Lumpy/sticky clutch pedal

[Neil Stewart]

Hey, sorry if this has already been asked...looked thru and could see nothing obvious.

My wife has a citroen xsara hatch (not picasso) 1.4l petrol 51 plate 2001 manual.

When driving and lifting the clutch, it has a ridge or stick point about halfway up. The annoying thing is this is right where the bite point is, so is almost impossible to drive without stalling 3 or 4 times a day!

Anyone had similar issues? Is this the clutch or just the cable?

Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance

Neil

 

[Burnerman]

A bit of a million dollar question, this one......the clutch cable has a fairly tortuous route at the back of the engine, where it also gets pretty hot and dries out, giving it a jerky action.
Its fairly simple to disconnect it from under the car, so you can at least see how sticky it is......with someone depressing the pedal, the cable action should be dead smooth.
John

 

[JohnD]

as you have a cable, I would actually buy a new one before you climb underneath and start tinkering with the old one.

If it's 14 years old and has been exposed to heat, water, dirt and grit, it's due a retirement.

 

[Neil Stewart]

Thanks guys...will have a go with the cable first. If it has a tortuous route, does that mean it is a pig of a job? I'm not bad at the basics and have done brakes, valve replacement and even a clutch cable before, but never on a frenchie

Neil

 

[JohnD]

tie (or tape) the new cable to the old one, so that as you pull the old one out, it draws the new one in. Or you can use a piece of string as an interim. You may have to tape round the end to prevent it catching.

 

[Burnerman]

The awkward bit with these is actually connecting the cable to the clutch pedal - very awkward.
If I remember correctly, there's a choice of 3 cables too, which is a bit of a bore.
John