Hi Guys
This is our first venture into caravanning for myself, the wife and the 2 little ones.
I'm after some advice before I spend £1000 on a new uprated clutch when what I may need is another car!
I Just bought a Bailey Senator Oklahoma, 1222kg unladen,1491kg mtplm, my car is an Audi A4 avant 2.0 tdi 170bhp (remapped to 200, so I was told when I bought the car) with a kerb weight of 1585kg.
The clutch slips under load,absolutely 100% fine with no van and will pull the van if I take it easy and keep it out of the turbo, I think half the problem is the fact the car has been remapped and produces 441nm of torque and with the added weight the clutch doesn't like it. The car has done 90k,so to be fair is probably due a clutch but I don't want to spend all that money if the car is never really going to be man enough.
Any advice will go a long way to helping me decide what's for the best
Best regards
Lee
We used to tow a Bailey Pegasus mtplm 1480kg with an A4 Avant diesel auto - kerb weight 1630kg no problems at all. Power wise there should be no problem.
Remapping won't make the clutch slip, you don't have to use the power. If it slips as you drive away at a reasonable pace going through the gears when towing then clutch is on the way out.
Maybe I'm just over thinking things.....only reason I thought it may be a combination of the remap and clutch is the fact that when it hits the turbo it pulls like a train with tonnes of power, like you say the clutch is probably knackered, an uprated aftermarket one is the same price as an Oem, do may go down that route
A remapped car is more likely to slip an ok clutch as it has to cope with more torque than it was designed for. Keep the revs higher and go easy on the right foot. If it still slips it does sound like the clutch is on its way out.
What happens when you floor it at 1500 rpm in 4th and 5th when driving solo? I wouldn't do this towing with a remapped car!
Better the clutch slipping a little in extreme conditions whilst towing than the gearbox going bang because it can't cope with the torque.
Hi Alex, the car is fine on its own even when fully loaded with wife and kids, luggage and 4 bikes on the roof! It's only with the van on that it slips if I give it too many beans. The car was used to tow before I bought it and had twin electrics so I am assuming it was also pulling a caravan and as such maybe the clutch had a hard life, also the guy that sold it to me bought an a4 allroad to replace it, so again makes me think mine wasn't man enough for the weight he was pulling.the max tow for my car is 1600kg, so maybe I just need a new clutch and adjust my towing skills as I have never towed before
I am sure the car is up to the job, otherwise the max tow weight would be less. Do check the gross train weight though.
One of the problems with remaps is that they are not a one size fits all. You mention it has gone from 170bhp to 200. More importantly, what has happened to the torque? Some remaps up this from low revs, but others keep it as per factory spec to save the clutch. If you have the former and you get a new clutch you could run the risk of slipping the clutch at low revs again, it's then a downward spiral as the clutch can glaze and become slippy.
Might be worth taking the car to a rolling road remap company and get a graph.
Does it slip alot when towing? If it only slips when not in an optimal gear then it might not be worth a new clutch. Depends how long u plan to keep car
If its been chipped get it put back to stock, and just fit an after market clutch, if it was the 1.9 tdi, its only £360 to fit a single clutch system instead of the DMF, as I had my clutch changed to this 3 weeks ago, if you live in the midlands contact shark performance who will return the car back to stock, or google for a tuner near you
the old fashioned way of home checking a clutch was to put the car in 2nd with hand brake on & try to drive away normally, if the clutch slipped at all before the engine stalled it was on its way out
also a worn clutch is normally shown if the pedal biting point is very near the top
Well,I have done some homework as I work in a large body shop and am on good terms with suppliers. The Sachs uprated plate and cover will fit the OEM dual mass and come in at £500inc vat, they also fit the LUK dual mass, the local Audi Oem supplier has NOT told me that the OEM dual mass is made by LUK for Audi and Audi charge you £375 for their dual mass while eurocarparts will charge you £175 for the same part!!!! I have taken the car out and done every clutch slip test there is and it's all 100% fine, took the caravan out and although only at MIRO with no wife and kids and driven sensibly it's all fine. I'm keeping the car, it's mint and I've done the oil pump at a cost of 2k, cam belt and all the pulleys etc and it's had the injectors done under recall, think I may just bite the bullet and get the clutch replaced for peace of mind at a cost of 1k...... The Mrs doesn't like the thought of being stuck on a bloody great hill in Cornwall sniffing a burning clutch 😂
This is a bit of a puzzler. according to http://www.towcar.info/outfitmatch.php
the car & van is a good match & should have no problems
personally I would take it to a remap shop & either have it put back to standard or remaps for towing A good remap shop should even have a rolling road & be able to identify the problem. from what you have said it does not appear to be the clutch per se
Quote: Originally posted by Deepseadennis on 04/3/2016
Well,I have done some homework as I work in a large body shop and am on good terms with suppliers. The Sachs uprated plate and cover will fit the OEM dual mass and come in at £500inc vat, they also fit the LUK dual mass, the local Audi Oem supplier has NOT told me that the OEM dual mass is made by LUK for Audi and Audi charge you £375 for their dual mass while eurocarparts will charge you £175 for the same part!!!! I have taken the car out and done every clutch slip test there is and it's all 100% fine, took the caravan out and although only at MIRO with no wife and kids and driven sensibly it's all fine. I'm keeping the car, it's mint and I've done the oil pump at a cost of 2k, cam belt and all the pulleys etc and it's had the injectors done under recall, think I may just bite the bullet and get the clutch replaced for peace of mind at a cost of 1k...... The Mrs doesn't like the thought of being stuck on a bloody great hill in Cornwall sniffing a burning clutch 😂
Take it to an independent for a quote, either single or DM should cost no more than £550 all in depending on who fits it, mine was changed at my local tyre fitters,
Quote: Originally posted by Skoda Bob on 03/3/2016its only £360 to fit a single clutch system instead of the DMF
Wow! if that is parts, labour and VAT that is V. cheap for a new flywheel and clutch.
Yes included parts fitting and vodka and tonic, did not need flywheel as it was already fitted,130,000 miles ago, if it was required the job would have been £420 all in
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Topic: Tow car capability,new to touring and tow
