My car has developed a squeeling noise when I press the clutch pedal. From reading up in the net it could the throw-out bearing.

Is this the most likely problem? Does it mean a new clutch? How much will it cost? Should I get it fixed asap?

Car is a VW Golf 1.6fsi (2004) with 60k on the clock.

Throw-out bearing / Thrust bearing, whatever.

But yes, get it fixed. If it’s binding it may be spinning it’s body against the pressure plate and will eventually cut through leaving you with no clutch……

Sorry – cos it ain’t a cheap job.

It it worth just getting the whole clutch replaced?

By not cheap what are talking here?

It depends on whether the bearing has already caused damage.

Front wheel drive cars mean a lot of man hours to crack the gear box off and access the clutch. I can’t offer a guess but it’ll likely be hundreds rather than tens of pounds.

Circa £300-400 if you need to replace the clutch plates as well? Makes sense as they’ll probably need to strip down to this level anyway to access.

I’d also phone round for a few quotes.

I’d agree with Hora – it’ll probably be cheaper in the long run to get the whole thing done as the main work is getting the gear box off (which they need to do anyway).

Clutch plates are cheap compared to the labour involved…..

Mmmm, that’s what I was expecting. Sub £300 would be nice though. I’ll ring my usual independent garage and see what they say. Its only just started so hopefully not too much damage but I guess it makes sense to do the whole lot.

There goes my deposit for a new frame this year 🙁

As above, the clutch plates/spring themselves are only about £40 in most cars, the bearing another £15, spiggot another £10, compared to the 6hours labour coming to £300 you may as well replace everything you come accross whilst getting to them.

Independants are usualy cheeper for this kind of thing as there’s usualy an easy way (drop the engine out the bottom about 6″) and the proper way (engine out and on the workbench).

Mr. Clutch IIRC have an online quote page you could try.

Slightly different issue but this is also what I elected to do.

Clutch release bearings gone- garage agreed under warranty and I asked them to check the condition of the plates whilst they are there (50% apparently) for £70 cost from me I thought ‘why not’.

Thing with clutch release bearings they can affect the clutch plates (arguable but I thought at least its a brand spanking new clutch for me to ride) 8)

£625 from Mr Clutch!

I had a similar high quote from them. Shopped around and was prepared for a bit of hardship (i.e. travelling) and got it down to £300 on a Subaru Forester whereas all the dealers wanted £900.

Yowsers!

It’s a winners curse though, the garrage that quotes it cheepest will be the one thats massively underestimated the work.

Buy an Autotrader. There are always loads of cheap places for clutch, gearbox and engine replacements advertised in there.

OR – bite the bullet and do it yourself.

You will probably need to hire an engine hoist and a clutch alignment tool – but it’s manual labour rather then skill…..

Its not the bits that cost, its the labour of disconnecting the driveshafts, splitting the gearbos from the engine, removing the pressure plate to get at the clutch.
Replace anything that can wear out or break whilst they’re doing the job, rather than just replacing the release bearing.

Definitely only approach VW indie specialists though and I wouldn’t do it. I’d just sit there hitting the thing with a hammer 😀

If your in berkshire your welcome to my engine hoist, never looked at doing a FWD car, but doing my RWD midget which required a complete engine out wasn’t too bad, lots of connecting/disconecting stuff, but nothing overly technical.

I’m in Leeds – any recommendations?

Not a chance I’m doing it myself! I’ll ring a few places tomorrow.