Xantia clutch dilemma

Great when it works · Post by **Great when it works** » 11 Nov 2004, 22:53

I've got a Xantia 1.9TD first registered May 1997 (pre-facelift). I bought the car 4 years ago at 44,000 miles. The clutch pedal biting point was very close to the top of the pedal travel (my wife hates it - she has to lift her heel off the floor when pulling away). The car has now done 145,000 miles but the biting point is about the same. However, the clutch has always intermittently been a bit juddery when pulling away at about 1200/1300 rpm. Pulling away gently at tickover or at higher revs is smooth.
This seems to have been getting worse recently, in that the juddering isn't intermittent - it always does it at 1200/1300 rpm. Still fine with a bit more revs though.
One more thing that's worth mentioning: the car was serviced about 25,000 miles (1 year ago), when I got it back the clutch was slipping slightly at full throttle in high gear. I took it back to the garage who 'tested' it and told me it needed a new clutch. I decided not to go ahead, but when I picked the car up found the clutch wasn't slipping any more! The car stank of burning clutch, so I suspect they had spilt some diesel on the bell housing during the service and had been attempting to burn it off by slipping the clutch, and had actually succeeded without realising it.
Now the dilemma:
The car is due for a cambelt change (I do them every 50,000 miles) in a month or so and could also probably do with some new spheres. I'm reluctant to go to that expense if the clutch is on the way out - it seems better to me to do nothing and wait for the cambelt or clutch to break, then scrap it and get another cheap one.
My driving is almost exclusively a 100 mile round trip to work five days a week mainly on quiet 'A' roads, so the clutch doesn't get too much of a hammering. I occasionally tow a trailer or caravan.
Bearing in mind that the car is worth £230 according to Parkers after adjustment for mileage, what would you do?

AndyP · Post by **AndyP** » 11 Nov 2004, 23:17

Blimey, I'd say it's worth a bit more than that. Check what they're going for on eBay !

monkeyman · Post by **monkeyman** » 11 Nov 2004, 23:31

Is the clutch heavy? If it is i would sort that first, u don't want the clip to break!

nick · Post by **nick** » 11 Nov 2004, 23:42

I get the impression that high mileage doesn't reduce the value of Xantia TDs that much - everyone seems to expect them to have at least 100k on the clock, anything lower can arouse suspicion if it isn't backed up with paperwork.
Parkers values can also be way off the mark with older cars in general.

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 12 Nov 2004, 00:18

I can't see your dilemma. A new cambelt - less than 15quid plus 3 to 4 hours work. New spheres, even all round, only £120. Less than £150 on a car that you know inside out from when it had 44K on the clock. I would say - keep it, do the work and have a new clutch when it's time.

Robin · Post by **Robin** » 12 Nov 2004, 00:29

Go with John D and do the work. Change the clutch cable to be sure of prolonging the clip life. I have had my 98 Xant TD since new and tow a heavy trailer. It's got 127k on the clock and the clutch so far is fine. As for value, anything from 800 to 1800 around here in good shape.
I changed the self adjusting clutch cable for the basic one and this is so much smoother and allows you to adjust the bite position to suit yourself. Took less than an hour.
Work on it and keep it!

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 12 Nov 2004, 00:29

Also, extend the life of the clutch by changing gear without using it. Once you learn the art, you'll make the smoothest changes ever!!

Great when it works · Post by **Great when it works** » 12 Nov 2004, 03:47

Thanks for the responses. I didn't mean to give the impression that I would change the cambelt (or clutch) myself - too risky, when I break the car I have to hire one to get to work.
Does anyone have any thoughts on or experience of a clutch that has juddered for about 75,000 miles? There's no release bearing noise, and while is is fairly heavy it's always been like that.
Is the clutch clip a similar sort of arrangement to the stupid piece of plastic that sometimes went several days without breaking on the 405 I used to have?

mseymour · Post by **mseymour** » 12 Nov 2004, 16:33

Is the juddering more likely to be a weak engine mount? My td has always been a bit juddery over the 40,000 miles I've run it. A new clutch didn't really make any difference, the old one was replaced because it got too heavy, which is the usual complaint.
Does the car shake quite a bit when idling?

Great when it works · Post by **Great when it works** » 12 Nov 2004, 22:16

I hadn't thought about the engine mounts, that might be worth checking out. It doesn't shake at idle but the idle speed is too high at about 1000/1050 rpm which I think would probably prevent it.

JohnCKL · Post by **JohnCKL** » 13 Nov 2004, 07:19

Slipping clutch can be adjusted by turning the screws at the end of the clutch cable under the airbox. Adjusting that way also may lower or raise the clutch lever. Lubricate cable if clutch heavy. Undo cable, hang it up under bonnet, use a plastic bag as funnel, tie it just below the cable opening, put some oil and grease into the bag and leave overnight for the oil to drip down into clutch cable.