Overheating Clutch BMW X1

p_r_i_m_e · 31 Jul 2013 at 10:42

My sister has just got a BMW X1 and after 450 miles has had it break down with the no drive and the clutch pedal to the floor, now the dealer are saying she has overheated the clutch, despite it only doing 450 miles (despite only doing about 100 of those miles herself) I find it hard to believe that she could so this on a flat road, and in the last 10 years has never had to change a clutch in any car she's owned.
Even the recovery driver said there was no way she could have done it, and both he and my nephew reported fluid dripping from the bottom of the car, sounds to me like they are trying to get out of a warranty claim.

GravyMonster · 31 Jul 2013 at 10:59

How long has she owned the car? If it's less than 6 months then it's down to the dealership to prove that this fault did not exist on the car when it was sold.

Keep fighting them.

p_r_i_m_e · 31 Jul 2013 at 18:38

it was less than 450 miles from BRAND NEW, it's on some work scheme as her hubby works for mini, the stealers are saying its through riding the clutch I can't see it personally, she's never driven like that in any car I've been in her with, and they haven't even changed it just thrown it back in!

Catanonia · 31 Jul 2013 at 18:40

Get your fighting gear on and don't let them get away with it. Work scheme, trying to fob it off hoping she will cope the blame in the corporate world / contract.

GingerNinja1989 · 31 Jul 2013 at 19:01

Citroen said similar when the clutch in my girlfriend's (then brand new) C2 died.
Nagging the dealer worked for us.

p_r_i_m_e · 31 Jul 2013 at 19:12

I really can't see on a brand new BMX this could happen unless there are faulty parts, the recovery driver and my nephew saw fluid leaking so surely they can see this in the bell housing, worse thing is that they have no faith in the car now, and my sister doesn't want to drive it again, she want's her 13year old saxo back!!

sovietspybob · 31 Jul 2013 at 21:33

Is there a 'cooling off' period with new cars?

If the dealer is being this unhelpful right away after a brand new car sale i wouldn't want anything to do with them or it..

Clarkey · 31 Jul 2013 at 21:40

Blown the slave cylinder out by the sounds of it. New stuff can have teething problems fair enough, but them trying to bull their way out of it? What a crock.

Tom_ed1987 · 31 Jul 2013 at 21:44

Hydraulics fail, nothing to do with clutch abuse. Go back to the service desk and tell them to fix it.

Frozennova · 31 Jul 2013 at 21:46

If its leaking fluid then its nothing to do with an overheated clutch, its a fault in the hydraulic system, as Clarkey says Slave cylinder is the likely culprit. An overheated clutch would most probably slip as its glazed, and the pedal definately would not be going to the floor.

GeX · 31 Jul 2013 at 21:57

You could drag the clutch, cook the slave and make it leak. A Saxo would be a cable clutch, yeah? If she rests her foot on the pedal it probably wouldn't harm the Saxo but could on something with hydraulic.

Just sayin'

Participant · 31 Jul 2013 at 21:58

Dealer name and shame

p_r_i_m_e · 31 Jul 2013 at 22:29

well she's had a 3 series courtesy car all week and hasn't killed that, and she's driven that way more than she had driven the X1, her hubby is dealing with it, seems that the scheme is covered by some sort of insurance policy (as they have new car every 9 months as a employee of BMW group)

p_r_i_m_e · 2 Aug 2013 at 21:03

after getting the HR department at Mini involved (don't know how relevant their input is) the stealers have agreed to change clutch and insurance company are covering costs.
Let's hope this is an end to the farce...

andy_mk3 · 2 Aug 2013 at 21:06

p_r_i_m_e said:
after getting the HR department at Mini involved (don't know how relevant their input is) the stealers have agreed to change clutch and insurance company are covering costs.
Let's hope this is an end to the farce...

It's out of order that you have to go to these efforts to get it done. It's an outrage that she was blamed for the car failing!

p_r_i_m_e · 7 Aug 2013 at 20:05

bit of an update, after a considerable amount of phone calls and getting the HR department at Mini involved (as her hubby got it through a work scheme) the clutch is being changed but as there were none in the country one had to be sent from Germany, she's done 800 miles in the courtesy 3 series and that still has it's clutch intact lol.
It still stinks that they should have to fight so hard for something that is not there fault!