Dmmcclair

Hey everyone, my name is Drew and a friend of mine has an 08 xB. Currently she is wondering why power is gone. Rpm spikes from 2400~ up to 5000 rpm with no torque and no horsepower delivery, getting from a stop up to highway speed has become impossible. I've checked the linkage and components on the dash side of her clutch, it's clear to me her clutch is shot, also the only gear that can hold the car anymore (when parking, not using e brake, on a less than 4 degree slope, standard drive way) is 1st. Second thru 5th have no power and don't fully engage. I have a few questions for you all.
A little about the current state of the car:
130k+ miles. Not quite 131k
Well maintained
She never forgets to do oil, the brakes, tires, she's had all the lines checked.
Obviously it's a manual

Questions:
1) How many of you have noticed that nowhere in her service manual that came with the car does it ever mention a transmission service?
2) I know her car has 130k and I fully expect clutch problems at around that mile count, but I've rarely seen serious tranny issues with a car like this and less than 150k.
3) anyone want to recommend a good place to get a trans replacement in the Baltimore/Columbia MD area?

Greg S

iTrader: (1)

I just replaced my clutch at 127K and it was getting close to paper thin. I would suspect the clutch and if it's that bad she'll need the flywheel resurfaced at the least probably replaced. Sorry, cant help on where to get it done, wrong coast.

x2x3

If the check engine light is on, have the codes pulled

gedster314

Sounds like a clutch to me. Seems a little early but it depends how you drive. On my Jetta TDI the clutch went at 190K and my Toyota Truck 200K. Every other manual I owned I sold without having to do a clutch. I baby my clutches and don't down shift when stopping, brakes are cheaper and easier to repair than a clutch, I also don't slip the clutch much on hills or stop lights.

The old cable clutches, you had plenty of warning when it was going out and you had to adjust the cable a couple times in it's life. Hydraulic clutches give you virtually no warning. Once they start slipping, they go the rest of the way very quickly. In my Jetta, I had no symptoms, then one morning it started slipping and by the end of the day the car could not move it self.

Manual Transmission issues usually start with grawling, a rummble or one gear being difficult and slowly get worse over time. If it's a clutch, the symptoms come on fast with slipping and then going into gear issues. Should be a $300-$500 repair.

HATEnFATE

A clutch might be a 3-500 dollar repair if you're doing the work yourself. If you have a shop replace a clutch, you're looking at a 1k+ figure generally.

gedster314

$1K at Stealership prices, yes. I took my my car to a TDI mechanic I knew and trusted, bought the parts from specialty wholesaler that dealt directly with Sachs cutting out the VW margin. VW parts are seem more expensive than Toyota parts.

Greg S

iTrader: (1)

Ran me $420 for install on my TRD clutch with my mechanic. But yeah, dealer pricing will quickly get you around the $1K mark. The labor is a bear. Lots to remove just to get to the clutch even with my stock air box and battery gone from the engine bay. I'm fine with paying for that to be done. All I have to do is drop it off in the morning and pick up after work. It would take me three times as long to do it at home.