For the first 10 mins or so after start up my clutch judders on my mk 2.5 after this it then smooths out and is fine. Is this normal ?
Thanks
2.5s have a long history of clutch judder back when they were new. Many had several replacements by Mazda to fix this back in the day, some may not have ever been fixed I guess so there will presumably be examples out there that still do it. What’s the history of the car, are you a recent owner?
Although your symptoms in my personal experience are not particularly those of the classic 2.5 judder which tends to be when reversing slowly and when hot rather than cold.
Loads of info on 2.5 judder on here if you search…
Thanks Martin, if when it’s cold you slip the clutch it’s fine it’s when you try to pull away like a normal driver it judders.
Don’t know anything about the history to be fair bought it 2 weeks ago and had power steering done and new wheel bearing and it’s mint, just need to get couple of strut braces on and I’m then either going to get all the welding done and maybe a respray and keep it mint or just use it for 12 months and get another .
Hi Rotor Jockey,
Slight correction to Martin’s input - you would appear to still have the original clutch, which gave the same symptoms you describe - ie, judders when cold. Martins reference is to a subsequent replacement (one of several) which juddered when the transmission was warm. A long and painful story, I won’t go into that now.
Original test was - Start the car on a flat surface, but on the road, not on the drive. Make sure the road is clear of traffic (coming and going) and depress the clutch pedal. Don’t touch the accelerator at all. put the gear on first, and let the clutch out VERY slowly. With a good clutch, the car will accelerate smoothly, as cold start revs are up around 1300/1400 and it may surprise you how quick it moves. With a bad clutch, you will get juddering. Judder has various aspects, varying from mild to B awful - no kidding. Mine was so bad I thought the engine mounts had gone, on a new car you don’t expect that to happen. Mazda later revised the test figures to say that the engine must be doing 1400 rpm before trying this test, but as I said, cold starts give that engine speed anyway. Same test may also show judder in reverse gear.
A car without judder was a rarity, and it was world wide, affecting cars from 2001 to 2003 at least, with - as Martin said - several variations and replacements fitted. Leaving out a lot of detail, an engineer from Japan finally arrived with a replacement clutch around the middle of 2003, and my car was one of six selected to have this new clutch fitted. So - had a Mazda 2 to drive for nearly a week, when my car was sent back from Maidenhead with this new clutch fitted. Went to pick it up on the Friday (late) and it was in the lock up as they were about to close. They unlocked the gate, and I got in and reversed out - or that was my intention - it juddered anyway! Tried it over the weekend and it still juddered. Advised them on the Monday that it was no better, and they told me to bear with it.
About a month later, I had an email, telling me to take my car to the dealers, as they were finally (they hoped) supplied with 30 new clutches which they thought would resolve the problem. It did, though to be frank, I still get an occasional judder when reversing off the road onto our drive, which is a gradual slope up in reverse. This was plate No 1460E (If my memory serves me correctly - it was a long time ago!)
According to a friend of a friend, armed with inside information from Mazda, the original clutch plate was surfaced with too much nickel content, which tended to heat up the flywheel when engaging, causing hot spots, and this resulted in the ‘stick/slip’ (Mazda’s term for the judder) As clutch material was transferred from the plate to the flywheel in patches.
This means that your car may need at least a machine skim of the flywheel, to remove years of accumulation of clutch plate material, and a new clutch plate. You are strongly advised to also replace both
Drive and the thrust bearings. From a dealer around £400 ( at a guess) from Sam Goodwin (Nuneaton)
or Freelance Mazda (Chatham) around £300, but ask for a quote. Elsewhere- the choice and cost is up to you to decide, but well worth it, wherever you go. It transforms a good car into a great car, which is what many of us wanted in the first place.
Reason for variance between clutch Judder? Suspension tolerances. Another long story, but during investigations by Mazda UK I asked if there was any credibility in a statement made on Miata.net that suspension tolerances may cause judder, but they replied that this would NOT cause judder, but if present, would amplify it. Assuming that all suspension parts are in an assembly bin, pot luck would decide which car got all good parts, some good and some bad, or all bad. Variations are obviously possible. Nothing can be done about tolerance, what you have is what you are stuck with, but from the sounds of it, your suspension may not be too bad at all, otherwise you would really know it.
Martin and (I think) Nick D have cars which were not bad enough to worry about, so as far as I can remember, neither had any replacements at all. Me - I’m happy enough - with the car anyway, and with Mazda UK, who despite the delay, finally sorted out the problem while the rest of the world stood by.
BTW - you don’t have to have a Mazda Clutch, most good aftermarket clutches will do the same job, But the unfortunate thing is that the previous owner - at a guess - was no member of the Club, and therefore had no idea it was a problem or not. I expected this to happen, but they still keep occurring, despite father time.
And - another thought - has the cam belt been changed at all? Cam belts are good for 6 years, never mind what the book says . If not, get the water pump replaced at the same time - saves further expense later on.
All sounds good advice above.
Mine’s a 2002 1.6, 38,500 miles, one previous owner with annual main dealer service history when I bought it.
The clutch has always juddered a bit since I bought it 3 years ago. You get used to finding a way of avoiding it most of the time.
If the car is new to you, probably best to check for known 2.5 problem issues first, especially the front chassis rails for rust, before spending money on the clutch unless it’s too annoying. And don’t forget to keep the hood and cill drain holes clear…
I have a Mk 2.5, without judder.
Seems to be a rarity 
Hope that pushes up the resale value !
Second Owner? Probably fixed years ago. Doubt you will get more for it, it isn’t the big problem. - Rust is.