My clutch cable has been stretched and since tightened to fix it. Should I replace it?

Question

I have a VW Polo 2001, 37000 miles, manual transmission, 1.4 engine, with a replaced clutch and timing belt, and a reconditioned gearbox.

I didn't face any resistance in my pedal last night. The first guy who picked me up from the motorway said it was a snapped clutch cable.

The second guy, from the RAC, said the clutch cable wasn't broken, it was stretched. He went into the bonnet and tightened up the but on the end of the cable at the clutch side.

So now the clutch works. He said I should get it checked to find out why it stretched in the first place.

My question is, can I just get along with it for now? If so, how long? I need to find a garage but that's proving difficult on a Saturday.

Answer 1

You should be fine for now (with the caveat, you never know ... anything is possible). The second guy you talked to who adjusted it for you is correct. You need to find a mechanic who will figure out why it has stretched. It may be that the cable has already started to fray or come apart somewhere along its length. I would surmise that it's only a matter of time and it will either stretch more or quite possibly snap like you thought it had done in the first place.

Plan to get it done as soon as possible is my best advice. It's never good to be stranded on the motorway. It might last another couple of days, or it may last for a couple of years. Just know once it starts stretching bad enough to require adjustment as you've described, it won't be long until its done (in most cases).