Defective Pressure Plate
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09-25-2011 | 10:09 AM
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Defective Pressure Plate
Hi,
I bought a 2007 Fit last year with 76,000 miles. This spring the clutch began to fail to disengage. It turned out that the fingers on the pressure plate were bent. I am sending the following letter to Honda and am wondering if anyone else has experienced similar problems. Also, it is my opinion that there is no amount of abuse that would cause the "fingers" to loose their tension and that they must be defective. If anyone can provide arguments to the contrary, I'd be interested in hearing them.
<Letter to Honda>
I am the owner of model year 2007 Honda Fit (VIN: xxx-xxx-xxxx). This year, when the car reached around 76,000 miles the clutch began to fail to fully disengage with the pedal fully depressed. Eventually the problem was isolated to the mechanical clutch assembly (as opposed to the hydraulic system). After disassembly it was discovered that all of the “fingers” on the clutch pressure plate were bent, some more severely than others. My technician noted that he had never seen this sort of thing happen before.
In order for the pressure plate fingers to have bent, one of two things must have occurred:
1. The fingers were damaged during assembly. If this is the case, then the damage would have been apparent when the car was new, not some 76,000 miles later. Serial numbers on the clutch (SN: xxx-xxxxx--xxxx ) should prove that this clutch was the original and had not been replaced.
2. The fingers of the clutch lost their spring tension. This to me seems to be the only plausible explanation. This could be due to defects in the steel itself or improper heat-treating. I believe that a series of Brinell hardness tests at various depths would prove that the clutch fingers are too soft and that this condition that ultimately caused the clutch to fail.
Although the warranty has expired on this vehicle, it is my feeling that this defect is extraordinary and would likely involve other vehicles. I would like Honda to address my complaint and if my claims are found to be true, reimburse me for the cost of the repair. I have retained the clutch assembly so that it can be tested for defects.
Steve
I bought a 2007 Fit last year with 76,000 miles. This spring the clutch began to fail to disengage. It turned out that the fingers on the pressure plate were bent. I am sending the following letter to Honda and am wondering if anyone else has experienced similar problems. Also, it is my opinion that there is no amount of abuse that would cause the "fingers" to loose their tension and that they must be defective. If anyone can provide arguments to the contrary, I'd be interested in hearing them.
<Letter to Honda>
I am the owner of model year 2007 Honda Fit (VIN: xxx-xxx-xxxx). This year, when the car reached around 76,000 miles the clutch began to fail to fully disengage with the pedal fully depressed. Eventually the problem was isolated to the mechanical clutch assembly (as opposed to the hydraulic system). After disassembly it was discovered that all of the “fingers” on the clutch pressure plate were bent, some more severely than others. My technician noted that he had never seen this sort of thing happen before.
In order for the pressure plate fingers to have bent, one of two things must have occurred:
1. The fingers were damaged during assembly. If this is the case, then the damage would have been apparent when the car was new, not some 76,000 miles later. Serial numbers on the clutch (SN: xxx-xxxxx--xxxx ) should prove that this clutch was the original and had not been replaced.
2. The fingers of the clutch lost their spring tension. This to me seems to be the only plausible explanation. This could be due to defects in the steel itself or improper heat-treating. I believe that a series of Brinell hardness tests at various depths would prove that the clutch fingers are too soft and that this condition that ultimately caused the clutch to fail.
Although the warranty has expired on this vehicle, it is my feeling that this defect is extraordinary and would likely involve other vehicles. I would like Honda to address my complaint and if my claims are found to be true, reimburse me for the cost of the repair. I have retained the clutch assembly so that it can be tested for defects.
Steve
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