Mondeo gear trouble

[collieb]

I have a 03 Mondeo TDCi Zetec. I've noticed over the last few weeks a funny noise in the gears which only appears to happen when Idowngear from 5 to 4 or 3 to 2, and sounds something like a 'thump' just after i change gear and as i let the clutch out. Doesn't appear to happen any other time and never when I am changing gears upwards. Its not very loud, a passenger could mis it but I can feel it too because my hand is on the gear stick.

I had to replace the starter motor a few months back and it started shortly after that - could there be a connection?

 

[ford jedi]

very possible your dual mass flywheel is on ots way out,usually first sign of it goin is the stater motor crapping itself ,you may feel a vibration at idle if you just rest your foot lightly on the clutch pedal and swithch the engine on and off and see do you feel the the pedal pulsing up and down

 

[collieb]

very possible your dual mass flywheel is on ots way out,usually first sign of it goin is the stater motor crapping itself ,you may feel a vibration at idle if you just rest your foot lightly on the clutch pedal and swithch the engine on and off and see do you feel the the pedal pulsing up and down

Jedi, yes, there has always been (well, in the 10 months since i bought the car) a slight 'pulse' in the clutch when you put your foot gently on it in neutral - there is also a noisy sort of vibration that has been coming from the engine, when in neutral, and which also became more noticeable after I got the new starter motor.

So apart from sounding like a component of the flux capacitator, what is this 'dual mass flywheel' and more importantly, whats the bad news for me if its on the way out?

 

[ford jedi]

this is a fairly common problem, the dual mass flyheel basically it is a two piece flywheel deisigned to absord the engine vibrations but the two plates start to break up this is where the vibration comes in .but also the starter motor runs against the flywheel and because it begins to break up the teeth on the ring gear dont mesh right this is why the starters die an early death .the flyheel isnt mad money its around 3/400 ish but with labour and depending on your clutch condition ,bad news would be well over a grand
but you would want to get this checked out properly before you proceed.

 

[collieb]

Cheers Jedi, I googled it and found some forum discussion from English sites and they were talking about 1100 sterling for clutch and flywheel...yikes!!

Is it a dealer job or would your local mechanic be able for it?

I might leave it for a while in either case, as I haven't heard any funny noises in the last few days, and see how it goes. Funnily enough, the new starter motor had stuck onm starting a few times a few weeks back - just like the previous one had done before packing it in, but I'm now finding that since i pump the clutch once or twice every time before I start the car, it hasn't stuck at all. Coincidence maybe??