If you’ve got over 100,000 miles on your car or crossover and you’ve never replaced the clutch, you may be facing this repair soon. A manual transmission clutch can last about this long or shorter depending on how well you take care of it. Boulevard Auto Repair can adjust your clutch when it needs it, and we can also replace the clutch when it’s reached the end of its life. Here are signs that it has.
A Clutch That Is Burning
You may overheat the clutch when you first learn to drive a manual transmission, but once you’ve got the hang of things, you shouldn’t smell hot odors wafting from the floorboard. If your clutch is getting too hot, this is a sign that it is slipping. Slipping means the clutch does not stay engaged even though you haven’t released the pedal yet. A slipping clutch can cause other problems.
A Soft and Spongy Clutch
Your clutch may need to be replaced if it isn’t giving you the right amount of resistance anymore. In some cases, we may be able to rebuild the clutch rather than replace it. Either way, your clutch should always feel the same when you use it. It should never feel soft or spongy. If it does, there’s a problem that needs our attention right away.
Acceleration Hesitation
As we mentioned above, a slipping clutch can cause problems other than overheating the clutch. It can also prevent the power transfer from the engine to the transmission. When this happens, your drivetrain is not turned, which means your wheels don’t turn. This will make it seem as if your vehicle is hesitating to accelerate because you aren’t getting the normal forward motion.
Changes in the Bite Point
Another problem with a worn clutch occurs at the bite point. The bite point, or catch point as some people call it, is the point at which the power is transferred to the transmission and you shift gears. A worn-out clutch will raise the bite point. In other words, it will feel higher.
Grinding or Squeaking
The power transfer between the engine and transmission is crucial to prevent your gears from grinding. If your gears do grind when you shift them, you’ve got an incomplete power transfer, i.e., a failing clutch. Your clutch may also squeak when you press down on it.
Problems With Shifting
Finally, a faulty clutch will prevent you from getting your vehicle into gear or shifting through the gear cycle. Any problems with shifting the gears usually point to the clutch.
Boulevard Auto Repair in Sherman Oaks, CA, can help, so give us a call today.
