Has anybody found the real cure?

[AviatorEGHH]

Hi, I'm sorry if this is a repeated thread but looking through the threads and other forums I still can't find the answer!

I am talking about the sticking clutch pedal after hard driving on the B7 RS4.

I have had the upgraded pipe installed and it didn't help.

A quick summary - My clutch is fine and not slipping. If I drive like miss daisy it's un noticeable but that's not why I bought an RS4. If I accelerate hard the next gear change will feel strange due to the clutch semi sticking at about halfway on release. It always comes all the way to the top (touch wood) but feels wrong. If I then drive slowly again the clutch goes back to feeling normal, so what is it that is causing this temporary sticky feel?

This didn't happen over time. It was an instant thing. I was driving and everything was fine and the next time I accelerated it wasn't fine anymore.

Please help...

[ashbash107]

I also have the same issue

[AviatorEGHH]

Hi Ashbash,

Amazingly this seems quite common. Unfortunately however, whatever the cure is, it seems to involve removing the gearbox which means everybody just gets the whole clutch done while their in there and the part that is actually causing this issue remains a mystery.

I now have my car booked in for the gearbox removal, further investigation and most likely a new clutch unless the thing looks new from the inside (which I don't think it will as it's the original with 70,000miles)

I shall report back when it is done and hopefully I will have an idea of what actually causes this. What I dread is that this gets done and the issue remains.

Good luck with yours and please let me know if you find anything out!

[Bladerider]

If it puts anyones mind at ease - Ive done over 60k miles with mine like this, with no issues or failures, and as you can see by my spec below its not exactly a car park queen thats standard and never used !!

[AviatorEGHH]

Hi Bladerider,

I admire your patience. I bought this car because I wanted an amazing car to drive in all weather conditions. For a year and a half it was exactly that. Now for the last few months I have had this issue and I feel the car is not what it should be.

I am fortunate enough to live very close to a dual carriage way which means I can blast the car every time I get in it. Unfortunately this means I notice this issue every single time I drive the car. I can even say I don't enjoy driving it anymore considering I can't trust it, I can't judge the bite points of the clutch and I can't do fast gear changes after the first gear blast and driving smoothly at speed is almost impossible.

I just wish I knew what was wrong with it. I like to understand the mechanical workings of the machinery I use and this issue just doesn't make sence. To anybody apparently!

[AviatorEGHH]

Update:

Well, my car went in for an MOT and possible diagnosis of this clutch issue. The MOT is another story but as for the clutch diagnosis we still have no answers. After a test drive with me in the car urging my mechanic to push the car harder and in higher revs he eventually felt the problem that I have been complaining about. Due to the issue only occurring after high rev gear changes he reckons that the issue may actually be to do with the fly wheel. It could possibly be some sort of return spring not doing it's job properly or maybe a lever arm but due to the high revs requirement, he reckons the fly wheel is at fault but can't confirm anything until the gearbox is out. Due to the fly wheel being the possible fault and that adding another £1000 to the repair I have decided to leave it for the time being. Hopefully it'll break properly and then I'll know what's wrong and I'll have to fix it. If it holds out then I'll part exchange it for an RS6 and give the problem to someone else. Hopefully Audi!

I would still be really happy to hear from anybody else who has managed to solve this issue.

Cheers Dudes

[AviatorEGHH]

Update:

Well, my car went in for an MOT and possible diagnosis of this clutch issue. The MOT is another story but as for the clutch diagnosis we still have no answers. After a test drive with me in the car urging my mechanic to push the car harder and in higher revs he eventually felt the problem that I have been complaining about. Due to the issue only occurring after high rev gear changes he reckons that the issue may actually be to do with the fly wheel. It could possibly be some sort of return spring not doing it's job properly or maybe a lever arm but due to the high revs requirement, he reckons the fly wheel is at fault but can't confirm anything until the gearbox is out. Due to the fly wheel being the possible fault and that adding another £1000 to the repair I have decided to leave it for the time being. Hopefully it'll break properly and then I'll know what's wrong and I'll have to fix it. If it holds out then I'll part exchange it for an RS6 and give the problem to someone else. Hopefully Audi!

I would still be really happy to hear from anybody else who has managed to solve this issue.

Cheers Dudes

[marc1]

^ if you do part ex it, remember to post. Up the registration on here so any potential victims don't get bitten by the issue.

If you, or anyone else does want to try to resolve it, however it's due to the clutch return pipe. Do a forum search for "clutch pipe Robnic" and you'll find threads where Rob has explained the issue, and had a higher fade replacement fabricated to prevent a reoccurrence. That said, if you already have the issue, it's highly likely your clutch and flywheel are on their way out.

Out of interest how many miles are on your B7 AviatorEGHH?

[marc1]

Double post

[AviatorEGHH]

Hi Marc,
70,000miles. Because of the Audi service bulletin that described my car's symptoms exactly and said if you have these symptoms and no other symptoms then the problem is the return pipe. If there are any other symptoms then it wont be the return pipe. My car doesn't have any other symptoms so I was confident a new return pipe would solve the issue. I have had the new upgraded return pipe installed and the issue is exactly as it was before. So it's not the return pipe unfortunately.

Btw, I have no clutch slip and it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Again this only occurs on hard acceleration through 1st, 2nd and 3rd up to high revs (over 6500). Under any other driving conditions the clutch feels completely normal. TBH I don't often accelerate hard into 4th and 5th because your already into licence losing speeds.

[marc1]

The 'new' pipe is no different from the old one. You need the updated aftermarket one. The dealer isn't going to help you with this. They'll gladly change it all but like you say, it will be back again anyway. You can't tell the extent of the clutch and flywheel until you take it out and inspect it. 70miles is getting on for new clutch /flywheel time anyway, dependant on the life the car has had.

Where are you based?

[AviatorEGHH]

Thanks for your replies.

I don't use Audi but all the guys I use are Audi trained initially (ie.Have worked for Audi). I was told the updated pipe had been modified and I was also under the impression that if the old one lasted 70,000 miles then putting a new one in, even if it was the same, would solve some problems temporarily (for the next 70,000 miles or so).

This is also an issue that didn't develop over time. One day it was fine and the next day it wasn't. Or should I say, one blast off it was fine and the next one wasn't and it has been the same ever since and it is also not intermittent. I can demonstrate this problem whenever I want.

I am based in Poole. I have had the car for the last 10,000miles and I don't know much about the driving life of the car before that. I have looked after it very well and the history in the books is good.

Cheers.

[marc1]

Was going to recommend going to see Robnic (he owns a highly capable garage and has worked on a number of these cars, including his own), but he's too far up north for you I would suspect. Maybe drop him a PM and see if he could offer you
Some advise.

[AviatorEGHH]

Will do thanks.

[Worldrider]

I am now dealing with the exact same issue. Please post any updates. I am going to try installing the modified pipe, and will let you know if that cures the issue here or not.