The rogg-mobile is up to 92K miles on the original clutch – is that usual or should I start saving now for imminent failure? It’s a 2009 SEAT, so all VW/Audi bits under the bodywork.

Thanks!

This is getting into pieces of string territory.

If you could describe all the gear changes you have done . In detail, that would help.

😆
Guessing the answer is somewhere between 10K and 200K miles then?

If you never use it … forever! (gearbox and engine life may vary, not all gears available at all speeds, T&C’s apply, “Clutch” ™ cannot be used in conjunction with other offers such as “random direction change wihtout indicating” etc)

Friend of mine, MKIII Golf GTi, not driven that gently at all, in fact he used to be quite an aggressive driver, first clutch changed at 230,000 miles.
Definitely got his moneys worth out of that one.

When I was selling my car (not anymore) a couple came round and she rode the clutch the whole way round the block. Then he got in and literally did the same. I almost strangled him. In conversation it turns out (almost magically!) they go through quitea few mechanical problems/now on auto car. Surprise that.

If I had let them drive it for a mile longer I bet I’d have needed a new clutch too. Clutches can die in 200miles or go to 3×100,000’s….its all down to the monkey atthe wheel.

My Ibiza (1.9TDI 130 with 230lbft of torques) is on it’s original clutch. By the time I get home today, it’ll have just ticked over 238k miles.
It’s an 03 plate. Normal driving is dual carriageway/large A roads.

My previous car – Mk3 Fiesta 1.4 (Si, no less) had 144k miles on it when I got rid and that was still on the original clutch.

But my parent’s 53 plate 1.6 Focus has just had it’s clutch replaced at 90k something miles. Understandable given how my dad drives.

Do you do mainly motorway driving or town driving? That, coupled with driving style will have a massive effect. For example, do you put the handbrake on at traffic lights/roundabouts or hold the car in position on the clutch?

I used to have a very old Astra that a friend had to drive home one time after I spanked myself pretty badly at a Dragon race. He swore blind that the clutch was slipping and on it’s way out but I never could replicate it in my driving. I ended up putting at leas another 20k miles on it without a hitch before I sold it. I’ve concluded I must be pretty light on clutches for some inexplicable reason. So yeas I reckon it very much depends on the driver rather than any other factor (DSG aside)

About 100-150k if you don’t drive like a fanny. Longer if you are particulary careful or most of your miles are on the motorway.

Last car I had from new to 85K miles on the original clutch and it was totally fine and I have been known to drive like a fanny

its all down to the monkey at the wheel.

possibly slightly unfair! Not that I ever burn out clutches, but quality does vary. Some cars such as the peugeot 107 had awful clutches that lasted 20-30k miles before they uprated them.

Mine was replaced years ago when the DMF went (does not make sense to change the a DMF without also changing the clutch) at about 125000 miles.

1.9 TD zafira on a 04 plate.

If you have a diesel with DMF you will have to change it when that goes, most will go before mine did. Friend had a 05 ish C4 with the DMF going at 89000.

Also DMF/clutch not cheap!

Simone

My experiences
Impreza, 56k and 5 years old
Transit 34k and 6 years old.
One got a lot more hammer than the other!

Clutch will outlast the DMF, if fitted. Probably 100k then the dmf will fall to bits.

moniex – Member

If you have a diesel with DMF you will have to change it when that goes, most will go before mine did. Friend had a 05 ish C4 with the DMF going at 89000.

Thrustyjust – Member
Clutch will outlast the DMF, if fitted. Probably 100k then the dmf will fall to bits.

Like I say, my clutch and DMF are on 240k miles, so it’s not a foregone conclusion that DMF’s are rubbish and will fail at (relatively) low mileage. Depends on your driving style and type of journey as much as anything else, I think.

A friends ’57 Mondeo just had a clutch at 110k motorway miles as the DMF failed. Its a luck of the draw on these things, but to get that mileage out of yours , even a non dmf clutch would be pretty amazing, which your early car might be.
We read on the wifes Cooper S , researching before we bought and they say 60k on a clutch. It was replaced at 65k miles as the dmf had failed, according to the receipt. We bought it at 67k miles.

2002 Golf clutch went at 80,000.
If yours is DMF start saving now!

If you’re a good driver in a normal car the clutch will last until the car dies.

Just saying, like.

Mine is at 120000 miles on original DMF and clutch, despite being mildly tuned to 350lb/ft of torque, and driven by a fanny. I’d not object if it needed a new one tomorrow, tbh.

DMF may not be pants, but the cost is horrid

^^ that

Seems to be a bit luck of the draw on dmfs. My diesel Mondeo’s went at about 100k but the clutch was still fine. Wouldn’t change one without the other so did clutch while it was apart.

Our non dmf petrol Mondeo’s sitting on 120k on original clutch and no sign of trouble from that. The rust will get that first.

Lifespan is part driver behaviour, part how the car is used, part quality of the original parts (including manufacturing variations) and part design. I would guess most clutches can be expected to last beyond the manufacturer warranty on the car with a decent margin for error. Beyond that failure is always a possibility and at 100k I wouldn’t complain.

Some cars seems worse on dmf than others
My landrover had its first at 70.000 and I had to fit another at 138000

Indy I use said about 70000-80000 is about right for them

Clutch was fine but the judder from the flywheel was nasty and made manoeuvring the trialer a pain

The petrieboy household fleet is a 1.9tdi a4 approaching 250k on its original clutch (and original pretty much everything else save for service parts) and a 1.9cdti zafira that’s just had a clutch & flywheel at 125k (due to noisy flywheel but the clutch was getting heavy too)
Both driven by mrs petrieboy and I but crucial difference is the zafira does some town driving where the Audi’s miles are 99% open road.
So I’d say, beyond total morons abusing it, type of mileage has as much impact as driver skill.

Most clutches now will last well in excess of 100k as long as they’re treated with some care. Towing is the big killer of clutches.

As for DMF, life of those pretty much comes down to driving style. Sharp engaging of clutch, and letting the engine labour at low revs is where they work the hardest, with the result they wear and fail quicker.
The main benefit of DMFs is they greatly reduce juddering, so where a solid flywheel would have the whole car juddering at low revs, a DMF doesn’t and people don’t realise just how hard the DMF is working to smooth out the power delivery.

I’ve just replaced the clutch on my Kia Sedona at 104000 miles.

It had slipped slightly under extreme conditions since 50000, but I’d used it carefully, I would have got another 30k out of it but I use the car for a lot of towing so needed to replace it for another trip to France with a 1.5t trailer on the back.

Luckily no stupid DMF though.

As a driving instructor my clutches get well tested.
Peugoet 206 = lasted 400000 fortunately just after I traded it in
Ford Fiesta tdci = lasted 730000
Vauxhall Corsage cdti = lasted 740000
Toyota Yaris diesel = currently on 123000 and getting heavy but working well.

So the Dmf is definitely an improvemt but just expensive when they go:)

^ miles? 😯

A Vauhall Corsage 😆 lasting 740,000 miles? Not on your nelly!

^ miles?

Safe to assume there’s an extra zero on those. His lessons on speed limits must be interesting 😉

280000 on my last car, an Omega.
🙂

Not all by me, but spoke to both previous owners and it had never been replaced.
Pretty much everything else was fecked though.

As a driving instructor my clutches get well tested.
Peugoet 206 = lasted 400000 fortunately just after I traded it in
Ford Fiesta tdci = lasted 730000
Vauxhall Corsage cdti = lasted 740000
Toyota Yaris diesel = currently on 123000 and getting heavy but working well.

WOW.

old school diesel ford fiesta – 1.8 59 bhp.

200000 miles before it died of body rot.

current pug partner – 89k. – it wasnt designed to tow LWB hi roof transits home , nor land rover gear boxes and engines so im not surprised it went – and it was the thrust bearing that went in the end not slippage , although my mech did say it was on its last legs.

My frontera DTI on about 120k – speedo only works intermittantly , shows 95k on clock but doesnt accumulate miles …. and 120k is only an estimate on my usage without speedo working , **** knows what previous owner did. clutch and DMF are fine atm. – how ever its in the back of my mind that its the one thing that will scrap the car unless the owners club comes up trumps with a good un stripped out a motor… they are 600 for a new flywheel :S

Touran clutch – first went at 33k 🙁
Replacement still working 110k later.

Pistonrod and Robin – another speeding free day done:)
Just as well I don’t teach as early as I post on here 🙂