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Signs of a slipping clutch?

23K views 25 replies 11 participants last post by  sav0320 
#1 ·
Here is a question for those of you out there who have experienced this problem. When a clutch plate begins to wear out... what does it feel like? I know a lot of people refer to 'slipping' but I honestly don't know what that would feel like, what conditions might exagerate the signs, etc.

I have a 2001 5 spd with around 130k on the clock and I'm noticing wierd little 'slips' that feel like something is loosing traction when I accelerate at certain times. Wanted to hear what signs you all noticed before having to replace the clutch for comparison.
 
#2 ·
slipping would be you hit the gas and the car hardly accelerates. the rpm will go up but the speed will not. it usually happens in higher gears. get on the freeway in 5th and stomp on it.. if the revs climb but your not moving any faster then your clutch is slipping
 
#3 ·
cjmartinyzx3 said:
slipping would be you hit the gas and the car hardly accelerates. the rpm will go up but the speed will not. it usually happens in higher gears. get on the freeway in 5th and stomp on it.. if the revs climb but your not moving any faster then your clutch is slipping
Hmm... ok. Would the slipping happen more frequently on say... really hot days?

It seems right now, like I only really notice this issue on hot days after I've been driving for a while at highway speeds. Then I'll hit a stop light. When I go to accellerate, the car will be fine through 1st and 2nd, but when I hit about 3500-4000 in 3rd I'll notice a hesitation, or slip. Like the car was gaining speed just fine and then something lost contact between the engine and wheels.

I'll upshift to 4th and again it will be fine in the lower RPM's but right about 4000 it'll do the same thing; ditto for 5th. I notice it too climbing hills in 5th when I stomp on it, as you put it. Fine until around 4000 then slips. I'll have to watch it next time to see if they RPM's keep climbing as you said.

Thanks for the reply!
 
#4 ·
sounds like its slipping, 4000 is about max torque on these engines and thats what causes a clutch to slip.

id start saving for a new clutch. if your not going to be adding more power (along the lines of supercharger/turbo) then get the exedy OEM from Focussport.

you can baby it for some time, just keep it from slipping and it could last a little while longer
 
#5 ·
cjmartinyzx3 said:
sounds like its slipping, 4000 is about max torque on these engines and thats what causes a clutch to slip.

id start saving for a new clutch. if your not going to be adding more power (along the lines of supercharger/turbo) then get the exedy OEM from Focussport.

you can baby it for some time, just keep it from slipping and it could last a little while longer
Saw the clutch kit on Focussport just now, boy am I glad I have the Zetec! heh, I think we get off the cheapest on this part OEM. Would anything need to be done to the flywheel? Resurfacing or anything?
 
#6 ·
slipster17 said:
Would anything need to be done to the flywheel? Resurfacing or anything?
Most of the time it doesn't need to be resurfaced or replaced. But it depends on the condition when the engine and tranny are disassembled for clutch replacement. If it's unevenly worn, pitted, deeply scored, or otherwise defective ... It needs to be resurfaced or replaced.
 
#7 ·
it would need to be resurfaced. it is slipping now and possibly glazing the flywheel. which will just cause the new clutch to slip also. its just like brakes, replace it or get the rotors resurfaced.

make sure there are no heat cracks and what not.
 
#9 ·
FocusSportVP said:
Are we talking about resurfacing the stock flywheel here?
Yes, the stock flywheel, I was just asking opinions

I used to work for a parts dealer that did alot of business with a local tractor trailer repair shop. They resurfaced just about every clutch they pulled out of a truck, so just figured I'd ask.

:)
 
#12 ·
hEaT said:
When you were accelerating, were you at WOT or just nice and easy? If it wasn't WOT, it doesn't sound like the clutch. It could be a slight hiccup in the form of ignition or tune related or even heatsoak.
I'd have to ask you to explain a little more hEat.

What does WOT stand for and what is heatsoak?
 
#14 ·
^^ Thanks for that Randy.

Seems like most time it does this I am hard on the gas, but I can think of at least one instance where I felt the same thing but was only trying to maintain speed on the highway in 5th, not really flooring it.

Didn't even think to take a look at the spark plugs, but they have been on the car since for probably more than a year now that I think about it... And I've done a TON of driving in that time.

As for a tune being the issue, I haven't tuned the car yet. I haven't had the money to drop and get an XCal or anything (not that I'm really sure I want to) so it is still on the stock tune.
 
#15 ·
My clutch is does the same thing but only when I shift hard and its done it too me 2 times in 2 days and I drive 160 miles a day. It is getting me worried cause theres no way in hell can afford a new clutch right now. Work just started to pick up so I barley got cought up on bills and now its slowing down again. How long do you guys think it will last if I baby it?
 
#16 ·
hemet,
If you baby it, it could last indefinitely. Of course, you won't baby it for long, you'll baby it for a while then when some little punk revs his little civic at you, off you'll go, and so will your clutch. :lol:This may not happen to you, but I know it would to me.:D
 
#18 ·
In response to what Heat said a little earlier, this might in fact be an ignition or spark problem rather than clutch.

My idle has been a little 'shakey' the last few days and just by pure chance I ran across a few articles on here stating all the problems associated with using a Screamin Demon coil pack (which I have been using since last summer). Every so often my car throws a miss-fire code, even when I don't notice one and that is the CEL that I am showing at the moment.

Could the coil pack copping out under hard acceleration account for the loss of power after about 4500? It would certainly be an explanation for the jerk and bog that the car experiences in that range.
 
#19 ·
Check the plug with three wires that connects to the coil pack. On my car the wires were streached so tight that the insulation cracked and the wires corroded so bad that my car almost quit running from misfiring so much. I had to replace the connector and a good part of the wire harness to fix the problem.
 
#20 ·
2002red said:
Check the plug with three wires that connects to the coil pack. On my car the wires were streached so tight that the insulation cracked and the wires corroded so bad that my car almost quit running from misfiring so much. I had to replace the connector and a good part of the wire harness to fix the problem.
Good advice to heed, but I've already done that fix. A member on here accidentally tore one of those wires while removing my air-box about a year and a half ago :thumbup:
 
#22 ·
hEaT said:
Cruising on the highway shouldn't cause the clutch to slip.
Correct, however if your clutch is going that is one of the times you'll feel it.
 
#24 ·
hEaT said:
When holding a constant speed or passing/accelerating only?
Depends on how bad the clutch is. Ive seen 'em that even trying to hold a steady cruise you'd feel a surging effect from the clutch barely hanging on.
 
#25 ·
It has not done it too me again but it is hard not to lay on it sometimes. Would downshifting alot (brakes were bad at the time) cause it too slip?
 
#26 ·
When my wife was handed her mom's 93 Escort Wagon manual, I took it out and thought the clutch was shot. Everytime I tried to catch second, the engine would run to redline at WOT.

Then I noticed the smell of burning oil. The clutch was covered in oil from a slowly leaking rear main on the engine or the input shaft on the trans. It preserved the clutch enough to get 163k+ miles.
 
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