Clutch Replacement in Dartmouth

Dartmouth is a historic port on the River Dart, with steep, narrow streets, ferries, the Britannia Royal Naval College above the town and a great deal of visitor traffic. Crawling up gradients and queueing on narrow roads are classic ways to wear out a clutch.

Automaster, trading as Clutchmaster, works on clutches for drivers across the South Hams, including Dartmouth. Our garage is at Longcombe Cross near Totnes.

What makes a clutch fail in a hilly port town?

Constant hill starts, stop-start crawling and slow manoeuvres are the three biggest causes of wear. Each time you hold the car on the biting point the clutch is generating heat and removing friction material.

Carrying a full load of passengers and luggage makes it worse. None of this means you are driving badly; it is simply what the town asks of a clutch.

If the clutch has grown stiffer or begun to slip on the way up from the waterfront, treat that as a signal to have it looked at.

Ferry queues and narrow streets leave little chance to coast, so the clutch is in use almost constantly during the busy months.

Which symptoms point to clutch problems?

Look for slipping, judder as you pull away, a high or vague biting point, a pedal that feels heavy, sinks or sticks, a burning smell and difficulty selecting gears.

Pull over and stop if the clutch fails to disengage on a steep road, as that is when problems turn dangerous.

Squealing or grinding as you press the pedal can be a worn release bearing, and a rattle at idle that fades when the pedal is down can be a flywheel issue.

• Slipping or loss of drive
• Judder
• Heavy or sinking pedal
• Burning smell
• Hard to select gears

What does a new clutch and flywheel replacement include?

We fit a new pressure plate, driven plate and release bearing, then inspect the flywheel. Dual-mass flywheels that rattle or have excessive play are replaced with the clutch to protect the new parts.

Where the fault lies in the hydraulics, we repair or replace the master cylinder, slave cylinder or pipework instead, and bleed the system.

We talk through the findings and the options with you, so you know what is a must-do and what can wait.

A clutch that has been slipping for a while is more likely to have affected the flywheel, which is why we look at it before committing to a parts list.

Do you cover Dartmouth, and how do I reach you?

We do. Drivers from Dartmouth, Churston, Brixham, Kingsbridge and Totnes bring cars to Automaster at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, TQ9 6PL.

If your clutch has failed on a Dartmouth hill, ask for advice before moving the car further.

If you work in or near the town and rely on the car, tell us when you ask for a quote so we can discuss the work sensibly.

We work on petrol and diesel cars and vans, and a clutch question from a Dartmouth driver is one we are glad to answer at Automaster.

What affects the time and cost of replacing a clutch?

Model, access to the gearbox, flywheel condition and any hydraulic parts are the main factors. Some cars are more straightforward than others.

We never promise a fixed time. Ask for a quote with your registration and a description of the symptoms.

Tell us also whether the car has a dual-mass flywheel, as this alters the parts and work involved.