About Your Clutch
Your clutch is an essential part of your car. While your only experience is maybe pressing down on the clutch pedal each time you want to shift up or down a gear, inside there’s a lot more going on that you don’t see.
The clutch plates inside your car are kept together by springs when you are driving. They separate when you press down on the pedal, to enable the gears within the car to be changed. This regular, repetitive action eventually wears the clutch down over time, and it will need replacing.
Five Signs That You Need A New Clutch
Clutches are located out of sight, so it’s not always easy to know when they need changing. There are five signs to watch out for when it comes to your vehicle’s performance that mean you could need a clutch replacement:
- The revs keep climbing but there is little increase in vehicle speed
- Loss of acceleration as the clutch ‘slips’ or a complete loss of drive
- Difficulty changing gears
- Grinding or rattling noise when changing gears
- Engine revs climb or fall of their own accord
Your clutch is the connection between your engine and your manual transmission. Main components of your clutch are the clutch disc, pressure plate and flywheel with the disc sandwiched between the pressure plate and flywheel.
The most common wear out component of the clutch is the clutch disc which is primarily composed of a friction material similar to your brake pads. Over time the material wears down, the clutch slips and this is often accompanied by a horrible smell in your car. Also, when you rev up the engine, put the transmission into gear and let out the clutch, your car may barely move, if at all.
Clutches can have other problems: pressure plates crack and clutch discs break apart, jamming the clutch. These concerns often happen suddenly resulting in the clutch not releasing the engine from the transmission.
Other areas of concern are oil leaks onto the clutch disc which can cause slippage, and a broken clutch cable or hydraulic cylinder leak. Broken cables are usually the least expensive clutch repair as all parts are located externally, however only a few cars use cables. Hydraulic cylinders likewise are also external in most cases and are frequently less expensive than a clutch replacement (…but not always).
As for clutch maintenance and care, it mostly boils down to good driving habits which lead to long clutch life.
- When you are not shifting gears, keep your foot off the clutch pedal
- Do not hold your vehicle on a hill with the clutch
- Make all gearshifts and clutch engagements quickly and smoothly
The only maintenance service your clutch requires is to flush the clutch fluid every two to three years (if your vehicle is so equipped).