Anyone any idea

BrianM · Post by **BrianM** » 04 Jul 2006, 13:16

Looking at a 95 Xantia TD, ( as a donor car - for engine and gearbox for 93 TD SX ) that the clutch has gone in.
Current owner says he heard ping when clutching and then smoke from under the bonnet - stop lights came on and he stopped and disconnected the battery. He also says that the starter is now burned out. No sign of scorching etc around the engine bay. Has anyone any experience of what may have happened ? Would be buying on an as seen basis - so itsenough to have one non runner around without having two !

Brian
97 Xantia TD
93 Xantia TD ( RIP )

Post by **Peter.N.** » 04 Jul 2006, 17:13

It sounds as though a short in the starter circuit has burnt out the earth connections between the engine and chassis, one of those could be the clutch cable, although I thought they were insulated at the ends, but that would account for the lack of clutch. A nice easy job if it is, apart from connecting it to the pedal

BrianM · Post by **BrianM** » 05 Jul 2006, 09:05

Clutch cable is intact, and presure on it, must be the clutch plate the problem is with
Might be worth the risk

Brian

sub42 · Post by **sub42** » 05 Jul 2006, 09:49

Sounds like an earth strap failing to me too. Going back a bit, I have seen a two week old Cavalier do exactly that. The earth strap was loose, and on operarting the starter motor the customer watched smoke rise from under the bonnet! It went back to the tech center at Luton, and it was found that the engine tried to find an earth any way it could. Net result, new car for customer, and complete re-loom and off to network-Q for the duffer!

Post by **Peter.N.** » 05 Jul 2006, 10:12

In what way has the clutch 'gone'?

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 05 Jul 2006, 14:13

What peter is saying is that the clutch cable may have been subject to electric overload and welded the inner cable to the outer.

If the earth fails the electric current will try and find another route. As the starter current is so large (peaks at 450 amps and runs at 100) it can generate a considerable amount of heat very rapidly (Arc welding runs at 80 - 120 amps) and so all manner of things that conduct to some extent can become earths and get the treatment. Its not uncommon for the inner clutch cable to weld itself to the outer especially if the outer makes good contact with the bodywork at one end and the inner with the engine at the other.

BrianM · Post by **BrianM** » 05 Jul 2006, 16:45

From the sellers description to me all I can assume is that that the clutch plate itself has disintegrated in some form or another. He said that for a few clutch operations before hand he could hear a pinging sound and then the failure. He told me the same happened a few months back and he put in a second hand clutch ( whether this included pressure plate or not I do not know). As I said there is still pressure on the pedal so the release bearing has not come through the pressure plate. He has said the same happened a mates C5 !

Brian