My Ka not very well today!

[welshlibranr]

I went to the shops, noticed a slight popping/rattling sound when stationary at the traffic lights, drove home, on the way seemed a bit difficult to change from 2nd to 3rd gear, and down again, when I arrived home there was a definate rattling sound!..........what could it be?.........

[welshlibranr]

no warning lights methyl,I kept checking for them!............nothing!

[welshlibranr]

not checked or water methyl!..........just parked it and left it there!.....not good with cars making the wrong noises!..........my mechanic usually does all that!...........

[welshlibranr]

sorry that's oil or water methyl!..............

[Andyvon]

Cars tend to emit all manner of noises from a variety of sources Welshlibranr. Your mechanic should have a good idea from listening to it. You don't give much information but if you had trouble finding 2nd and 3rd gears the problem could be the clutch, gearbox or selector mechanism.

I would get it seen to as quickly as you can. Good luck with it.

[welshlibranr]

thanks Andy!......taking it to my mechanic in the morning, he's a great guy!......sure he'll sort it!.......bit worried that it may be the gearbox though!......my OH seems to think it may be a problem with the linkage!......tried to appear as though I know what he means, but really, haven't a clue!............lol.........

[Andyvon]

HI Welshlibranr.

That was my first thought which is why I said selector mechanism (or linkage). Many car gear linkages have nylon bushes, bolts etc which can wear or become loose. It needs someone to have a look though and they'll soon pinpoint the problem. If it is the linkage that will be fairly straightforward and cheap to repair. It might be that a bolt just need re-tightening!

Good luck W. I'm sure it'll be fine in no time.

[welshlibranr]

Andy thankyou!.....hope that's all it is!........will let you know!.....fingers crossed!............do not need a big repair bill!.......

[welshlibranr]

quick update!..........my mechanic had a look today, he thinks it's the clutch on the way out!.............happy days!..........he'll drop the gearbox and have a look, when he gets back from his 2 week hols!.......he says use it around town until then!..............not happy to do this at all!.........need to find a new mechanic and get it sorted!..........

[AlBags]

Use it Welsh ..
He just doesnt want you to go too far in it.
Easy job tho.

[Andyvon]

Sorry to hear that your mechanic's making you wait Welshlibranr as you need it sorting straight away really. If the clutch is starting to fail then I'd be concerned that it will fail completely in the next two weeks, especially if you just drive round town as you are then working the clutch all the time in traffic. If an inspection shows that the clutch is the problem (worn or slipping) then that's a fairly straightforward job for any mobile mechanic or garage. The average clutch takes about 3 or 4 hours to change, including cups of tea! Most garages (except dealers) should all charge about the same for parts and labour for a clutch. It might be a good idea to go to three different places and get quotes. Most garages have a book giving a set price and time for certain jobs on different cars and a clutch is a very standard job.

If the inspection shows the problem isn't the clutch, it usually makes sense to replace the clutch anyway once the gearbox has been removed as most of the labour has been done and paid for by then. You'll then know the clutch is new and you won't have to pay to drop the gearbox all over again in a year's time when the clutch does go. If the problem isn't the clutch then any mechanic worthy of the name will be able to pin-point the noise and renew or repair whatever part is faulty. (I'm a bit puzzled by the 'popping' noise though).

Good luck W. Keep us posted.

[welshlibranr]

Thanks Andy, I don't feel happy about driving it in this state, the popping noise has been replaced by a rattle, only there when the clutch is depressed, my mechanic is always very good at diagnosing problems, and is sure the clutch is on the way out, he did say there's a bit of life left in it, so use it locally, but not going to do this!....afraid of it packing up all together!......am going to get quotes for the work on Monday, until then it's staying where it is!.......

[Andyvon]

That's a good idea Welshlibranr. However, most places are open tomorrow morning so it might be worth giving a few a call. They will be able to give you a very good estimate of the cost as changing a clutch is a common and standard procedure.

PS. There is one thing to bear in mind. Some clutch plates are quite cheap because they only have about a third of the friction material than others that are more expensive. That means the clutch will only last a third as long! When you do get quotes make sure you are getting a good quality clutch plate and not a cheap thin one.

[welshlibranr]

Methyl, it's a 1300cc KA style I think, 04 registered, has done 60,000 miles

[welshlibranr]

Oh thanks for that Andy!.......wouldn't have known about that!....will make sure I check on that when I get quotes!......