Many things can go wrong once your manual transmission’s clutch goes bad. On average, you can expect to get about 50,000 miles to 100,000 miles out of the factory clutch. Once the clutch goes out, you will need to replace it. Don’t worry. Kauai Auto Repair can do that here in our shop. Let’s talk about the different symptoms of a malfunctioning clutch below.
Spongy/Soft Clutch
One sign that your clutch is going out is if it feels soft or spongy underneath your foot. Changes in the level of resistance that the clutch gives you indicate it needs to be adjusted at a minimum. More likely, the clutch will need to be rebuilt or replaced. If your clutch feels spongy or sinks all the way to the floor without catching, bring your vehicle to our shop right away.
High Catch Point
Another thing that will change in terms of how your clutch feels is the catch point. When a clutch is going out, the catch point gets higher. Unfortunately, you may not notice this problem at first because it may be subtle. If you do notice that the catch point is changing, again, bring your vehicle to our shop right away so we can adjust the clutch or replace it if necessary.
Hot/Burning Odors
Generally, when the clutch is going out, it starts to slip. What we mean by this is that it does not stay engaged even though you haven’t released the clutch pedal. Unfortunately, a slipping clutch will overheat and you will smell hot and burning odors coming from the clutch, especially when you shift gears. Always take hot odors seriously.
Gear Shifting Trouble
The slipping clutch will also cause problems when you want to shift gears. Again, this is because the clutch is not staying engaged. You need the clutch to be engaged to transfer the power from the engine to the drivetrain. If this isn’t happening, you may not be able to shift through the gear cycle. You may also have difficulties getting your vehicle into gear from neutral.
Speed Hesitation
Another sign that your clutch is slipping is hesitation when your vehicle should pick up speed after you release the clutch. This acceleration lag can be attributed to a lack of power transfer to the drivetrain. When this happens, the drivetrain is unable to turn the wheels, i.e., your vehicle will hesitate to pick up speed.
Grinding Gears
Finally, your gears will grind if your clutch is slipping or otherwise malfunctioning. This also points to a problem with the power transfer. If the power is still with the engine, your gears will grind loudly when you try to shift them.
Call Kauai Auto Repair in Lihue, HI, today if you suspect that your clutch is going out. We will adjust it or replace it if necessary.
