Heavy Clutch Pedal On A Xantia

[mike b]

Just short of two years ago the clutch cable on my xantia, which had started to feel a bit stiff, snapped.
A new cable was fitted which snapped again eight months later. I took the car to a different garage who advised me that it is a common problem that can only be cured by fitting a new clutch and cable. On completion of the work I found that the clutch pedal was still heavy. The mechanic agreed but said that he had checked it completly and could find no other faults. It snapped again yesterday ( fourteen months later). The garage have agreed to fit a new cable at cost with no labour charge but are at a loss as to why the clutch is so stiff. CAN ANYONE HELP.

[DickieG]

The stiff clutch is a common fault with Xantias as they age, replacement of the clutch is the usual answer. BUT, when doing this job the two clutch pivot bushes should ALSO be replaced as they wear, which causes extra resistance, hence the stiff pedal.

As the bushes are made of plastic they only cost a few pounds but in order to gain access, the gearbox does require removal.............................................

[falcon3r@ntlworld.com]

[quote name='mike b' date='Oct 29 2004, 10:09 AM'] Just short of two years ago the clutch cable on my xantia, which had started to feel a bit stiff, snapped.
A new cable was fitted which snapped again eight months later. I took the car to a different garage who advised me that it is a common problem that can only be cured by fitting a new clutch and cable. On completion of the work I found that the clutch pedal was still heavy. The mechanic agreed but said that he had checked it completly and could find no other faults. It snapped again yesterday ( fourteen months later). The garage have agreed to fit a new cable at cost with no labour charge but are at a loss as to why the clutch is so stiff. CAN ANYONE HELP. [/quote]
Hi Mike. Had related problems with 'V' reg Xany estate when clutch pedal went to the floor & stayed there in a hospital car park. AA man had a look and said he did'nt think clutch cable was broken but it was'nt a job they undertook at the side of the road, so he called AA relay and they took me and car to a recommended garage.
While waiting for relay, I checked cable myself and was convinced it was intact and that it had mearly come adrift from clutch pedal. However the garage said I should have cable replaced. They charged me £120 plus Vat for the privilige. 14 months on and it went again last night. On both occasions there was no warning like extra stiffness or sticking. So after the AA took me and car home, I investigated and found the nipple end of the cable had simply become detached from the plastic socket type clip on the clutch pedal. Its a sod to get at under the dashboard but it can be done lying on your back with your body half in and half out of the car and a good portable light source. The reason I mention all this is because I think it highly unlikely that you would snap a reasonably new clutch cable, the damn things strong enough to lift the car with. However the method of connection to the clutch pedal is a joke so I suspect this coming adrift is more likely to have happened, but I could be wrong. I had to make a shall tool to facilitate forcing the nipple back into the clip, in the form of a, 8" length of steel or aluminium tube with a slot cut into one end about an inch deep & 1/8" wide. The tube needs to be no more than 3/4" in diater and is positioned behind the nipple after it is located in the mouth of the plastic clip. Now lift the clutch pedal forceably upwards. The force needed is not that great, till you hear the nipple click back behind the spring clip on the plastic housing.
before doing all this, disconnect the cable at the gearbox end and verify the inner cable is in fact intact, also that the shoulder on the nipple at the pedal end of the inner cable is ok all the way round so that the retaining clip grips it OK. I actually twisted the inner cable about 90 degees with the aid of mole grips at the gearbox end just to make sure the spring clip was'nt located on the same spot on the shoulder of the nipple it had previously slipped off. Best of luck. If you require any more info, contact me directly by email: falcon3r@ntlworld.com. Incidentally Mike, I am no spring chicken, I'm over 60 and managed the job without to much trouble once I'd sussed out what the problem was. It took me about an hour and cost nothing.