Clutch actuator

[Smartmex]

My 2006 (150,000 km) Smart car is having problems with the clutch. Especially in continuous stop and go during slow traffic.

To start, since I got my car I felt the clutch was rough when stop and drive on intersections or traffic lights, but I thought that it was normal for Diesel engines.

Also, ocassionally during gear change, the clutch stopped working but just needed to turn off the car, wait few minutes and everything went to normal.

But lately the problem is more frequent and the car has left me in the middle on the road which is not safe specially in main highways.

I checked the counterpart that is pusheds by the clutch actuator rod (I believe is called the clutch fork), and it seems fine. I notice the rod is passing very near to the edge of the clutch cover hole, actually it almost touches the edge.

I removed and checked the actuator and it seems ok. In the past I lubricated the actuator with white grease. By the way, I mounted the actuator in a way that the rod is against the clutch fork so there is no free space between the rod and the clutch fork, so I´m not sure if that is the correct wat to install it.

Do you think the problem is the actuator or the clutch? Before I spend money on trying to fix this, I would apppreciate your comments.

Thanks

[tolsen]

Sounds familiar. Does your clutch sometimes release uncontrolled too causing car to jump and engine to stall?

I suspect chafed and corroded wiring. Very common with the Cdi. It always pays to get under the car from time to time to inspect wiring to transmission and correct any loose wiring clips.

Repair is by soldering and applying heat shrink sleeve and self amalgamating tape.

You need hydrochloric acid (brick cleaner works fine) to clean black corroded copper strands to ensure the solder will wet and flow right.