Ford Focus 1.0 Eco Drive - Faulty Clutch? Costs...

[redrabbit29]

Hi Everyone,

My car knowledge is woeful but I think my 2014 Ford Focus with 62,000 miles on the clock needs a new clutch.

Symptoms

• It just isn't driving that well and feels weird
• In 5th and 6th gear the revs drop when htiting around 3000
• It doesn't seem to accelerate very well
• When driving home earlier, I purposely revved it up and "service engine now" displayed on the dashboard

Quote

Rang three garages and they're all really busy.

One got back to me though and quoted £1100 inc. VAT.
The reason for the high cost is apparently i have a dual mast fly wheel
This is way more than I expected, I thought maybe around £600

Questions

Does this broadly sound like a clutch to you? (Putting aside the very rare other issues, but the most likely...)
Is this a fair quote for a dual mast fly wheel clutch or does it seem high?

I live in the South East - home counties area.

Thanks

[RECr]

If the clutch was slipping, the engine speed rises faster than the car accelerates. If the revs drop when pulling in 5th and 6th, it suggests a possible fuelling/ignition fault.

Does the engine light come on at all?

Edited by RECr on Thursday 27th July 17:16

[Finale]

Your symptom of revs dropping in 5th and 6th suggest not a clutch , if it was slipping the revs would rise significantly .
Sounds more like an engine problem ,with an engine light coming on too .

[littleredrooster]

Doesn't sound like clutch to me. If the clutch was goosed, it would rev excessively after 3000rpm in a high gear without actually going any faster.

I'd get it diagnosed properly before asking for quotes for something it may not need.

[redrabbit29]

It's a bit confusing as it does what you describe too

Like I was in 3rd gear earlier. I revved it and it went straight to 3/4/5000 but acceleration was very slow

[Dogwatch]

Think I’d want it plugged in for some diagnostics before jumping to expensive conclusions. Unlikely that a failing clutch would cause a Check Engine light.
I had slightly similar symptoms (different make) with a failing air mass sensor but it could be almost any sensor failing which causes the engine to feel under par.

[redrabbit29]

Thanks all, I just need to decide where to take it now. I avoid the ford dealership due to cost but equally don't want to be ripped off by a garage

The garage I'm using is one my GF has used for years and trusts them. They've charged less than quoted prices and been very fair so that's a good sign

[littleredrooster]

Hang on - first you said this:

redrabbit29 said:

Symptoms

• In 5th and 6th gear the revs drop when htiting around 3000

Then you said this:

redrabbit29 said:

Like I was in 3rd gear earlier. I revved it and it went straight to 3/4/5000 but acceleration was very slow

Which is it?

[sunbeam alpine]

Definitely doesn't sound like a clutch problem.

[samoht]

redrabbit29 said:

Thanks all, I just need to decide where to take it now. I avoid the ford dealership due to cost but equally don't want to be ripped off by a garage

The garage I'm using is one my GF has used for years and trusts them. They've charged less than quoted prices and been very fair so that's a good sign

It sounds like you've answered your own question.

As above it doesn't sound like a clutch, so probably best to just take it to the garage your GF trusts and ask them to investigate and tell you what they find. It might well be something less serious.

Clutch replacement with a dual-mass flywheel is more expensive. You've got the normal labour of taking a lot of stuff apart, the normal cost of the clutch itself, plus the extra cost of the flywheel. If you're concerned about the fairness of the price you could check the cost of a new flywheel for your car online. However, hopefully this won't be the issue you've got.

FWIW, the symptoms of a worn out clutch IME (on a different car) were that the car drove normally except
- I pulled out to overtake some doddering MG driver, at full throttle in fourth gear when the turbos were at full boost, the engine revved up as normal but the car didn't accelerate accordingly
- After the new clutch was fitted it was noticeably smoother moving away from rest, as the new clutch had more progressive take-up. I'd not noticed previously as it had worn down gradually in my ownership.

[stevemcs]

Put it in 4th at 50mph, floor it, if the revs rise but the car gains no speed then its the clutch, and yes its around £1000

[redrabbit29]

littleredrooster said:

Hang on - first you said this:

redrabbit29 said:

Symptoms

• In 5th and 6th gear the revs drop when htiting around 3000

Then you said this:

redrabbit29 said:

Like I was in 3rd gear earlier. I revved it and it went straight to 3/4/5000 but acceleration was very slow

Which is it?

Both actually

Although my observation has been:

3rd gear today I accelerated hard and revs shot up and car barely went much faster

But in 5-6th gear when going about 60+ it will suddenly drop drop revs and lose about 6-7mph of speed

[LuS1fer]

Get a cheap code reader off eBay for about £20. It may tell you the answer.

If the check engine light comes on, the computer will put your car into limp mode until you get it sorted. Could just be a sensor.

[stevieturbo]

redrabbit29 said:

Both actually

Although my observation has been:

3rd gear today I accelerated hard and revs shot up and car barely went much faster

Then yes, that would be a sign of the clutch not gripping. Whether through a fault, or someone's foot on the pedal a bit heavy when they should not.

[redrabbit29]

Thank you - I have ordered a code reader for £18 from Europarts. Will see if that reveals anything, even just so I know what I'm dealing with

[redrabbit29]

redrabbit29 said:

Thank you - I have ordered a code reader for £18 from Europarts. Will see if that reveals anything, even just so I know what I'm dealing with

Just used the diagnostic machine - no codes returned

[cuprabob]

redrabbit29 said:

redrabbit29 said:

Thank you - I have ordered a code reader for £18 from Europarts. Will see if that reveals anything, even just so I know what I'm dealing with

Just used the diagnostic machine - no codes returned

Surprised at that if the Engine Management Light (EML) is on.

[Teflon Jon]

redrabbit29 said:

Just used the diagnostic machine - no codes returned

It's definetely the clutch then

[redrabbit29]

cuprabob said:

Surprised at that if the Engine Management Light (EML) is on.

Should have made it clearer - the engine management light wasn't on and has not been on.

When I purposely revved the engine as I wanted to just test and establish the symptoms the car stuttered a bit and the dashboard displayed a sign stating "SERVICE ENGINE NOW"

But there was no light that came on. The message above disappeared immediately after and has not come on again.

[cuprabob]

redrabbit29 said:

cuprabob said:

Surprised at that if the Engine Management Light (EML) is on.

Should have made it clearer - the engine management light wasn't on and has not been on.

When I purposely revved the engine as I wanted to just test and establish the symptoms the car stuttered a bit and the dashboard displayed a sign stating "SERVICE ENGINE NOW"

But there was no light that came on. The message above disappeared immediately after and has not come on again.

Ah, OK.