14/09/2016
How to Diagnose a Slipping Clutch in Your Car
For many drivers, driving a manual transmission car is an essential part of the driving experience. Unfortunately, if you drive in a highly congested area with many stops, you may have developed some bad driving habits that can result in a slipping clutch or stripped gears. You could read books, or even go to school to learn how to diagnose a slipping clutch, but here's a start in terms of diagnosing this issue. These details refer specifically to hydraulically operated clutch mechanisms, and may not apply to clutches with mechanical linkages.
1. Be aware of your clutch's action. Although a clutch/pressure plate system wears gradually over time, eventually the clutch's performance may become noticeably diminished, and by paying close attention to how it engages, slippage should be apparent to a competent driver. Here are some simple signs to watch for:
Change in engine speed without noticeable acceleration. If you rev your engine and the car hesitates before accelerating, it can mean your clutch isn't delivering the boost in RPM through the transmission to the drive wheels.
Change in the clutch pedal height where the driver feels the clutch begin to engage.
Change in perceived engine power when pulling a load. A slipping clutch reduces the amount of power delivered to the drive wheels.
2. Notice if you smell something burning coming from under the hood. This may be the result of an oil leak or even damaged electrical wiring (both serious, but not clutch-related issues), but it can be a sign of a slipping clutch.
3. Push down on the clutch pedal. Your clutch may need to be replaced if it takes only a little of the pedal movement to disengage it. In this case you should try to adjust it first and make sure that there is about an inch or two (2 to 4 cm) of free movement of the pedal before the clutch starts to disengage. This is an indicator that your clutch is not riding (i.e., is not partially disengaged) when the pedal is not depressed.
4. Inspect the clutch face on any vehicle that has an inspection port on the clutch housing. Although the clutch is normally nested between the pressure plate and the flywheel, thus invisible unless dismantled, some vehicles may have an exposed clutch surface that can be visually inspected without removing the clutch.
5. Take the car for a drive. See if it takes more RPMs from the engine to achieve a certain speed. This can also be an indicator your car needs a clutch replacement.
While driving down the road in 3rd gear, put the car in 2nd gear, then let out the clutch. If the RPMs of the engine don't immediately go up, it may be time to replace the clutch.
Another way to establish if your clutch needs repair is to test it in a parking lot. With it stopped but running, put the car in 2nd or 3rd gear and let out the clutch. If it does not stall, but the RPMs go up and the vehicle does not move, the clutch is bad and needs to be replaced.
