If your clutch pedal is sinking all the way to the floorboard, Kauai Auto Repair advises that it’s time to replace the clutch. One sure sign that your clutch is going bad is a change in the resistance that it gives your foot. Generally, a clutch will last anywhere from 50,000 miles to 100,000 miles. If you drive a high-mileage automobile and you’ve never had to replace the clutch, a spongy clutch pedal is a sign that it’s time to do so. Here are other signs that your clutch is going bad.
Grinding
Grinding when you shift the gears is an indication that the clutch has slipped and is no longer engaged. Engagement means that the clutch is transferring power to the transmission from the engine. If it slips, the power goes back to the engine and the gears will grind.
Hesitation
Another sign that your clutch is slipping is hesitation when you try to accelerate. This is a symptom of a problem with the transfer of power. If the power is not with the transmission, it cannot turn the driveshaft. When this happens, your wheels will not turn. This is what causes the hesitation to move forward when you release the clutch and press down on the accelerator.
High Catch Point
One sign that your clutch needs to be adjusted at a minimum is a change in the catch point. If this point has gotten higher than normal, we may be able to solve the problem by adjusting the clutch. This being said, this is also a sign that your clutch is going out and needs to be replaced.
Overheating
When we say overheating, we don’t mean your engine. Rather, if you smell hot or burning odors coming from the clutch while you are using it, it is slipping. To repair the slippage, we will need to either rebuild or replace your clutch. It depends on how damaged the clutch is.
Problems Shifting Gears
Finally, it only makes sense that if the clutch is having problems, you will have problems shifting the gears. You may find that the manual transmission will not go into gear or shift through the gear cycle. We can inspect your clutch and transmission to see what is wrong. Once we have determined the cause of the gear-shifting problems, we will let you know what it will take to fix it.
Kauai Auto Repair in Lihue, HI, is here to help, so call us today.
