Clutch Is there any way to make the clutch easier?

[thunt]

Since owning the Civic, I have had trouble with my knee.

I've now pinpointed it to the clutch being stiffer than my old car. This was highlighted by driving a courtesy car recently with no problems. When getting back in my car, I realised the clutch is much stiffer and the knee problems started again.

I don't think its a defect (of the car) - more likely my knee!

Is there anything I can do (to the car) to improve things?

[Unknownsoldier]

The Clutch in the civic is IMHO quite a soft easy clutch (not as soft as a Corsa (oldstyle)), but the clutch in my last BM was realllllly hard to use.

TBH, I don't think there is much you can do to make it easier really, other than changing the spring.

Tom

[FWH]

I have to agree with US, the Civic clutch is light compared many (older) cars.

Don´t think there is much you can do about the clutch I am afraid.

[NEEMSTAR]

automatic

[Chris_J]

Sure it's not your seating position? Might sound stupid, but I used to get chronic pain in my right leg in my auto Merc. It was all down to seating position, took me a while to get it right but it stopped suddenly

[thunt]

Maybe, although I have experimented a fair bit.

The clutch in the Mitsubishi Lancer I was given as a courtesy car was so much easier. I didn't realise the difference until I could make a comparison. I suppose a Lancer has to have one good point!

[Smarty]

I guess there will be variations in clutch response between cars, and whether you drive diesel or petrol. My diesel is pretty soft, especially compared with my father in law's rover streetwise - it was like trying to move a brick wall to change gear. On the flip side, my wife's 25 is so soft i thought it was broken when I got behind the wheel of that again.

[Unknownsoldier]

The lancer is a 1.6 petrol isn't it??? Therefore not as much power and possibly why the clutch plates move easier????

Tom

[alanwalne]

Originally Posted by thunt

Since owning the Civic, I have had trouble with my knee.

I've now pinpointed it to the clutch being stiffer than my old car. This was highlighted by driving a courtesy car recently with no problems. When getting back in my car, I realised the clutch is much stiffer and the knee problems started again.

I don't think its a defect (of the car) - more likely my knee!

Is there anything I can do (to the car) to improve things?

Is yours a 1.8 or a 2.2?

I found the clutch in a 1.8 Civic light compared to my 2.2, but for a really light clutch try a Toyota Aygo, probably down to the fact it has sod all torque to handle!!

[thunt]

Mines a 2.2

[Bungle]

You can't change a clutch spring, the 'spring' is a series of fingers at the centre or the clutch plate that hold the clutch plates together, and resist you pushing the clutch pedal down.
The more torque the clutch has to bear, the tougher these little fingers have to be.

I don't want this to sound like a 'smart' answer, but have you tried seeing a physiotherapist? The clutch on the Civic is not that bad, the problem really is your knee!

[parsnip]

Originally Posted by thunt

Mines a 2.2

When i was test driving both models I noticed a significant diference between the 1.8 and 2.2 clutches. The 2.2 being heavier. I find the 2.2 heavier than an old mk3 golf.

[alanwalne]

Originally Posted by Bungle

You can't change a clutch spring, the 'spring' is a series of fingers at the centre or the clutch plate that hold the clutch plates together, and resist you pushing the clutch pedal down.
The more torque the clutch has to bear, the tougher these little fingers have to be.

I don't want this to sound like a 'smart' answer, but have you tried seeing a physiotherapist? The clutch on the Civic is not that bad, the problem really is your knee!

The 2.2 is quite a bit heavier than the 1.8, but still no worse than the Renault Scenic 1.9 DCi I had before.

[thunt]

Yes, I am booked into a physio now, but its the Civic that's caused the problem. Having covered 120k miles over the last 4 years in a megane without any problem, and then changing to the Civic with heavier clutch has obviously niggled a problem I didn't know I had.

I'm not saying the Civic is at fault as I agree, the clutch isn't that heavy, but more than I've been used to I suppose.

Beeing a bit naive in the mechanics department, I thought it was related to the spring attached to the pedal, but its obviously not as simple as that.

[Unknownsoldier]

Also, my knee problems were the result of two or three disloged vetabrae, and very little to do with my knees (too much dropping onto concrete......).

My problem in cars has been mostly resolved with a lumbar-pad at about 25 quid from my Osteopath.

Tom