Troubleshooting Common Clutch Issues and Causes

Troubleshooting problems with your car or truck is not some cryptic skill that only ace mechanics possess. If you listen to your vehicle, it will tell exactly where it hurts; you only have to listen. So troubleshooting common clutch issues and causes is not beyond your capabilities. Knowing some simple cause-and-effect with the clutch and transmission will help you figure out what has gone wrong. Manual transmissions are fun to drive and give the driver a better experience, but they come with more potential for problems than an automatic. Like any other component on a car, the clutch can and will wear down at some point. Being able to pinpoint what’s wrong with your clutch will help you get to the shop before you are unable to shift gears and end up stranded.

Plate Slippage

Slippage is a problem that comes up when the pressure plate can’t hold the friction disc against the flywheel tightly while engaging the clutch. This makes the disc rotate at a different rate of speed than the flywheel. High temperatures resulting from friction against the disc will eventually damage the clutch plate to the point it needs replacing. For clutches that have mechanical linkage, small adjustments can put off replacement for a short time. If the engine is revving abnormally when the clutch is released, and the car accelerates gradually, then it’s likely a slippage problem. Grease or oil on the disc could be the cause or the engine mount could be broken. That causes the linkage to get bound up by the improper movement of the engine. Another likely cause may be that the friction plate is worn out from use. If the friction plate is worn out, replacement is the only option. No amount of adjusting will fix it.

Failure to Engage Fully

A clutch that doesn’t engage fully or slips under a heavier load leads to one of two things. It usually means that the friction disc is worn out or the pressure plate has lost all tension. When the clutch is pressed down, the diaphragm spring presses the friction disc to the flywheel. If the spring pressure isn’t high enough, or if the clearance between the parts is too great, there won’t be enough friction to transfer the power from the engine to the transmission. Friction discs wear down and get thinner, and springs get weaker, which is when clutches begin to slip. If there is an immediate slippage with no previous warning, that points to an oil leak or something else contaminating the friction plates. A clutch that won’t engage at all means there is serious damage somewhere. Check for a bent linkage, a seized slave cylinder, or a seized throw-out bearing. Beyond those, check for binding in the linkage, a corroded cable, or a failed friction plate.

Clutch Vibration

Troubleshooting common clutch issues and causes can be as simple as a feeling. When driving a manual transmission, the clutch pedal should feel like the brake or accelerator. It should move back and forth smoothly with no hesitation, and it shouldn’t vibrate. When you press the clutch and there is vibration you can feel with your foot, then there is a problem. A grabbing or shuddering clutch is a clear sign there is something wrong inside the clutch mechanism. Vibration is most noticeable when accelerating from a dead stop, as is excessive jerking when releasing the clutch. The vibration could be the result of a broken or damaged disc, flywheel or pressure plate, or loose engine mounts.

Chirping or Squealing

On any car or truck, you’ll hear a collection of noises, some identifiable and some not. So many, in fact, that it can be hard to determine what’s making the noise and if it means there’s a problem. Unless it’s coming from your tires, squealing is not a good thing, and neither is chirping. The noises coming from your clutch are difficult to diagnose because they can mean different things. Chirping or squealing coming from the clutch during operation usually means there is a worn or damaged release bearing or pilot bushing. That should be checked sooner rather than later. It could also be a worn release fork, input shaft, or improper installation of the friction disc.

Difficulty Changing Gears

The job of the clutch is to disengage the transmission so the driver can change gears. That’s it; it has one job. If you are having trouble changing gears, then the clutch isn’t doing the job, and something is out of whack. Clutch release problems can lead to a variety of symptoms that will drastically affect the drive. If the clutch won’t disengage completely, the disc will continue spinning and prevent the driver from putting the car into gear from neutral. Obviously, if the car is stuck in neutral, it won’t be going anywhere. This might also cause the gears to grind when the car is put in gear and possibly cause the car to stall when rolling to a stop. The clutch not disengaging from the flywheel is usually because there is an air leak in the hydraulic system or a bad linkage somewhere.

Failure to Disengage Fully

Normal stop-and-go, in-town driving means pressing the clutch every few seconds during the drive. A clutch that doesn’t disengage fully will scare most drivers, like when you stop the car at a red light after all that clutch work and the car lurches forward just a bit after you stop. A clutch can go from working just fine to not working in an instant with little warning. If the clutch won’t disengage, no amount of pressing on it will get the vehicle out of gear. If the failure was sudden, then it means there’s a broken or loose clutch cable, broken linkage, or a leak in the hydraulics. Another cause could be contamination of a disc by oil or something else. Gradual failures that prevent the clutch from disengaging could mean a stretched cable, bent linkage, or low hydraulic fluid. Broken motor mounts will lead to this as well.

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