Total clutch failure @ 8,500 miles

While in England last week, coming to a roundabout, went from 4th to 3rd and then when going from 3rd to 2nd, couldn't engage the lever.

Clutch pedal stayed on the floor (!!!). Brought it up by hand, ground the selector to 1st (and with foot on pedal, car still shuddered forwards). Got under way, had to very physically shove the selector into gears, pulled into a parking lot and called Audi Assist.

This, of course, was friday the 13th, at 7pm or so, out in the country.

Short story: Audi got me a courtesy car until the following wedenesday when my car was fixed. It took a complete clutch kit, including throwout bearing&piston.

I can't believe the difference it has made: my selector is now buttery-smooth, whereas previously clutch-release was grabby.

Bigest downfall to all of this is that I couldn't go to the 'ring sunday and monday, as planned.

Anyone else have clutch problems?

Jedi, that was you with the blue noggy!?! Shame we didn't get to talk more, but I was so freakin' furious with the clutch failure that I could hardly utter anything other than obscenities /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burningmad.gif In any case, thank you very much for having set up the GB.


I believe my clutch was faulty since day one: symptoms were a grabbing clutch when pushing the pedal in. It was as though it never fully released. imho, the "throwout bearing" was at fault. On the 3.2 (don't know about others), the slave cylinder is right behind the T/O bearing, where it can be harmed by excessive heat...

In any case, when I went for my 4-3 downshift, no problem, but then from 3 to 2, no go. I saw the clutch and it had indeed eaten up quite a bit of material. That could be explained by the clutch not releasing fully and therefore slipping a little upon each clutch release.

A whole new Pressure Plate, T/O bearing and plate were installed, and the clutch now fully releases.

The Audi dealership did not notice anything unusual with my car.

Shame about the 'ring, real shame. But perhaps I wasn't quite ready for it yet? (sh*t, I'm getting superstitious /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif)