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Clutch Trouble -- Opinions, Please

A few days ago, I replaced the coolant temperature sensor in my '01 Jetta, 2.0 engine. When you pull out the old sensor, about a quart of coolant spills out, lands right on top of the clutch and tranny. I don't think there's anything I could have done to prevent that, other than draining the cooling system before pulling the sensor.

Anyway, immediately after this, the clutch is suddenly grabby. It makes the whole car shudder when it engages. Seems like more than just a coincidence with the coolant sensor change. Hasn't gotten better after a couple of days, I thought if coolant had gotten into the clutch housing somehow, it would have "burned off" after a while.

Isn't the clutch housing sealed? Could coolant be doing this? Anyone experience this too, and if so, can you tell me how it turned out for you?

Thanks!

Reply to
Brian Running
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Sorry I don't know a bout the clutch, but there are a couple of tricks to reduce or eliminate the leakage when you do that. Check out

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for ideas and you may want to check there for information about the clutch. Just don't tell them if you don't have the TDI (Diesel) :-)

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Should have done the engine when cold. Remove and install the coolant cap and then replace the ECT. Total loose would have been only a few onces. I do them hot because customer don't like to wait until the car cools..

Reply to
Lost In Space/Woodchuck

Do you think it could have something to the clutch, or did I coincidentally develop an unrelated clutch problem?

Reply to
Brian Running

Unless you have the timing hole opened up, it should be pretty much impossible to foul the clutch with anything. It's possible the timing hole cover is leaking, but that seems pretty unlikely for such a new car.

I agree that if there is coolant on the clutch, I think it would eventually burn off. Might take a good long while though, unless you do a lot of stop-n-go driving to really heat it up.

Reply to
tylernt

It's already almost completely back to normal, which tells me that it almost certainly was the coolant that did it -- I'm surprised that there's an opening into which the coolant could leak -- I'll have to probe around in there to see if an opening is visible.

Reply to
Brian Running

Glad to hear it. Older VWs had a dual plastic plug for the timing hole that you could pop the middle out or unscrew the whole thing. If newer ones still have something similar, you should be able to get a new one for a couple bucks and seal up your car pretty easily.

Reply to
tylernt

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