Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo

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Tue 20 Jun 2006 13:43
Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo - andyfordescort
Hi all, i have recently bought a 2002 berlingo van with 20k on the clock at auction and i'm wondering wether the clutch needs replacing??
It bites very high but the gear change is fine and there is no slipping, how can you tell if the clucth is on its last legs?
A new clutch is around 350 quid so i'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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Tue 20 Jun 2006 19:47
Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo - PhilW
"It bites very high but the gear change is fine and there is no slipping"

Why do you think it is going? Sounds like, at the worst, it just needs adjusting.
Maybe the "high bite" is just because it is new and different from your previous car/van?
--
Phil
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Tue 20 Jun 2006 20:38
Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo - andyfordescort
I always tend to think the worst but maybe it is only adjustment?
Any one no if it has a self adjusting clutch or is it possible to manually adjust (old peugeot i owned had manual adjustment)
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Tue 20 Jun 2006 20:47
Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo - stuartl
I had a Xantia with a very high bite on the clutch and was told (rightly or wrongly ?!?) that Citroens often were like this. At 20000 miles it certainly must have had a constantly heavy left foot to need a new clutch. I've had cars go 150000 on one clutch! (Mind you, that was maybe as a result of not letting the missus drive.... : o ) )
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Tue 20 Jun 2006 21:04
Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo - PhilW
andyford,
I'm far from being an expert, though I do have a Berlingo Multispace.
I presume that you mean that "high bite" means the clutch only engages when pedal is near top of travel. This also means that the clutch disengages when near top of travel. When my Berlingo had its 36k service the clutch bite was much higher - they had adjusted it. In my (very 'umble) opinion, the time to worry is when you press the pedal to the floor and it doesn't disengage and you crunch the gears......but I might be wrong.
On my old BX, which did 140k on original clutch I adjusted it several times (as the cable stretched) to make the bite higher, when I couldn't adjust it further I got a new cable (the old one was down to about 3 threads of steel and about to break!)
There are ways of checking pedal/cable adjustment by measuring the pedal travel, I have them for BX and Xantia but not Berlingo.
If you are still worried, try a question on
www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/
otherwise I would just drive your new van, after all, there are no other indications of clutch wear.
Regards

--
Phil
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Tue 20 Jun 2006 21:10
Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo - andyfordescort
I think i will live with it and see if it gets worse, i'm guessing it will be a gradual thing ? that way i can pay for the clutch when i have more funds available.
I will be clocking appx 600 miles a week and really dont want it off the road unexpectedly if i can help it.
Apart from the clutch its an excellent little van not what i went out intentionaly to buy but i am surprised by the ride etc and 50 pounds seems to be getting me appx 400 miles of motoring which i think is good.
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Tue 20 Jun 2006 21:14
Is my clutch on the way out? Berlingo - Bromptonaut
Bite on our Multispace is also pretty high. Clutch on diesel BX and Pug 205, the latter an ex driving school car, all lasted well over 80k miles. Tend to get very heavy as failure approaches. Agree with others that a check for cable adjustment might be advisable.
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