New Clutch?

[SJV]

Can someone please give me some advice. I have had my Toyota Rav 4 for 6 years now- in 2010 it had a new clutch and duel mass fly wheel. Unfortunately the clutch is slipping badly. Any ideas as to how long a new clutch etc should last and if it needs replacing does the fly wheel need replacing too. In 2010 it cost me £1300 and I am not really in a position to find this amount of money again. The car is a 53 plate. I will hasten to add that prior to the Rav I had a Toyota Yaris for 13 years and in all that time it had a new exhaust! Is there an issue with Rav's and clutches? THANK YOU for all help. Sarah

[Big Kev]

Can someone please give me some advice. I have had my Toyota Rav 4 for 6 years now- in 2010 it had a new clutch and duel mass fly wheel. Unfortunately the clutch is slipping badly. Any ideas as to how long a new clutch etc should last and if it needs replacing does the fly wheel need replacing too. In 2010 it cost me £1300 and I am not really in a position to find this amount of money again. The car is a 53 plate. I will hasten to add that prior to the Rav I had a Toyota Yaris for 13 years and in all that time it had a new exhaust! Is there an issue with Rav's and clutches? THANK YOU for all help. Sarah

Was the clutch done at a Toyota dealer, Sarah, and what mileage have you covered since it was done? To my great surprise, I learned on here that the blessed things can indeed fail twice. Your only recourse may be to fit a single mass flywheel this time round, considerably cheaper but still a sore bill, unless it was dealer fit and you can prove they made a bottom of it.....?

Besta Luck,

Big Kev

[SJV]

Thanks Kev, I have been to the garage today - they dont make a single mass flywheel for my model of rav - which is a nuisance. I have covered 52,000 miles in 3 years since the last one. Its going to cost £1500 !! Not the news I was anticipating. Thanks for your advice.

[redlew]

Have you been towing? My clutch went at 78K and I'm sure that it was the towing and in particular the reversing slightly uphill that cooked it. I had the DMF done at the same time "just in case" .

The other things that can wreck it are riding the clutch at an uphill junction rather than going into neutral.

The SMF/DMF debate is like marmite -you are on one side or the other. You can get smf kits -ebay has loads.

My view is that Mr T wouldn't fit DMFs if he could fit SMFs.

I'm afraid your dilmma is bite the bullet and pay or sell at a pittance.

[SJV]

Thanks for your comment. No I havent been towing and I love the car. Its frustrating - I am lucky enough to have passesd my 'advanced driving' test and really never ride the clutch...It must be a weakness perhaps on the rav's.? I did have the DMF done at the same time as the clutch in 2010 and the car at that time had done 52,000 then, now coincidentally have done another 52000 miles and another DMF and clutch is needed. I dont want to sell it - everthing else is fab. It also fits my irish wolfhound rather well too! Oh well, no holiday for me this year. Thanks for your help though. Its now booked in for a DMF and clutch next week.

[Big Kev]

Thanks Kev, I have been to the garage today - they dont make a single mass flywheel for my model of rav - which is a nuisance. I have covered 52,000 miles in 3 years since the last one. Its going to cost £1500 !! Not the news I was anticipating. Thanks for your advice.

So have they confirmed that the flywheel is indeed gubbered, Sarah.....? At the money you are quoting, they are obviously including a new flywheel, but please make sure one of our fairer sex members is not being taken for a neejit...!! Did you mention flywheel possibility to an independent, or are you dealing with a dear dealer....?

These flywheels have been known to go at less than your 52k in 3 years.....good grief, lassie.....dae ye work on Mars......? LOL.

Edit.....overlapped with above......

[Tech01]

Sarah,

Not sure what year your RAV is? Please let us know.

SMFs are available for most RAVs, from reputable manufacturers - eg ADL-Blueprint, and now Borg and Beck, and others too.

I have a 2003 D4D, and the original DMF went at 60,000km, and the (genuine and updated Toyota) replacement lasted just another 24,000km before it broke up, shredding the clutch plate.

Fitted a Blueprint SMF kit (single mass flywheel, including complete clutch) several years ago (RAV now has 162,000km), and all is perfect. Really good clutch action and control, which was never available with the original.

Many of us have fitted SMFs, and the conversion is widespread across many makes of vehicle. There have been no reports here of problems, and everyone who has corresponded after doing the conversion has been positive about it.

Price of an SMF 4-part kit is approx. €400. Fitting is about a 5-hour job for a good mechanic with a vehicle lift. Search "SMF" on this forum for lots of additional info.

If you've had a DMF problem twice, then it's definitely time to go SMF!!

Chris

[anchorman]

Thanks Kev, I have been to the garage today - they dont make a single mass flywheel for my model of rav - which is a nuisance. I have covered 52,000 miles in 3 years since the last one. Its going to cost £1500 !! Not the news I was anticipating. Thanks for your advice.

They do make a SMF for your model. I can assure you, I have fitted one and it has towed a caravan around Spain/Portugal for the last 3 years since doing it.

[SJV]

Oh thanks Don..the garage told me they dont make them for my model. i will query this on Monday.

Chris, I have a 53 plate rav-4 xt3 D-d4 est. 1995 cc

So what do you think I should do...I'm a little confused? I do appreciate this help,

Sarah

[anchorman]

There are loads like this on ebay;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-RAV4-D4D-SOLID-FLYWHEEL-CONVERSION-CLUTCH-KIT-NEW-BOXED-/300711203503

but you can get a pukka one like this for a bit more;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-RAV4-2-0-D-4D-FLYWHEEL-CLUTCH-KIT-BORG-BECK-2001-2006-CLA20-SMF-/400380970162?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5d3890c4b2

[CharlieFarlie]

Perhaps a main dealer would be reluctant to offer a SMF for your car ? If its an independent garage that has said this I would worry as they seem not to know what they are talking/advising about...

As for the life of the clutch there are many variables.. IE if a car does high motorway miles like my car used to do then far less wear would or should be evident as far far fewer gear changes are needed .. Conversely a town runabout especially with the traffic volumes we see today so sitting in traffic constantly moving forward and stop starting could wear a clutch in short time.

Your indication of driving experience should rule out bad habits that again can knacker a clutch in no time should rule out the usual high wear down to driver error....

[Tech01]

Hi Sarah,

There are budget SMF kits available, and there are kits from the major (branded) clutch and automotive manufacturers. You should go for the latter, hence the recommendation of Borg & Beck, and Blueprint.

(Valeo are a major and renowned clutch kit manufacturer, but do not offer an SMF conversion kit for Toyota in their range, we believe for "commercial" reasons. Don't ask.)

A Toyota main-dealer workshop will not get very interested in (or even know anything about) these conversion kits, but any good independent workshop will be able to get hold of one of these for you. INSIST on one of these brands (or something else you have confidence in), and do not accept anything plain-boxed or of unchecked origin. It is important that an engine flywheel and clutch are of the highest engineering quality and tolerances, and correctly balanced. Cheap makes may not meet this requirement.

Blueprint's part number for your 2003 D4D is ADT330206. This is the one I have fitted.

Chris

[SJV]

Don, and everyone else who has commented....THANK YOU ALL so much.

I have ordered a Borg and Beck kit which will be fitted by the garage and has saved me quite a lot of money - car should be ready in 3 days.

Really appreciate this site - its helped me lots.

Sarah

[Pogle]

I had a Borg and Beck SMF and clutch fitted 2 years ago when the original DMF went. All been fine since. Wise choice to go with one of the recognised brands I think.