A friend has just bought an '02 Clio which has a quite heavy clutch with a high pedal. Is that normal? Is there any way to lower and/or soften the pedal? She has a long term back problem and finds it painful to use.
And don't ask me why she bought the car when it hurts to drive it - if she'd listened to me *at all* she wouldn't have a Renault, would she!
Try a new cable. Other than that it's clutch time.
Cable for heaviness - height as follows (nicked from elsewhere)
Further to my reply to you, Dave, I've been there and I've done it... tricky. This adjustable link has a socket joint at each end, one of which is fitted onto a corresponding ball the top of the clutch pedal, the other the self-adjusting mechanism for the cable. Between these is this adjustable-length bar, consisting of a threaded section (fixed immovably to one socket), a locknut, and a hexagonal section (fixed immovably to the pedal-end socket. It might help to remove the driver's seat, but this carries some wiring, and being a tiny man (5' 2"), I didn't bother. Pad the door sill with mats etc. Have two 10mm open ended spanners handy (the longer the better), and a torch, ideally one that is fitted to a band round your head.... which I haven't got, but wish now I had! Lie on your back and slide in, head first, till you can look up into the pedal mechanisms etc. If you can temporarily press the clutch pedal down all the way, it will be easier to see the link with your torch. Undo the locknut, just a turn or so, release the pedal, pop the socket off the ball on the clutch pedal top (mine just came off when I was stupidly trying to turn the hex section with my spanner - I suggest you lever with a screwdriver blade or such like), and turn the socket by hand in an anti-clockwise direction, i.e. away from the locknut. You'll have to ascertain how much by trial and error, and perhaps with an assistant who can visually judge when the pedal is level with the brake pedal - it's very hard to see when you are lying there upside down in mortal agony. When you're satisfied, refit the socket to the ball and tighten the locknut. Warning: it may be possible to inadvertently unscrew the socket entirely; you'll need to leave it screwed to the threaded shaft by a good number of turns, as it is subjected to enormous tension. Good luck: such a simple adjustment, but so difficult in this confined, dark space.
Excellent, thanks. I thought the clutch release spring would be involved in the heaviness part? Is it always just a cable?
If it's heavy it's normally the cable sticking, the spring is the next bit, Ford used to do soft springs for easier clutch operation, but it shouldn't be an issue on a Clio (assuming it's not a V6)
1.4...
I'll have a dig at the adjustable rod next time I'm over, see how nasty it looks.
Is the clutch cable an easy swap or is there lots of finicky adjusting to do?
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