Anyone had a squeak from the clutch mechanism?

[olddriver]

I noticed a very low level squeak when depressing the clutch pedal, but no noise on the upstroke: it was a bit like the low level tweet of a bird.  It gradually became more noticeable over about 10 miles in town with loads of clutch movements.  It appears to be coming from within the car, so when it is dry I will apply some penetrating oil to the mechanism in the car cabin.  I just wondered if anyone had a similar problem and if it was the mechanism in the car rather than within the engine.  Note, the clutch has done about 100,000 miles.  I posted this question because if it means renewing the clutch, then the cost probably means buying a new car.

 

Note, Spent ~£300 on brake pipes for this years MOT, ~ £400 for front shocks last MOT, there is a leak from rear shocks that has been there for 4 years so they may get me a failure soon.  I have previously fitted new discs and shoes, so they should be OK for a while.  Engine has done almost 140,000 miles but I have always changed the oil and filter almost every 4,500 miles.

[mickburkesnr]

I've an identical car to you, same year etc, I do get a squeak on the clutch when I press the pedal down. The pedal also moves side to side like it's a bit loose, so I put down the squeak to a pedal noise more than something wrong with the clutch. Mine isn't slipping or anything like that.

Also my rear shocks need changing, a trip to Ireland showed them to be absolutely useless and softer than warm butter.

[oldcodger]

Its a fault thats been covered many times.

Its typically where the pedal plunger goes into the actual cylinder, you need to place some rubber safe lubrication in there, typically  wwith rubber safe, spray white grease and work it in a few times with a push on the pedal, might take a day or so to work itself in.

Do not use oil as that will /may damage the rubber seals etc.

Can still use the oil on the actual pedal bearings /pivots etc in case its them causing the squeak.

Another source, outside, is where  the slave cylinders plunger hits the clutch arm, again some rubber safe grease there.

 

You will find access to the pedal easier if your remove the two screws that hold the dash/footwell bottom cover, and get yourself some old cushions etc as its a back breaking position to get down to properly !!

If you do need a new clutch, then you should find places doing it for £300 ish, though you can pay double that with Mr T.

Leaking shocks are usually a mot fail, wonder how your rears have got through before ??

Did change the oil every 4.5k on a high usage car, but think once a year for average mileage is all thats needed with todays modern oils.

[olddriver]

Thanks guys, I didn't know about "rubber safe, spray white grease" sounds useful.

There is no normal visible leak from the rear shockers, and they bounce one and a half times, but the MOT garage say there is an oil mist when bounced but they have yet to fail it.  I believe that they inspect it from inside the car because I can see where they have prised up the interior trim.  I have seen posts, on here I think, where people have said that after the third MOT on reporting the problem they have been failed, I am on my fourth so maybe next year :(

I worked for a bearing company so realise the benefit of more oil changes.

[oldcodger]

The Spray white grease is available from most car spare shops for about £5 a can, or places like Toolstation for a bit less.

Very good for spraying around the metal ferrules on the rubber brake hoses and similar.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p10203?searchstr=white grease

Sounds strange about your rear shockers, are they giving a mot advisory sheet about them ?

If they are misting, there is usually a tell tale residue on the damper body when you lift up the rubber cover.

As for seeing the oil mist when bounced  ? .. would have thought if it was that obvious you would be loosing a lot of oil  ..??

Cars in general, the frequent oil changes was something I used to do, typically on a new car, doing an extra  fliter and oil change at 500/1000 miles but seems on modern engines /oil they say it is detremental to do an early oil change before the 10/12K mile first service.   No idea why, was a point I have often thought about following up on.

[olddriver]

Thanks fellow oldie   Yes, I have had an mot advisory sheet each year for the rear shockers.

The only disadvantage in changing the oil AND the filter that I can think of, is that it takes a few seconds to build up the oil pressure, ie you have to fill the oil filter first etc.  After changing the oil, I always just try to turn the engine over a few times without the engine firing, ie just a quick turn on and off of the key.  Whether it actually works I don't know but it is worth a try, as most brg wear occurs on startup.

Edit: Of course in the old days you could pump up the oil pressure by cranking over the engine until the orange oil light went out, those were the days!

[olddriver]

Ha, ha, I thought the "bird" had flown the nest when I drove the car yesterday, but after a few movements of the clutch the "bird"  squeak returned.

I used a very plump old pillow to lay on and it was brilliant, thanks for the tip oldcodger.

Although I bought some spray white grease, I decided against spraying it into the end of the clutch master cylinder because it contains 35-40% solvent, see the COSHH data for the spray grease that oldcodger recomended:-

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p10203?searchstr=white grease&utm_source=ToyotaOwnersClub&utm_medium=ForumLinks

COSHH data:-

https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/items/coshh/10203.pdf

I sprayed WD40 on the pedal bearings /pivots and in time will add some 3 in 1 oil.  If that dos not cure the squeak then I will put some rubber safe grease on/in the end of a piece of small dia polythene tube, place the end of the tube into to end of the clutch master cylinder and blow down the tube.

I am reminded of a motorcyclist who after returning from holiday, found a birds nest in his motorcycle, and had to wait a few weeks for the chicks to fledge before he could ride his bike :)

[oldcodger]

Hi,

Was told to spray white grease on the car by a very experienced MOT tester and have used it on my last 3 cars / 20 years without any trouble.

Never had any subsequent mot testers say anything but its the right stuff to use.

My corolla clutch squeaked not long after I got it and gave it a spray then , six years ago,  not squeak or failure of the rubber parts since.

However do accept your concern about the solvents which I assume are the cans  propellants  ?

Seems you can buy white grease in tubs and also rubber safe red grease which is sold on eBay and sometimes in car accessory  shops in small sachets /amounts rather than a large tub.

The red grease also used on your brake slider pins, strip mine out and regrease them once a year to avoid them seizing, as a couple were when I first serviced the car.

L

[olddriver]

46 minutes ago, oldcodger said:

However do accept your concern about the solvents which I assume are the cans  propellants  ?

L

No, in the case of toolstation the propellant appears to be propane/butane.  The solvent dissolves the grease and I assume evaporates after spraying.

 

[oldcodger]

Hi,

Well seems you are right, that the current White grease sprays are not 100% rubber safe.

As said, over the years, plenty of mot mechanics have said it was fine to use and I am certain that the cans did use to say rubber safe, though not now;  but perhaps over the years the formula has changed ..??  though still never found any signs of it affecting any rubber parts in over 20 years of use.

I contacted Comma to ask them as they also market a white grease spray - a reserved reply

Quote

We would recommended that you try to not to spray on to the rubber parts as it may have effect on some rubber parts    

 

So seems its not to be used on rubber, so think the best alternative would be the Red Grease as mentioned earlier, though its a paste, not a spray.

Checking a can of Silicone spray that states its fine for rubber and plastic so expect that or a tube of silicone grease would also be ok ..?  but am no chemical expert .

 

Let us know what you decide to use if you do have to lubricate your clutch cylinders pushrod assembly...

 

[oldcodger]

On 16/11/2016 at 4:29 PM, olddriver said:

there is a leak from rear shocks that has been there for 4 years so they may get me a failure soon.

In the new  December edition of Car Mechanics magazine, page 70,  there is a short article about shockers and the mot.

Basically, seems some recent changes to the mot are that they cannot do the bounce test and if a leak is seen, they can only do an advisory.

The jist of the article is that the trade / mot inspectors all think its a wrong move, even though some less reputable garages have been know to spray wd40 on the shocks to dupe the customer in to replacements.

Bottom line, any leaking and they should be replaced.

[mickburkesnr]

They stopped the bounce test because you couldn't really do the same sort of bounce test on a little city bug like an Aygo that you could do on a Land Cruiser. Just wasn't feasible.

But quite right about the WD40. I always watch them do the MOT - actually any work on the car - without fail. If they don't like it then they don't get my custom.

[olddriver]

1 hour ago, oldcodger said:

In the new  December edition of Car Mechanics magazine, page 70,  there is a short article about shockers and the mot.

Basically, seems some recent changes to the mot are that they cannot do the bounce test and if a leak is seen, they can only do an advisory.

The jist of the article is that the trade / mot inspectors all think its a wrong move, even though some less reputable garages have been know to spray wd40 on the shocks to dupe the customer in to replacements.

Bottom line, any leaking and they should be replaced.

Ah, that explains why they have not failed my car, thanks.

As I wrote above "There is no normal visible leak from the rear shockers, and they bounce one and a half times, but the MOT garage say there is an oil mist when bounced but they have yet to fail it.  I believe that they inspect it from inside the car because I can see where they have prised up the interior trim" above the shockers.

After applying the WD40 to the clutch mechanism, there are no "bird" squeaks so far, but I have only applied a few clutch movements, the original problem occurred after I was stuck in a slow stop start traffic queue. 

[Ashfaqur]

I had this squeeky clutch problem on my 2013 Auris valvematic 1.6 manual after driving in city traffic. The supplying Toyota dealer applied some grease but it did not cure it. In the end they replaced master cylinder under warranty some eight months ago. So far so good.