Looked at a petrol Doblo – 2013 with 22k on the clock.
All was expected except that the clutch pedal/bite point was higher than I was expecting. Almost near the top of the travel. It’s a hydraulic clutch apparently. It didn’t feel like it was slipping, but didn’t inspire confidence.
Any ideas / opinions? Anything to worry about? Easily adjustable? Walk away?
The price is ok, but I don’t fancy having to put s new clutch in it straight away.
Ta

Look at another one, but I suspect it’s just where it is…. Even a misbehaving teenager would struggle to muller a clutch in 22k

Hydraulic clutches are self adjusting so the clutch bite point will not change like a cable clutch would do as the plate wears.

Some makes just have real high bite points. Wife’s corsa is low… Volvo is a bit higher. My honda crv is very high but having driven loads of hondas they all seem to have high bite points (apparently the Japanese like them that way).

Easy test is to drive up a hill in high gear (4/5th) if revs rise but engine speed doesn’t clutch gone.

Also find a bit of space…. While stationary shove into 4th and try pull off. If it stalls clutch good.

As said above…. You really would have to do some special clutch control (or lack of) to burn out friction material in 22k. But I am sure my wife given the chance would manage it.

As above, just try another one, it’s probably just where the bite point is on those.

Thanks guys. I managed to stall it twice on the test drive (I usually drive an automatic 😐 ) and it definitely wasn’t slipping. There aren’t many petrol variants around, so I’m going to have a think.

Hired a brand new transit last week (less than 10K). Biting point was so high my heel couldn’t be on the floor when releasing the clutch. Don’t think bite point position relates to how borked the clutch is.

Hired a brand new transit last week (less than 10K). Biting point was so high my heel couldn’t be on the floor when releasing the clutch.

I never have my heel on the floor when releasing the clutch anyway – do people do this?

My 2013 Doblo diesel has just had a full new clutch and dual mass flywheel, thrust bearing etc replaced under fiat warranty as the dual mass had seized and knackered the rest….in 7000 miles! God knows what the previous elderly owner had done to it but it was spotless on the outside a tiny bit grubby on the inside.
One of the symptoms was high biting point from my perception along with squealing release bearing after 20 mins of driving like there was no grease in it and I couldn’t pick up drive in first smoothly and notchiness in first second and start stop just didn’t seem to work as well as I thought it should be…..I was shocked when they told me the cause.
Don’t know if the petrol will have a dual mass flywheel but fiat claim it’s the first theyve known fail especially in 7000 miles from new.
All the symptoms disappeared with the new clutch by the way including start stop becoming more active.

I never have my heel on the floor when releasing the clutch anyway – do people do this?

I heard someone say this the other week. I could never imagine using the clutch with heel on the floor, you have to have massive feet?!

Thanks Suggsey
The start stop was working fine. I think I just need to try another one.

The other thing I notice is also on the 500, if it’s working properly with no accelerator input gently let the clutch up to bite point and the ECU will apply some rpms (only about 2-300) allowing a really smooth pull away….mine didn’t do this with knackered clutch but does now same as the 500 courtesy cars.
I noted on google large numbers of Fiat 500s petrols were eating clutches at low mileage. 😉

New clutches do give the feel of a high point and will gradually wear and the point goes down. One of my cars has a hydraulic clutch with an adjustable rod that goes from the pedal to the master cylinder. If your flexible and mechanically inclined you can get some adjustment from it. You’d probably notice a difference from half a turn.