If your vehicle is hesitating to accelerate after you release the clutch, this is a sign that your clutch is going out. A clutch can last anywhere from 50,000 miles to 100,000 miles. If you have high mileage on your automobile, it may be time to replace the clutch. Aside from acceleration hesitation, Urb’s Garage lists the other signs of a bad clutch below.
Burning Clutch
If your clutch is burning, i.e., you smell hot odors emitting from it, it’s slipping. This means that the clutch engages briefly before it slips out of engagement even though you still have it depressed. Unfortunately, a slipping clutch is an overheating clutch, and this is why you smell the hot odors coming from the clutch.
Gear Problems
A slipping clutch can also cause problems shifting the gears. It makes it difficult to get your vehicle into gear and to shift from gear to gear because it is not staying engaged when you press down on it. It’s important to have this looked into as soon as possible. There might come a point when you won’t be able to shift gears at all if the clutch gets worse.
Grinding Gears
Your gears may also grind when you shift them because the slipping clutch is not transferring the power to the transmission. If the power is still in the engine, the gears will grind. You will also find it more difficult to shift gears. A slipping clutch is unable to move the power from the engine to the transmission and keep it there until you release the clutch.
High Bite Point
Your clutch may also have a change in the bite point. Some people call this the catch point, and it is the place in the clutch where you shift the gears. If this location gets higher, your clutch needs to be adjusted at a minimum. It’s possible that the change in the bite point might also require replacing the clutch to fix the problem.
Spongy Clutch
Finally, a spongy clutch pedal is a sign that your clutch needs to be replaced. The pedal might sink to the floor or it just won’t give you the normal resistance that it gives you. Either way, this is an indication that your clutch is not healthy.
Urb’s Garage has two locations in Kentucky: Burlington and Erlanger. Call the location that is closest to you today to schedule an appointment for your vehicle if you are having problems with the clutch.
