University Dodge - Clutch Problem

[Vipper Rich]

Hope someone has some ideas or suggestions to help me. Had my car in for a new clutch and slave on 10/31/08 and paid $1680. parts and labor. This past Friday as I was driving home the clutch pedal would not go down so I had to leave it on the side of the road till Saturday and had it towed back to University Dodge in Davie. They called me yesterday and the service advisor said the slave went out again and that he understood that the car was in 14 months ago and that they would pay for the parts and wanted me to pay for the labor. I said that sounds fair and asked how much would it be? He tells me it would be $1,000. for labor and I was like really? Cuz last time the labor was about $800. he said nothing. Anyone have anyone they know there or any ideas? I understand it’s warranted for 12 months or 12,000 miles but its been 14 months and I only put on 4,500 miles. Car is a 2000 R/T 10 not really any mods on it and I’ve had it from day one, I don’t race or drive crazy.

 

[Martin]

Hmm... Do you have another tech available to fix the car? First thing I'd do is show them the invoice for the previous job and get them to match that price (assuming labor rates didn't go up 25% in the last year, and the service procedure hasn't changed, how can the price go up?). If they won't do that, I'd get them to order all the parts, and then I'd pick them up and bring them to another tech and let them do the work...

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Clutches seldom go out and often it just takes fresh clutch fluid and the issue goes away.

Seems almost like they are trying to get you to pay for the whole thing. Mark Jorgensen said it should only take 4 hours to change, so at 100 an hour that is $400 --- $1000 should cover a new clutch and labor.

Bill Pemberton
Woodhouse

 

[Fatboy 18]

Yep I would take up their offer on parts and get some one else to fit it
Still a shame that the thing only lasted 14 months

 

[Sellshomesdrivesviper]

Sounds like they are hurting again, they should replace it for free, and say sorry for the trouble.

 

[Vic]

If it lasted over a year, there couldnt be too much wrong with the work they did. If they did something shoddy, seems like it wouldnt have held up even that long. Unless they didnt actually do the clutch and slave last time, and just got by by topping off the fluid or something. What did you orginally bring it in for, in Oct of 08? Was the clutch slipping? Or you couldnt get it to release when you pushed the clutch pedal in? Or something else? Did you actually see them change any parts?

 

[Vipper Rich]

Clutch fluid was empty and on garage floor. Put some in and leaked right out. Had it towed to them. Did not see them do the work as it was towed in and they fixed it - so I thought!

 

[Bobpantax]

Since I do not know Vipper Rich's driving style and we do not know all of the facts, how about reserving judgment until we do. The clutch lasted over a year. It had to have been installed correctly as noted above. A clutch can burn out within a year if someone's clutch habits are less than perfect. University Dodge does a good deal of the work for many local club members who track their cars. There is no other shop as knowledgeable about Vipers in South Florida that is authorized to do warranty repairs. Yes. I am biased. They service my Viper SRTC and my Jeep SRT8 and they just installed a Vortech supercharger kit on my Jeep. I suugest that Vipper discuss the matter with Mark Leslie, the Service Manager. Here is not the place to resolve the problem.

 

[Vipper Rich]

Bob, I’ve had the car for almost 10 years with nothing major going wrong with it (except clutch in 08). My SRT 10 has had nothing wrong with it. I do know how to drive a stick and I have never raced the car. The reason I first went to University was because you and others recommended them on here. My point here is why are they trying to charge me a grand when they replaced the clutch and the slave 14 months ago for only $1680?

 

[Martin]

One problem with jobs like a slave is that you pretty much have to do all the same labor as if the entire clutch assembly was also being replaced. One thing I'd look at carefully is if they somehow made a mistake in the calculations. It wouldn't be the first time that a tech added two labor jobs together to get a quote - if you add the labor for slave replacement to the labor for clutch disk replacement, you might get up to $1000. I agree with Mark at Woodhouse - to R&R the slave, it's about a four hour job for a pro. Probably eight hours for a reasonably adept backyard mechanic without all the fancy tools and lifts.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

... This past Friday as I was driving home the clutch pedal would not go down ....

Just want to understand the issue here - the pedal was stuck in the up position?

 

[Vipper Rich]

Yes, it would not go down.

 

[Vipper Rich]

Called and left message for Mark Leslie - 4 hours ago and still waiting for a call back... Will post when I hear back.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Yes, it would not go down.

This is new to me. Anybody else ever have a problem with the pedal not going down? Usually a bad slave means the pedal falls, is floppy, or won't come up.

And given that it is a leg pushing, it must really be stuck.

 

[Bobpantax]

I found this diagnostic procedure for the stated problem on another site:

One of the hydraulic cylinders may be stuck. It could be either the master or the slave cylinder. Here is how to go about checking it:
Loosen the hydraulic line on the master cylinder a few turns and see if the pedal can be depressed. Fluid should come out of the fitting. If the pedal still cannot be pushed down the problem is in the master cylinder or the pedal linkage.
If fluid comes out and the pedal goes down, the problem may be with the slave cylinder or the clutch. Tighten the line at the master cylinder and open the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder and push the pedal down. See if fluid comes out. If so, the slave cylinder my be stuck. Remove it and see if the pushrod can be pushed in. If it's ok, there is a problem with the clutch and the transmission has to be removed to inspect it.

 

[Martin]

I was thinking the same thing (along with all the stupid jokes about 'if it doesn't go down for four hours, seek medical attention', blah, blah...).

I've never seen a slave fail that way, either - but I suppose it's possible if the assembly completely froze up but isn't leaking any fluid.

 

[Dom426h]

Tom, Bob, & Martin, Bingo/Bingo/Bingo


Rich, have you called the wizard to ask if he has ever ran into a similar situation?

 

[Dom426h]

ahhh, i see he's looking at the thread right now...

 

[Viper Wizard]

Rich, have you called the wizard to ask if he has ever ran into a similar situation?

The only one I've come across with a solid/stuck clutch pedal, it ended up being the clutch master.

 

[Dom426h]

Hmmm, so it is possible that it might be a waste of time and $ to re-do the slave... I'd have another viper mechanic take a look at her to verify.
Seeing this thread, it looks like the master is Much easier to replace than the slave:
http://forums.viperclub.org/rt-10-g...eed-air-out-your-hydraulic-clutch-system.html

You must be registered for see images

i remember on my miata, i could take my wheel off and replace the slave in 15min... and bleed her in 5
The vipers clutch system has me just thinking about bleeding the system or changing the slave

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

I found this diagnostic procedure for the stated problem on another site:

One of the hydraulic cylinders may be stuck. It could be either the master or the slave cylinder. Here is how to go about checking it:
Loosen the hydraulic line on the master cylinder a few turns and see if the pedal can be depressed. Fluid should come out of the fitting. If the pedal still cannot be pushed down the problem is in the master cylinder or the pedal linkage.
If fluid comes out and the pedal goes down, the problem may be with the slave cylinder or the clutch. Tighten the line at the master cylinder and open the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder and push the pedal down. See if fluid comes out. If so, the slave cylinder my be stuck. Remove it and see if the pushrod can be pushed in. If it's ok, there is a problem with the clutch and the transmission has to be removed to inspect it.

Good info. Need lots of rags to prevent the brake fluid from squirting or leaking on paint.

The only comment I would add is that the hose connecting master and slave has a quick release fitting which shuts off both ends when disconnected. If this connection "failed" it might be preventing fluid flow from master to slave?

 

[Vipper Rich]

I'm still waiting for a call back. Tried calling service advisor and got "voice mail box is full" goodbye. Real nice - I can't leave a msg or get a call back.

 

[Tom Sessions]

I ran into this at the track once. Race car on track everything is fine. goes to shift the car steps on the clutch changes gears and lets up on the pedal and nothing. Thinking he missed a gear goes to press the clutch again and the pedal is rock hard. The car would still roll if he put it in gear with the engine off. Found the quick connect fitting at the slace cylinder came loose when he steppedon the pedal and it was keeping the clutch disengauged. Opened the bleed screw reconnected the line bled the clutch out and sent him backout. He had just had the clutch replaced and the tech thought he had reconnected the line completely it did hold for about 3 hours of track time before coming loose.

Do you recall if the car would not roll if you put it in gear with the engine off?

 

[Vipper Rich]

Don't recall, could not shift and put car in neutral and then pushed it to the side of the road ( I was in a turning lane and had to push to get it to the side of the road)

 

[eucharistos]

....put car in neutral and then pushed it to the side of the road ( I was in a turning lane and had to push to get it to the side of the road)

man, that would stink

 

[coupe]

If a slave "goes out," the pedal usually goes to the floor and you loose resistance... The diagnosis of Master cylinder is more than likely correct, but it also might just be something in a bind with the linkage that connects the clutch pedal to the master cylinder rod. That is up under the dash, so have a look and see if something is stuck, crooked, etc.. before taking it in.

Either way... $1000 sounds excessive. Sure it's a Viper, but it's not a difficult trans-pull and clutch job.

 

[Vipper Rich]

Just got back from picking the car up, it was the slave cylinder and got them down to $625 for the labor and they paid for the slave. Still seems a a little high but down from the $1000.

 

[eucharistos]

better than a sharp stick in the eye

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Just got back from picking the car up, it was the slave cylinder and got them down to $625 for the labor and they paid for the slave. Still seems a a little high but down from the $1000.

Any more details; the slave is kinda what we were all not guessing...

 

[Tom Sessions]

I think I would have asked to see the old parts.