Hey guys! Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I don't really work on my own car. (Which probably makes me crazy for getting a Fiero, right?)
The last time I drove my Fiero Indy, I slipped the clutch pretty badly while pulling it into the garage. The clutch pedal was all the way out but I got hardly any torque, and a horrible burning smell. The clutch itself probably has less than 1000 miles on it but the car has only been driven a few hundred miles (if that) in the last 10 years.
So, is there a simple adjustment or maintenance that needs to be done, or did I burn up my clutch completely? Is this just due to sitting and not being driven? Is the car safe to drive in its current state, or will this continue to happen?
No adjustments to the system, its hydraulic rather than mechanical. As you describe your problem, it sounds as though your clutch is slipping badly. Probably need to have someone work on your car and install a new clutch assembly....
Burning out the clutch in that short a time would require a tremendous amount of slipping on a very very long and steep driveway, but I agree with the description of your symptoms. The clutch needs to be replaced. Probably the pressure plate as well. Could be that you've glazed the flywheel, too requiring it to need a slight regrind of it's surface. If the assembly is that new, you can save a little money by just buying a clutch and disk set without the throwout bearing.
I wouldn't drive the car until it's repaired. At a critical time like pulling out into a street or accelerating to pass or change lanes, you don't need a clutch slipping and leaving you in the path of an oncoming vehicle. Usually clutch slippage shows up in the higher gears, first. If it's beginning to slilp in the lower gears, it's pretty serious and you're only going to do more damage to the flywheel.
Contact Virginia Fieros http://www.vafieros.com/ I think Bob Carlson is still president. They may be able to direct you to a member or a Fiero friendly garage that will save you bundles of money. I've heard of garages charging as much as $1500 to replace a clutch. You should be able to get it done for 1/3 that if you check around.
Report back and let us know how things go. Welcome to the Fiero world. Fieros, the best school of automobile mechanics that you can find.
The question still remains, if the clutch was just replaced a thousand miles ago, why would it be slipping already?
The original owner also included the previous clutch. (At 112k miles, I assume it's not the original.) I don't know if it would be useful at all.
The VA Fiero club is based in southeast VA and I am in the DC area, so I doubt they would know much about shops in the area. I don't know of a club in this area, although I know there is a Mason-Dixon club in MD. There's also a guy who lives near me and owns 4 or 5 Fieros but he does his own work, so I'm not sure he can recommend a shop.
And no, it's not a long driveway at all, and only a slight grade. I was literally just pulling the last 15 feet into my garage. And I hadn't noticed any slipping prior to this. In fact if you read the article at http://www.carmocracy.com/c...ntext-pontiac-fiero/ the blogger had just driven it back from our photo shoot and commented on how heavy the clutch was.
No adjustments to the system, its hydraulic rather than mechanical. As you describe your problem, it sounds as though your clutch is slipping badly. Probably need to have someone work on your car and install a new clutch assembly....
If it's hydraulic, would it slip if the hydraulic fluid is low? I've seen others talk about bleeding the clutch... is that possibly what it needs?
...the blogger had just driven it back from our photo shoot and commented on how heavy the clutch was.
"...the clutch is exhaustingly heavy"
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Originally posted by Indypacecars:
If it's hydraulic, would it slip if the hydraulic fluid is low? I've seen others talk about bleeding the clutch... is that possibly what it needs?
The hydraulics are used to dis-engage the clutch. You appear to have the opposite problem.
You say there are barely any miles on the clutch. Perhaps there's a bad oil leak working it's way onto the friction surfaces, or possibly the clutch was never assembled properly after it was replaced and now it's failed completely. (Unless the blogger was a total wimp, the clutch shouldn't have been "exhaustingly heavy").
Clutches simply don't wear out that fast. It would take a LOT of abuse to wear down the friction material in a short amount of time.
This is a long shot... but are you sure the parking brake is releasing?
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 04-22-2014).]
The clutch is a beast, but I always chalked that up to not being driven much. It's actually gotten better recently, or maybe I am just used to it. The first few times I drove the car, it was quite a workout between the clutch and no power steering.
Y'know, the e-brake IS a possibility. The blogger drove it back to my house and parked it in the driveway before I put it away. It's possible the brake didn't get completely disengaged before I tried to pull her in.
[This message has been edited by Indypacecars (edited 04-22-2014).]
Check your clutch pedal and make sure it's not seized to the shaft. Hydraulic clutches should not be that stiff. I can dis-engage mine with my hand. Also check the rod at the shaft pivot.
[This message has been edited by tebailey (edited 04-22-2014).]
Check your clutch pedal and make sure it's not seized to the shaft. Hydraulic clutches should not be that stiff. I can dis-engage mine with my hand. Also check the rod at the shaft pivot.
This should give you an idea of how mechanically un-inclined I am: You lost me at "seized to the shaft."
If the pedal isn't coming back up, and keeping the clutch dis-engaged the clutch will slip. If you can, unhook the clutch rod from the pedal and make sure the rod and pedal move nice and easy.
[This message has been edited by tebailey (edited 04-22-2014).]
If the clutch is a beast, then you may have a faulty pressure plate which would require removing the transmission and replacing it. Remember that the 84 was designed as a commuter car and became a bit of a 'girlie' car. Lots of nice pretty trim and skinny legs pumping on that clutch pedal in stop and go traffic. My first Fiero had a very hard clutch, and it turned out to be a bad pressure plate.
Check with the guy you mentioned who did all the work on his own cars. Many of us who do our own work also help others to do work on theirs. It's a Fiero thing.
If the clutch is a beast, then you may have a faulty pressure plate which would require removing the transmission and replacing it. Remember that the 84 was designed as a commuter car and became a bit of a 'girlie' car. Lots of nice pretty trim and skinny legs pumping on that clutch pedal in stop and go traffic. My first Fiero had a very hard clutch, and it turned out to be a bad pressure plate.
Check with the guy you mentioned who did all the work on his own cars. Many of us who do our own work also help others to do work on theirs. It's a Fiero thing.
Joel (Xantheon on PFF I believe?) helped me out a bunch already. In fact I owe him a radio. But he has a new baby so I don't want to bother him too much.
Update: I had the Fiero out a few weeks ago and had no problems with the clutch.
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Originally posted by tebailey:
If the clutch was not clean and full of oil, or the flywheel glazed it can cause slipping.
By "full of oil", do you mean that oil leaking from the engine could get into the clutch and cause it to slip? That's certainly a possibility because the car does leak oil and had been driven around a bit before parking it -- not far, but more than just twice around the block, which is all I really did on my last drive.
The last time I drove my Fiero Indy, I slipped the clutch pretty badly while pulling it into the garage. The clutch pedal was all the way out but I got hardly any torque, and a horrible burning smell.
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Originally posted by Patrick:
This is a long shot... but are you sure the parking brake is releasing?
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Originally posted by Indypacecars:
Y'know, the e-brake IS a possibility. The blogger drove it back to my house and parked it in the driveway before I put it away. It's possible the brake didn't get completely disengaged before I tried to pull her in.
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Originally posted by Indypacecars:
Update: I had the Fiero out a few weeks ago and had no problems with the clutch.
Well if it was the e-brake and not the clutch, then sure. Or, if oil in the clutch burned off or dried after the last time I drove it, it wouldn't slip either. It wouldn't mean the problem is "fixed", but would help explain it.
Probly was the Ebrake then huh? I have smelled clutch in cars before and they still worked for years. One gooood burn tho and it might be toast. Either way it shortened its life.