Let me just say this, be very careful with your clutch and keep reporting and complaining to AoA and your dealer, anytime you have any problems with the clutch or you will paying a bill.

My cousin got his car about 6 months (9k on the Odometer) - 2011 A5 2.0T 6MT - His car would not go into 1st Gear on cold starts from the first time he got it, even when warmed up, it would not go into 1st gear, he would have to put into Reverse to get some momentum going, then it would go into 1st from Reverse. But after he got it going, it would be fine, if he turned if off and went back later in the day, it would go right into 1st no problem.

About 1 week ago, he pulled off from and stopped at stop light, he could smell the clutch burning, he usually rests his feet on the Clutch. It is a selling point of audi that you can rest your feet on the clutch, thats why the clutch has such a long travel.

He never complained about the Clutch issue he was having, he doesn't like wasting time at the dealer. Plus once he got the car into 1st, it would be fine the rest of the day. But he would have the same problem the next morning, car wouldn't go into 1st again, he would have to go into reverse get the car moving backwards then it would go into 1st gear.

Now he has a bill to pay to have the entire Clutch assembly changed.


My Cousin has driving manuals all his life, over 25 years, he drives manual vehicles for a living, and his previous Audi was a manual A3 which he had for 4 years and never replaced the clutch, and he never had this Problem.

Audi Could at least Acknowledge that they have a clutch issue. its isn't dude in inexperienced drivers. Its kinda funny that a brand new car with 9k on the odo needs to have its clutch replaced.

So watch yourselves

 

A "selling point"? Huh? I doubt Audi would say that.

My advice to your cousin...keep his foot/feet OFF the clutch pedal, unless he is shifting the car.

"Riding" the clutch and/or brake pedal is simply not good for the car. Period. And I have been driving manual trans cars for about twice as long as your cousin.

 

I'm a newbie to driving a manual transmission, but I have always, always been told not to ride the clutch, as a5sport said. Riding the clutch and feathering the clutch out are two completely different things and should never be confused.

If you are riding a clutch, then you are to blame when the clutch goes out prematurely. Ditto with constant clutch dumps or constantly pooching a gear change.

I know that my clutch will not last me as long as others, but I am improving and immediately know if I was sloppy with the clutch.

 

When approaching a car stopped in front of you at a stop sign or red light, no need to use the brakes. It's a selling point of Audis' that they have strong bumpers.

 

So what you guys are saying is

# 1 - Audi Salesmen don't Advocate that the long travel in the clutch is so that you can rest your feet on it.

# 2 - That the car not going into 1st Gear on Cold starts is Normal.

# 3 - That if you rest your foot on the audi clutch, thats riding it, i was under the impression that riding the clutch was completely depressing the clutch pedal which has long travel in audi's case.

I can't tell you how many times i was told that the reason for the long clutch travel was the ability to rest your feet on it.

When i first drove the audi manual transmission, i complained about the long clutch travel and i was told its so that you can rest your feet on it. I drove my cousin's A3 6MT when he had it, and we both rested our feet on the clutch, he had the car for 4 years, never had any clutch issues what so ever.

So you guys are saying that this is normal Operation for an 2011 A5 2.0T

Even if you actually rode the clutch for 15 feet, that would completely burn out a clutch assembly, what is audi making now a these days, its a sports coupe, not a puff car, come on. Are you guys serious

 

Well played sir!

 

Um, isn't the dead pedal, the spot to the left of the clutch, where you are supposed to rest your foot when you aren't shifting? That's how I've been taught by four manual-only drivers; not to mention, common sense rules the day.

If the clutch pedal is fully released, then the clutch is fully engaged. At some point, as you press on the clutch pedal, the throw out bearing will start to dis-engage and let the clutch slip. Letting the clutch slip for long periods of time and at high speeds equals wearing out not only the friction material and flywheel, but can also screw up the throw out bearing. Again, this is based on what I have learned over the short period of time.

Riding the clutch, as I was taught, is resting your foot on the pedal when it at the top of its travel. Also consider that if you rest your foot on the pedal and you hit a bump which causes your foot to slightly press the pedal even further, enough to slightly dis-engage the clutch. That leads to unwanted wear and tear. Do that enough, you will have expensive problems.

And no, none of the Audi sales people that I've talked to at two different dealers have ever said anything about the long travel nor that the Audi clutch pedal should be used as a foot rest. If they are, then they are a-holes trying to direct more revenue towards their service department.

 

Whereas having a long clutch pedal throw could help alleviate issues if one were to rest their foot on same it is simply a very bad habit to do so.

Very cold manual transmission fluid always makes shifting difficult until it warms up a bit.

Yes, resting your foot on the clutch pedal is still "riding it" as far as I'm concerned, even if thanks to the long throw it isn't actually burning the plate due to partial engagement. Again, bad habit and break yourself of it now.

 

And that they did, lol. And i myself heard it from 2 different dealers, that was the reason for the long clutch travel.
But what do i do, coupled with the fact that i drive like that and i have had multiple audi's and never had a clutch issue before, but i don't play around, if something isn't working, even something minor, i take my car in for service.

My Cousin just figured it was little glitch that the car would go into 1st on cold starts. But hoensetly, this isn't the first time i have heard of clutch problems on A5/S5.

I wish i would have recorded the salesman saying that the long travel of the clutch was so that you could rest your feet on it

 

^ [some/most] salesmen will say anything. And they're often clueless regarding automotive mechanics, which is always baffling to me!

If I knew as little about my product as they typically do I wouldn't have my job for long!!