Clutch and gearbox
A clutch job is a day’s labour and a gearbox out, so it’s worth being certain before anyone starts. Half the “slipping clutches” we’re asked to quote turn out to be a cable, a linkage, a mount or a leaking slave cylinder — all of which cost a fraction.
What the car is telling you
| What you notice | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| Revs rise but the car doesn’t | Clutch slipping — worst uphill or in a high gear |
| Biting point right at the top of the pedal | Worn friction plate, or cable out of adjustment |
| Judder pulling away | Contaminated plate, or a failing dual-mass flywheel |
| Heavy pedal, or it stays on the floor | Master or slave cylinder, or the release bearing |
| Crunch going into second when cold | Synchro wear, or simply old gearbox oil |
| Rattle at idle that stops when you dip the clutch | Release bearing, or dual-mass flywheel |
| Clonk on take-up | Engine or gearbox mount, not the clutch at all |
| Burning smell after a hill | Clutch slipping under load |
Road test first, spanner second
- Road test with you if you can spare ten minutes. You know when it does it; we know what it means.
- Slip test in a high gear. Cheap, definitive, and it either slips or it doesn’t.
- Hydraulics checked for leaks at the master and slave cylinder before anyone mentions the word clutch.
- Mounts and linkage inspected on the ramp — a knackered mount feels remarkably like a gearbox fault from the driver’s seat.
- Gearbox oil condition checked where the crunch is cold-only.
On the dual-mass flywheel question. We inspect it once the box is out and replace it only if free play is out of tolerance or it’s heat damaged. Fitting a new one to a healthy flywheel adds several hundred pounds for nothing; leaving a failed one in means doing the whole job again in a year. You get told which it is, with the measurement.
And we don’t rebuild gearboxes. We diagnose, replace mounts and linkages, change oil and fit exchange units. Internal rebuilds go to a specialist we’ll name — that’s bench work, done properly by people who do it every day.
What it costs
| Job | Price inc. VAT |
|---|---|
| Clutch inspection and road test | £59 |
| Clutch kit fitted, front-wheel-drive hatchback | from £549 |
| Clutch kit fitted, larger car or van | from £749 |
| Dual-mass flywheel, added to a clutch job | from £395 |
| Clutch master or slave cylinder | from £185 |
| Gear linkage adjustment or bushes | from £95 |
| Gearbox oil change | from £89 |
| Engine or gearbox mount | from £145 |
The inspection fee comes off the repair if you go ahead. Clutch jobs are usually a full day, and we’ll tell you before you leave the car whether it’s going to be ready that evening.
How do I know it’s actually slipping?
Revs climb without the car accelerating, most obviously uphill or in a high gear at low speed. A burning smell after a hill, and a biting point right at the top of the pedal, point the same way.
Does the flywheel have to be done too?
Only if it’s actually failed. We measure it with the box out and tell you the figure.
Do you rebuild gearboxes?
No — and we’d rather say so than quietly send it out with a mark-up on top.
Can I keep driving on a slipping clutch?
For a while, but it gets worse, and if it lets go completely you’re paying for recovery on top. It’s not a stop-driving-now fault, but it isn’t one to leave for six months either.