When you press down on the clutch, you cut the power from the engine and transfer it to the drivetrain. This is what makes your wheels turn. Automobile Diagnostics advises that the average lifespan of a manual transmission clutch ranges from 50,000 miles to 100,000 miles or more. How well you take care of your clutch will affect its lifespan. Here are the symptoms of a failing clutch listed below.
Gear Problems
If your clutch is going bad, you will have problems shifting gears. You may not be able to get your automobile into gear, or you may not be able to shift through the gear cycle. The transmission may also slip out of gear and back into neutral by itself. All of these problems point to an issue with the clutch.
Grinding
If your gears are grinding when you shift them, the clutch is slipping. In other words, it isn’t fully engaging and disengaging and, as a consequence, the power transfer between the engine and the transmission is not complete. This will grind the gears.
Hesitation
Another sign that your clutch is slipping is acceleration hesitation. Again, if the clutch cannot transfer the power to the drivetrain, your wheels will not turn. Consequently, you may notice that it’s getting harder to get your vehicle to go from a stop or to pick up speed when you need it to.
High Bite Point
The bite point is also called the catch point and this is the point at which you shift gears. If your bite point has gotten higher on your clutch, the clutch may need to be adjusted or replaced. Changes in the catch point can indicate that the clutch is having problems and needs to be looked at.
Hot Odors
Burning the clutch also means that the clutch is slipping. This can happen because the internal mechanisms are wearing down and need to be replaced. You will smell hot odors coming from your clutch when you use it and you may also hear it squeak or whine.
Soft and Spongy
Finally, your clutch pedal should give you the same resistance every time you use it. If it feels soft and spongy, it needs to be replaced. Any changes in the resistance that the pedal gives you suggest that there is a problem going on with the clutch.
Automobile Diagnostics in Columbus, IN, has you covered. We can inspect your clutch and make adjustments to it if necessary or replace it.
