Clutches tend to fail in one of two ways – either suddenly or gradually. With a sudden breakdown, the clutch ceases to work entirely and the car won't move. With gradual failure, you may experience problems such as the car not stopping when you press the pedal.
Luckily, clutch failure is usually a slow process, showing signs over a long period rather than one day leaving you stranded without warning; however, clutch problems left unchecked will result in just that.
Here are some of the main signs your clutch is starting to fail. When you press the clutch pedal, it's spongy, sticking, vibrating or loose. There's a squeaking or grumbling noise when the clutch pedal is pressed. You're able to rev the engine but notice that it's difficult to accelerate.
My Clutch Broke, Now What? Luckily, the clutch failing doesn't cause catastrophic damage—if you immediately stop driving. A broken clutch takes away the connection between the engine and transmission, leaving your vehicle with the inability to move correctly. With a manual transmission, you can still drive your car.
The average lifespan of a clutch is anywhere between 20,000 to 150,000 miles. Luckily, your clutch will likely give you ample notice that something is going wrong. Don't get left at the side of the road with a vehicle that won't shift into gear.
Your clutch feels spongy, sticks or vibrates when you press it. You hear a squeaking or a grumbling noise when you press down on the pedal. You can rev the engine, but acceleration is poor. You have difficulty shifting gears.
You can make it hours, days, or even weeks sometimes when your clutch just starts slipping. But if your car's clutch begins to slip when you're driving in higher gears – say, gear three and up – it's not long until it's going to leave you stranded.
The clutch is subjected to constant friction, so it is unsurprising that it will wear out eventually. You may find that your clutch lasts 10,000 miles before you need to get a new one or you could drive 150,000 before it gives up.
Harsh driving: Speed is thrilling, but that can kill the clutch system. Engaging the clutch system and then racing at high speeds destroys the clutch. The driver might even need to get the whole clutch system changed! Resting the foot: The practice of resting the foot on the clutch pedal leads to the gears wearing out.
The cost to repair a clutch can range between $500 to $2,500. It really depends on the car. Performance cars, exotic cars, and European cars are more expensive to replace the clutch than Japanese economy cars. Four wheel drive vehicles cost more than two wheel drive vehicles.
As a general rule, your car clutch will need to be replaced every 100,000 kilometres. However, you may need a clutch service or replacement more often depending on how you use your car. If it's almost time to get a clutch replacement, then you may notice that things aren't right with your car.
Many drivers will do this by holding on to the clutch biting point to keep themselves steady on the incline. But, by doing this, you're burning up the friction material on your clutch disc as the clutch will be spinning at one speed while the engine's pressure plate is moving at another.
A clutch should last you between 50,000 and 100,000 miles before you need to replace it. When their lifespan comes to an end, it's vital to change your clutch as soon as possible as its vital to maintaining healthy performance of your vehicle.
Driving On A Damaged Clutch
So what happens if you keep on driving with a bad clutch? Not only is it very dangerous, but it can also cause further, more serious damage to your clutch and gearbox which will be expensive to repair.
The most wear and tear done to a clutch is when the pedal is only half depressed. Do use the brake to hold yourself stationary on a hill, rather than the clutch. Do take off in first gear, rather than third. As a convenience, too many people will cut the engine in third and take off the following day the same.
Never rev when the clutch is engaged
Smit says another rather common but highly damaging habit that most drivers have is revving the engine when the clutch is still engaged. The engine revs a lot faster when the clutch is engaged, and the high RPMs encountered in such cases can be lethal to the clutch.
There's a simple test you can perform that will identify either way. Turn the engine off and see if you can select a gear. If you can then it's usually clutch trouble; if you can't then the problem will lie with the gearbox or gear linkage.
Even though the clutch pedal is sturdy, it will still wear off or break at the pivot, pedal arm or your clutch. Driving a car with a faulty clutch can cause further damage to your gearbox, starter motor or shifter. It is important to resolve any damage spotted with your clutch.
If you have a manual transmission, you SHOULD always put the car in neutral and leave your foot OFF the clutch when stopped at a light. Those with manual transmissions should also remember to apply the parking brake before going for pizza.
Whenever a driver pushes down on the clutch, there's a large amount of strain that is placed on one part of the car, the so-called release bearing. After enough time spent at red traffic lights, all this pressure on the bearing can lead to significant damage.
It's unsafe. You need to be able to use the accelerator to avoid an unexpected road hazard; cars don't handle well in neutral during sharp cornering maneuvers when the engine isn't connected to the drivetrain.
How long does replacing a clutch take? The time it takes to replace a clutch can vary depending on the type of vehicle you have, but it's generally between two and six hours. For many, this means you could take your car into the garage in the morning and get it back the very same day!
While Australian automatic drivers don't have to worry about a clutch, manual drivers need to be on guard for clutch problems. You can expect to spend between $50 for a cable adjustment and $800 for the average clutch repair cost. A full clutch replacement cost may run $1,100 to $2,000.