave cylinder and the master cylinder too. It has been bled and bled several times. I have been driving the car since Friday and it has been running perfectly (Sunday now) and went down to the shop this morning .. no problems ... got back in and ..... won't go into gear!

 

I personally think in the back of my mind that it is a hydraulic problem, like trapped air but everyone else says its a faulty pressure plate. I have really had enough of this car now ....

[Johnny Walker]

Just to add.... If the pressure plate was faulty, does it fix itself for a couple of days and then break again? This problem has been on going now for about 3 weeks. Its perfect for a couple of days and then it stops again.

 

Like you say.. mechanical things don't repair themselves for a few days and then break again !

[Hammy1962]

What about the gear linkage cables have they been adjusted. When it won't go into gear, does it feel like you are not pressing the clutch, ie does it feel like it's hitting the baulk rings and not engaging gear or is it actually difficult because the gear linkage is faulty or worn or not adjusted.

 

When it won't engage gear does it engage gears when the engine is off?

 

When it won't engage next time, try starting the car with your foot on the clutch with it in gear and see if it moves forward, don't let antone stand in front!

 

Lastly is it just 1st it won't select or is it diffivult to get all the gears. Can you change up and down whilst you are driving.

 

What engine do you have and is it 5 or 6 speed?

 

Hammy

 

Shame i can't feel it myself!

[Justforfun]

What about the gear linkage cables have they been adjusted. When it won't go into gear, does it feel like you are not pressing the clutch, ie does it feel like it's hitting the baulk rings and not engaging gear or is it actually difficult because the gear linkage is faulty or worn or not adjusted.

 

When it won't engage gear does it engage gears when the engine is off?

 

When it won't engage next time, try starting the car with your foot on the clutch with it in gear and see if it moves forward, don't let antone stand in front!

 

Lastly is it just 1st it won't select or is it diffivult to get all the gears. Can you change up and down whilst you are driving.

 

What engine do you have and is it 5 or 6 speed?

 

Hammy

 

Shame i can't feel it myself!

 

I agree with Hammy,vauxhall astra's also did the same, they had a linkage bar which the bolt would come loose on followed by loss of gears.