BAD clutch vibration...never got off the lot

[YenSid]

A sad story.

So I got the call today to go pick up my DSG ’03. The guy above me dropped off the list, so I got the call a month before I expected it. I go down to the dealer and all the paperwork goes like clockwork. I’m waiting on the car to be prepped so we can take it for a shakedown run, when my sales associate comes and tells me they have a problem. When he was pulling the car around he noticed that the clutch was vibrating. I get in the car and check it, and sure enough the clutch and the whole car shakes when it’s in first or reverse. Second through sixth are fine. After much talking and assurances from the service manager that they would get on it immediately, I got in my loaner car and left.

The car only has 6 miles on it, and was no undue wear on the back tires, so I doubt it’s been misused.

I vaguely remember reading about someone else that had this problem, but I can’t find it using the search engine. Any ideas?

I am SEVERLY bummed. I traded in my ’98 Cobra, so I don’t have my old car, and I don’t have a new Cobra.

They are supposed to get back to me tomorrow morning with what the problem was, but I am having serious doubts about taking the car. I guess I’ll wait and see what the diagnosis is before I decide.

Yen
<cpl>

 

[dianes03pony]

Man, that is sad. I hope I don't run into any of these problems when mine finally arrives. Good luck and keep us posted on what happens!

 

[92LX5.0]

sorry to hear that YenSid, but didnt you already pay for the car?
you may not have much of a choice.

 

[T3 Cobra]

Good Lord,

Hope it works out okay!

 

[kom]

I don't know about Texas but here in NJ you can back out of the deal within 3 days. After that its yours for good. I would say if they can't fix it within 2 days back out if you can. A guy on Stangnet.com didn't back when he had the chance and he had a nightmare.. read it here: http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=172947

 

[YenSid]

Does anyone have any speculation as to what the problem is? I mean, SVT tests the cars before they leave the favtory, right? So something had to happen in transit. And with only 6 miles on the car, I'm not sure what to think.

Yen
<cpl>

 

[demann]

I just got my Cobra last week. I may have a less serious version of this problem.

When I let out the clutch to go from a standing start, I feel a slight vibration or shudder. But it is gone as soon as the clutch is all the way out. I can only feel it while the clutch is slipping as I am letting it out. It is not there with the clutch all the way in. And it is not there with the clutch all the way out.

Is this what you are experiencing? Or is this a semi-normal condition that will go away after the clutch wears some more? Has anyone else felt this minor vibration with the clutch partially engaged?

 

[YenSid]

demann,

That could be it, but I didn't drive it enough to tell for sure. Do you get the same problem when engaging the clutch in reverse?

Anyway, on my car is was pretty damn severe. No doubt about it, it felt BROKE.

Yen
<cpl>

 

[demann]

YenSid,

You know what, I can't remember about reverse. I'll check it out when I drive home from work tonight. I'll post if it has the shudder in reverse or not after I get home. It is so minor, that I just can't remember if it does it in reverse.

 

[Cobra'03]

Originally posted by demann
I just got my Cobra last week. I may have a less serious version of this problem.

When I let out the clutch to go from a standing start, I feel a slight vibration or shudder. But it is gone as soon as the clutch is all the way out. I can only feel it while the clutch is slipping as I am letting it out. It is not there with the clutch all the way in. And it is not there with the clutch all the way out.

Is this what you are experiencing? Or is this a semi-normal condition that will go away after the clutch wears some more? Has anyone else felt this minor vibration with the clutch partially engaged?

Demann - your symptom screams hotspotted clutch to me, which can occur from someone over slipping the clutch and overheating it on a "green" clutch - this can leave deposits (hot spots) on the clutch in the same way that overheating new brake pads can from outgassing of fresh volatiles.
My NSX had this problem - likely from an idiot slipping the clutch during truck load/unload. Acura replaced the clutch ($3000) but the engineers called me directly, and told me the procedure to seat the clutch, which they wanted me to do instead of the dealer - I did it, and have had no further problems.

 

[highmiles]

!

 

[demann]

Thanks Cobra'03,

I will have it checked out ASAP. This will be a first test of my new dealers service dept. quality and customer satisfaction levels. I've already forwared this post to my sales guy to get the ball rolling.

demann

 

[03DOHC]

Originally posted by Cobra'03

Demann - your symptom screams hotspotted clutch to me, which can occur from someone over slipping the clutch

Exactly.

 

[cubes]

Originally posted by kom
I don't know about Texas but here in NJ you can back out of the deal within 3 days. After that its yours for good.

I never heard of this.^^^
Where can I read about it?

 

[Black2003Cobra]

My car exhibited this problem when I got it. It would shudder a little bit when engaging in 1st, but I attributed that to the gearing. The bigger problem occured after pushing the car hard, afterwhich the clutch pedal would vibrate pretty bad when pushing the pedal in and out in ANY gear. Now, after 1400 miles, the bad vibration problem has gone away. In fact, when out on a test drive to show the problem to the tech, it just wouldn't do it. So perhaps these hot spots will go away after a few miles. But this is not to say you shouldn't get it fixed before buying it.

 

[Blue03Cobra]

Originally posted by demann
When I let out the clutch to go from a standing start, I feel a slight vibration or shudder. But it is gone as soon as the clutch is all the way out. I can only feel it while the clutch is slipping as I am letting it out. It is not there with the clutch all the way in. And it is not there with the clutch all the way out.

That describes my car, perfectly. It is a little more apparent when slowly climbing an incline, like my driveway, and virtually goes away with a little rev. There is NO shudder in Reverse, I'd be concerned if there were. My car had the nubbies on the back tires, so I think we can rule out glazed clutch, from that. I guess if they revved and revved and slipped and slipped, it's possible...

I did a side-by-side with my wife's Infiniti (5-speed) and her car has the same slight shudder, but to a lesser degree (and her first gear doesn't make much noise). I only have 500 miles and I agree that the tranny/clutch need a couple of thousand miles to get settled. What makes it more noticeable is the "rock crusher" noisy first gear and the quiet exhaust allows you to hear everything. Yes my car as the "usual" clunks and thumps that my '98 had as well, you just didn't notice them in the '98 because of the Flowmasters :-D

Before anyone leaves their car at a dealer to "look at", try to hook up with another one of your Cobra brothers and do a side-by-side comparo. I could definitely understand that someone who traded their Lexus coupe (with a manual) for this car would think the transmission was about to explode...:-D

 

[YenSid]

Update on clutch problem

This is an update on my on-going clutch problem.

Well, I got a call this morning from the sales associate who sold me the car. He asked me if I wanted to go talk directly to the guy working on my car. I went down at lunch time, and there was my car, up on the rack, with the trannie on the ground. My car that I have never driven.

To make a long story short, the mechanic told me it looked like the clutch plate was out of alignment because only half of it was hotspotted. As soon as he found the problem he ordered a whole new clutch assembly. It will show up tomorrow. He also said that everything else looked solid. He seemed pretty honest, and told me that replacing the clutch assembly should fix it, but we’d have to wait and see.

Currently, I’m thinking that if replacing the clutch assembly fixes the problem, I’m taking the car. If it doesn’t, I’m not. Because at that point they are guessing.

I have to say, everyone at the dealership has been really cool about the situation. They are making the best of a bad situation that they didn’t create. But I’m not going to take delivery on a can of problems.

Anyway, that’s where I’m at. I’ll post an update when I get more info tomorrow. With any luck, I’ll be actually DRIVING THE CAR.

Yen
<cpl>

 

[i8u]

Glad to hear they are tahing care of it. Good luck.:beer:

 

[RED '03]

Mine had a moderate clutch shudder new but it gradually went away as I accumulated mileage. With 600 city miles no more shudder and smooth.

 

[Black2003Cobra]

Yup. I'm convinced I had a glazed clutch plate as I had the same symptoms as previously mentioned. After some miles I think the hot spots will go away. (Someone can correct me if that's not possible.) What I don't understand is how this could throw your clutch plate out of alignment. Since the splined input shaft of the transmission goes right through the middle of it, I don't see how there's any way for it to get misaligned! YenSid - ask your tech how this is possible.