Should I put a new clutch in before I sell?

[SteveR]

I have had my '04 since new and it has been a great car, but I have an '11 on the way so I will be selling soon. Yesterday I had it in for the coil pack update and a once over to be sure everything is in good shape. The tech said clutch take up is too late and there is some slippage in low gears. He is probably right but honestly I never noticed it. The car has 60k miles. They quoted about 2.8k with labor.

I am torn. I don't like selling cars with any unresolved issues, and I don't think buyers care for it much either. However, 3k may be more than I would add to the value of the car given how well it drives. Also, if I were buying the car I would like the chance to pick out an updated clutch system.

I dunno. Should I just sell it as is?

[PSU S4]

if you haven't noticed the slipping then it is probably a fictional problem that the "stealers" aka dealers do when they want to pull some money out of customers. Go out and test your car thru the gears and see if its right.

For all you know the mechanic could have just been ripping around in your car and he smoked it a little and then it was slipping.

Good luck but 60k is pretty low for be already replacing the clutch

[kbjy11]

you should take a closer look when driving to see if it's actually slipping.

the dealership could be trying to pull a fast one on you. clutch in 60k miles seems a bit early, no? My car has double that mileage and still on the original clutch. Still grabs ok.

But either way, i wouldn't repair it. If the car is drivable, you'll never see that money back.

[hihosilver]

60k isnt too low, clutches can go after 2k if the driver cant shift smoothly. I bought my B6 with 13k on the clock and had to replace the clutch at 15k. Either way 28hun is effin robbery. I got an ECS RA4 STG 2 w/ lightweight flywheel installed for 17hun total and its holdin strong with 85k on the clock now.

I'll say this though, havin to drop 2k on a car you just bought is NO FUN, i wanted to hunt the original owner down and kill for sellin a car that needed so much maintaonence becaise it wasnt properly maintained and obvioisly abused. It was clean though, lol...

[Sigster]

If you haven't noticed it and can't tell that the clutch is slipping now don't sweat it. If it is slipping I'd replace it. Selling it slipping will put off a lot of buyers even if you drop the price of the car for them to replace it themselves. These days buyers are hard to find. I know it sucks but you do need to sleep at night. Everybody is trying to upsale these day weather you really need it or not.

[jS4]

It's expected when buying a used car that something might need fixing. It's the buyer's responsibility to make that assessment. Used car dealers buy cars from auctions and turn around and sell them to customers all the time without repairing a thing.

[dparm]

Sell it as is and just say, "the tech suggested a new clutch but it feels fine to me."

[SteveR]

Sell it as is and just say, "the tech suggested a new clutch but it feels fine to me."

I was leaning toward this. I am of course a fantastic driver/shifter and have done maybe one or two hole shots in the entire life of the car. However, I have done a few track days and I suppose the clutch take up is probably a little later than it used to be. It's really hard to say as it is the only manual car I drive. I can't say I can tell if there is any slippage in low gears.

On the other hand, I think mentioning an impending major service will put most buyers off.

[dparm]

Clutches wear. The take-up will change very gradually. I honestly wouldn't sweat this too much.

[AndyGs4]

Sell it as is and just say, "the tech suggested a new clutch but it feels fine to me."

^^ This...

[TI317]

Be up front about it, tell the prospective buyer that the dealer suggested a clutch change but you don't think it needs it. Let him/her have it checked by his/her mechanic. You will gain credibility and most likely get closer to your asking price. Be prepared to make some allowance in price towards the clutch, say $750-$1000, depending on what the mechanic says.
If you reveal the problems that you know, people will generally tend to believe you when you say I know that this car runs well and you can often hold the line of the price much better.

[ChrisF]

I think if I was buying a car, I'd be more apt to go towards the guy that is willing to admit a few problems with a car, than the guy who goes "THIS CAR RUNS GREAT! ABSOLUTE STEAL! NOTHING WRONG!"

Honesty goes pretty far. It also helps you sleep at night.

[SquiddyB6S4]

Be up front about it, tell the prospective buyer that the dealer suggested a clutch change but you don't think it needs it. Let him/her have it checked by his/her mechanic. You will gain credibility and most likely get closer to your asking price. Be prepared to make some allowance in price towards the clutch, say $750-$1000, depending on what the mechanic says.
If you reveal the problems that you know, people will generally tend to believe you when you say I know that this car runs well and you can often hold the line of the price much better.

+1


60k isnt too low, clutches can go after 2k if the driver cant shift smoothly. I bought my B6 with 13k on the clock and had to replace the clutch at 15k. Either way 28hun is effin robbery. I got an ECS RA4 STG 2 w/ lightweight flywheel installed for 17hun total and its holdin strong with 85k on the clock now.

I'll say this though, havin to drop 2k on a car you just bought is NO FUN, i wanted to hunt the original owner down and kill for sellin a car that needed so much maintaonence becaise it wasnt properly maintained and obvioisly abused. It was clean though, lol...

Um, nice. You have an A4. That's why your clutch was so cheap, and labor cheaper as well.

If you're honest with the seller that it will likely need a clutch in the next 10k or 20k miles, and that the dealership said it needed one, but you think it was just a guy ripping on your car, then you'll be fine. Expect maybe to drop the price a smidge, but not the whole $3k cost of the service. Half that, tops.

[AndyGs4]

BTW, I am assuming the $2.8K quoted was from a dealer.

A good indy shop would likely handle the job for an OEM replacement for 1900 - 2300...if not less.

[SteveR]

I talked to a motorcycle mechanic friend of mine about it and he said when a clutch is starting to go the first place you notice it is in high gears, not low gears. Makes sense to me. I don't notice any slipping in high gears so I think the Audi tech was wrong about the low gear slipping. If only he hadn't typed out his assessment on my last service sheet..

[HighDesertAudi]

I talked to a motorcycle mechanic friend of mine about it and he said when a clutch is starting to go the first place you notice it is in high gears, not low gears.

That is usually correct as there is a greater load placed on the clutch in higher gears. Also judging clutch life by the engagement point is not the best idea with these cars due to the SAC mechanism.

With that said, the previous owner of my car replaced the clutch shortly before selling to me. It's nice to have a new clutch in there, but it makes me wonder why it would need one after only 65k miles.

[ieatfishburitos]

Yep I've been through some clutches in my day and they are always detectable in HIGH gears if there is any slipping. I don't think you can detect slipping in low gears and not notice it grossly in high gears... I think they were just trying to sell you a clutch - Sell it / trade it in and don't mention it.

[hihosilver]

I was leaning toward this. I am of course a fantastic driver/shifter and have done maybe one or two hole shots in the entire life of the car. However, I have done a few track days and I suppose the clutch take up is probably a little later than it used to be. It's really hard to say as it is the only manual car I drive. I can't say I can tell if there is any slippage in low gears.

On the other hand, I think mentioning an impending major service will put most buyers off.

in Massachssetts ee have "lemon laws" that make the seller responsible for any repairs that need be nade withjn 30 days of sale. Do you have any such laws in your area?

[ieatfishburitos]

in Massachssetts ee have "lemon laws" that make the seller responsible for any repairs that need be nade withjn 30 days of sale. Do you have any such laws in your area?

I'd suspect items subject to usage like a clutch would not be covered under the lemon law you're describing. Hell then if I bought a car in MA i'd burn the clutch up on purpose just to get a new one... lol that can't be valid for wear and tear items.

[SteveR]

in Massachssetts ee have "lemon laws" that make the seller responsible for any repairs that need be nade withjn 30 days of sale. Do you have any such laws in your area?

I don't know for sure. If there is such a law here, I would be fine with that. I'm not interested in screwing anyone. I just don't want to blow 3k on a repair the car doesn't need. I'm satisfied now that the clutch is fine. If I'm wrong, I wouldn't have a problem buying the new owner a new clutch.

[AndyGs4]

^^ Lemon laws typically only apply to un-disclosed issues.

If you tell a potential buyer that it has been recommended that you replace the clutch, then they buy the car and replace the clutch, they can't send you a bill. If you say nothing, and they buy the car and the clutch blows on the way home, you may fall under a lemon law.

Besides, iirc Lemon Laws only apply to licensed dealers.

[HamidsVikes]

first off... 2.8K... are you serious?
thats nutz bro... the stealership is back at it...on my old o3 A4 it cost me $1100 to replace the cluch!
I did get a great deal, but at the most it should be $1600!

but to answer your question...
no you should not replace!
if you dont feel it... screw it... and if the a buyer mensions it, just tell them that its the original clutch, but its still fine (as you dont feel any slipage)..
if however they fuss over it, or they feel it, then give then take $800 or so off the price... kinda like splitting the diffrence!

[SquiddyB6S4]

first off... 2.8K... are you serious?
thats nutz bro... the stealership is back at it...on my old o3 A4 it cost me $1100 to replace the cluch!
I did get a great deal, but at the most it should be $1600!

A4 owners just don't get it, for some reason. The B6/B7 S4 clutch parts cost around your $1600 "estimate" just in parts. V8 clutch = bigger and beefier than four-banger clutch.

[HamidsVikes]

A4 owners just don't get it, for some reason. The B6/B7 S4 clutch parts cost around your $1600 "estimate" just in parts. V8 clutch = bigger and beefier than four-banger clutch.

ohhh ... my bad... for some reason I thought I was in the B7 forum...
I had the 3 L V6... I know there be some diffrence, but that much?

[SquiddyB6S4]

I just checked to be sure; the 'bro price' at the dealership for clutch disc, pressure plate, flywheel (resurfacing a failure-prone flywheel (B6S4) is a bad idea . . .), release bearing, and pilot bearing is a Happy Meal shy of $1,200. B6S4 flywheels are known to explode with use and abuse or with high mileage, so I would recommend moving to B7S4 parts to be safe. Then those same parts will run about $70 more. So it's not quite $1,600, but it is kind of ridiculous, mostly because you have to replace the flywheel rather than resurface it. I know; every car I've ever owned, I've been able to just resurface the flywheel and get on with life. Not here; new $800+ flywheel required.

Actual dealership prices on those parts probably exceed $1,600. Like I said, those are the 'bro' prices, like what you get at www.audipartsnationwide.com.

[road race s4]

If you really have to change the clutch you're probably better off just getting the JHM setup for $1475 and taking it somewhere to have the labor done. Dealers charge insane prices for labor and parts.

http://www.jhmotorsports.com/shop/catalog/jhm-lightweight-flywheel-and-clutch-combo-for-and-b6b7-p-469.html?osCsid=3bbaa50d724c29145e810e9d3f5ab65b

[dbc112]

I was quoted $500 labor for a new clutch.. this was by one of the members here.. great rep etc.

+1 on JHM.

I say replace with JHM. to me ,adds value vs stock replacement so may be easier to digest for a potential buyer.

[SteveR]

I was thinking about that. It's why I put that option in the poll.

Today I had the best Porsche/Audi mechanic in the area drive the car and he said the clutch probably has 30% life left, with no detectable slipping. So, replacing it now seems like a waste. He was also nice enough to write up his assessment so I can show it to the buyer. That should take care of it I think.

Thanks for the help guys.

[dbc112]

BTW, most honest seller I've ever encountered.. If your ever selling anything else let me know!