How to know if I have a worn clutch: breakdowns and how to detect them

Clutch disc, hub and thrust collar.

Is my car clutch slipping? I have the worn clutch? How much does it cost to change the clutch? These are questions that sooner or later all drivers have to face, since the clutch wears out every time we use the car.

The clutch assembly is a key part to transmit the power of our car's engine to the wheels. Its composition and operation we already know. In the article about clutch mission you can see it. It is normal that with the passing of the kilometers some problems arise, but it must be very clear that the clutch is a vehicle wear item and that many times its repair or replacement is more a matter of vehicle maintenance than a breakdown.

The clutch can show various anomalies or problems in its operation. We can differentiate between clutch wear, which is the subject that we will deal with in this article, and the rest of the faults that may arise in the system. To check if our clutch is worn, there are several symptoms that indicate that the time has come to replace it.

Unable to set a specific mileage to determine when the clutch of our car is worn, since the use we make of the vehicle greatly influences. What we can say is that if we walk a lot around the city (typical starts and stops), the clutch will wear much more easily that if we make long journeys on the highway. vices in driving like putting your foot on the clutch pedal can tremendously speed up the onset of problems.

If you want to avoid this wear, three pieces of advice are usually given: do not leave it stepped on at traffic lights, tighten it completely when you change and do not rest your foot on it when driving. However, there driving techniques that greatly extend clutch life. In the next video of 7 minutes you can learn them:

A worn clutch is slipping

When a clutch starts to fail due to wear stop grabbing enough and skid on the engine flywheel. To verify that this is indeed the problem, it is enough to circulate in motion a long march (low RPM) and accelerate hard. If we see that the engine revolutions rise but the speed does not increase accordingly, it is that the clutch slips.

Another way to check for clutch slippage is throw the hand brake with the car stopped, put a long march (third or fourth, for example) and gradually release the clutch. If the car does not stall or takes a long time to do so, it is a sign that the clutch is worn and slipping. Do not abuse this test.

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carbonized clutch

It's easy to rule out this possibility if your car is old and has regular wear and tear on the clutch. Look at the section “how long does a clutch last” below. You can also skate if the surface is charred by a great overheating, known to "burn the clutch", but in this case you would also have to replace it.

Oil bathed clutch

It is convenient to know that there are exceptions that can cause the same symptom and mislead us in the diagnosis. If there is oil or grease on the disc Due to the leak of a seal, the adherence would decrease and the clutch could slip without being worn.

Oil in the clutch causes it to slip.

You have to tighten the clutch

In very old cars the clutch also can skid due to lack of friction. This is because some required a clutch travel regulation through the pedal and you would have to make sure there was no lack of contact between the disc and the engine flywheel.

So if you're the lucky (or unlucky) owner of a classic car, know that your problem can be solved with a little tweaking. Modern cars have self-adjusting clutches.

old clutch

The smell of burning clutch

this smell appears when the clutch slips too much on the surface of flywheel. So it will appear for example when we try to start the march with the worn clutch and it slips too much to move the car. Keep in mind that, of course, it will also skid excessively if not used correctly even if it is not worn.

The burning smell, which is similar to that of brakes when they overheat, also will serve to differentiate between a clutch patina due to wear and another who does it because he is dirty from leaking oil or grease that we have mentioned before. In the latter case, the characteristic strong odor that arises when rubbing without any lubricant should not appear.

The clutch is a wear item that is usually changed sooner or later.

Important Note:

If you smell this smell you must not continue using the clutch regardless of whether it is worn or not. If it is worn out and you continue to use it, you would damage the rest of the parts, aggravating the fault. For example, the dual-mass flywheel could be damaged if the rivets on the lining rub against it from slipping so much and end up burning its surface. If it's not worn out you could end up charring it if you don't wait for it to cool down.

Hard clutch pedal

If when you press the clutch pedal you notice that it is harder than usual, is a clear indicator of excessive disc wear. Although it will be necessary to make sure that the problem is not the clutch actuation cable or the hydraulic actuation system, depending on the vehicle. If the clutch pedal has little travel it is also an indicator of possible disc wear.

clutch pedal

What happens if the car's clutch breaks?

Being a wear item, when the clutch reaches the end of its useful life it stops working. However, as to be able to rub against other pieces, if you keep trying to use them when they are worn, you can damage them, increasing the price of the repair bill. As we have mentioned before, a worn clutch can damage the flywheel until you break it.

An element that can break is the clutch cable or hydraulic system. These parts connect the clutch pedal to the system and allow it to be used. when they break, the pedal sinks completely disabling the car. Luckily changing them is much cheaper than a clutch or a flywheel.

How long does a clutch last?

clutch kit

It is not easy to establish a specific mileage to determine when the clutch of a car usually wears out. Many factors influence such as the manufacturer, the use made of the vehicle or the way of driving.

Still, what we can say is that, if used correctly and there is a lot of traffic in the city, stopping and starting between traffic lights, the clutch should not last less than 100.000 km. A normal figure for your wear might be around 150.000 km. On the other hand, if using it well, you usually drive almost exclusively by motorway, the clutch can last the entire life of the car.

These figures will drop considerably if you have vices in driving like putting your foot on the clutch pedal, not pushing the clutch all the way down when changing gear, or holding it down at traffic lights. So avoid these bad habits if you do not want to pay more than the account in the maintenance of your car.

How much does it cost to change a worn clutch?

change clutch

Al change a worn clutch, It is important replace the whole set mainly formed by the disc, the pressure plate (hub) and the thrust collar. In addition, the most common is that when we take it to the workshop we recommend changing it together with the dual-mass flywheel, which increases the bill. This recommendation is not usually free, since this steering wheel also wears out over the kilometers and if it is left for later you will have to pay twice the labor.

In any case, you can check the condition of your dual-mass flywheel yourself by following the advice in the article Fault in the dual-mass flywheel, what are the symptoms?. So you can make a decision to see what compensates you.

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Change the clutch for a new one

Replacing a clutch can cost close to 500 euros. It is important to check that there are no oil leaks from the gearbox and check the condition of the flywheel. If you also replace the dual-mass flywheel, the bill can reach around 1.000 euros.

Savings can be expensive with a worn clutch

Even if some of the clutch elements are fine, their accumulated fatigue can lead to failure in the future. Keep in mind that when replacing a clutch the most expensive is usually labor. Not changing the thrust bearing along with the rest of the clutch to save $30 can cost $400 in labor if that part fails.

Images 3, 5 and 9 – Kevin Rheese, Kate Russell, Matthew P


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      Diego_delgado_75 said

    Hello, well, I'm going to try your recommendations, but I've already noticed that I'm speeding up my car and it's like the discs are slipping, thank you very much, a big greeting.

      alex said

    If the pedal is too high, is it a warning that it no longer works or is it normal?

         Gustavo said

      Hello, do not do the test of putting on the rear and the handbrake because even though the car is new, with that it is worn out a lot, the best thing is to test if it burns rubber on the asphalt, if it burns rubber, the clutch is fine, that is the best, and more but that's the easiest

      rodrigo said

    I just changed the clutch, and the pedal keeps going high, my mechanism says it's normal because it's new and after a couple of days I'll notice that it improves, is it true or is it kidding me?

      andres said

    Very good advice, my car has all the above symptoms so he goes to the mechanic, thanks for the advice

      Yoly said

    Hello, I have a BMW 320d from 2005 and I have a damaged bute, how much does it cost me more or less to fix it?

      Javier said

    my car when I accelerate it to change it remains as in neutral and then it picks up the speed that can be

      Jorge Andrés Jaramillo said

    to my R4 when I enter the first one as if it jumps or kicks, I already changed the clutch and it continues the same as I should do

         They were said

      Very good As! Did you solve the jumps of the r4? The same happens to me!!

         maria said

      Hello, I put the gear on and he wants to leave without letting go of the intoxication that can be

      Renato-H said

    I also have a problem with a nisan terrano. In the morning there is no change. I have to heat it for about 1/2 hour and then no problem. I looked through the oil change network in the transfer and nothing went to the mechanic and he told me to pump it about 5 times and I already did it and if he was right, of course I have to pump it about 20 times. Enyonces he told me to take it away because it most likely has a bubble and he will have to bleed it… ..hopefully that is… ..what do you think… see you….

      viviana said

    how much can they charge me to change the clutch...chevrolet spark 1.0

      jacqueline said

    It happened to me with a tall suzuki that the gear lever was hard… I shifted to third gear and it locked, I forced it and the lever came loose, getting stuck in second gear…. what is this problem due to?

         Peter Paul G. said

      most likely the gear lever is worn, repair it

      ana said

    Hello, I have an R12 model 87, and the clutch pedal is very high, the truth is that it is very uncomfortable. I wanted to know, if it's normal for it to be like this? Thank you

         Mauricio said

      The same thing happened to me with my Renault 18 and what they did was install a softener and the pedal stayed low, comfortable and very smooth.

      claudio said

    Hello, I have a focus and the clutch takes off. Very high. It is because it is worn out.

      Ramiro said

    Hello, I would like you to help me with a problem I have, I have a 90 tsuru when it is off, the changes enter without the need to flatten the clutch, I turn it on and the changes continue to enter without the need for the clutch, what could it be?

      javi said

    my car with the engine running you put the gear any and it does not pull neither in front nor behind does anyone know what it is? man said the clutch burned worse nuse

      gabriel said

    note that my tsuru has a brake fluid stain on the booster, which must be changed as a spare part or complete pump

      Diego Ibanez said

    Hello, I have a kia picanto, when I put the reverse gear in cold it goes well, but when the car is hot and I put the reverse gear, it scratches the gear. What can be??. Thank you

      Miguel said

    Hello, I have my car that does nothing of what it says here, but I notice that when I go in 4th gear arriving and passing 60 km/h, the car is like that sometimes it slows down, it does it very rarely and there are days that nor does it, the issue is that in a month I am going to make a trip of 3000 km, will it be a problem of the clutch, if it just starts to fail, will I put up with such a trip?

      Francisco Tomas Ortigosa Soriano said

    Loss of power is the first symptom and a strong smell of burning.

      Sergio Aguilar said

    The smell

         Alejandro said

      One question I have a Mitsubishi
      Galant 92 just a month ago I changed the clutch disc and two days ago the pedal was traveled and part in the tip
      I would like to know why this happened?
      Thank you, I await your response

      martin said

    Hello. I have a f100 mod87 and the clutch pedal is very hard, I also have to press it down. It has a 3rd class box.

      Hector said

    Hello, I have an Opel Zafira 2.0 TDI 16V the Eleganz and I already have 300.000 km. my driving is more in the city than highways.
    and I still haven't thrown a clutch. I'm surprised... and that it lasts, but it must have a little left... lol what do you think.

      CESAR E. ARAGON OYOLA said

    Hello, I have a mechanical Toyota Corona from 85. When I go out in the morning in first class, it is hard as half an hour passes and it normalizes, which may be the problem, thanks. for your answer, my name is cesar

      Edgar Shunta said

    Greetings to all, I have a Peugeot sedan and everything is going well, only on the climbs is where it does not want to leave, it will be that it has gone to the clutch disc, only in its life does it lose strength, help with that, friends

      eduardo diaz mora said

    hello I have a 2006 ford fiesta and when I go uphill I press the accelerator to the full and it doesn't move forward it is difficult to climb and once it is on flat ground it moves little by little until I pick up speed but when I brake and move forward again the same thing happens it moves slowly until it picks up speed thank you very much it will be the clutch

      eduardo diaz mora said

    it will be the clutch

      jacob_caiza@hotmail.com said

    my car is a toyota 4×4 2013 on a hill well stopped it does not go up it may be that it is the clutch

      maria said

    hello I put the gear and with the clutch tight it comes out the same because it could be

      cease said

    hello I have a renault12 model 91 and it doesn't have the strength to go out first a pebble or the wheel gets into a drop and you have to push it I go out to the road I feel the effort of the engine but I can't get it to go more than 40 and yes I pass it to 3 or 4 it starts to lose speed can someone guide me on the problem thanks

      elias vilchez said

    Good afternoon, I would really appreciate your help, I have a Mitsubishi L200 from 2011 with 70 km and the problem I have is that there is a noise that comes out from the side of the two front tires that seems to be dry strips but it is not, but without However, it is worth mentioning that when that noise comes out and I step on the clutch, the noise disappears with the clutch and again, which is what it could be. if someone can help me this is my email evilchez_1012@hotmail.com
    Thank you waiting for your opinions.

    elias vilchez

      Maria Teresa said

    I have a 2011 Nissan TIIDA. Automatic When I turn it on in the morning it produces a sound similar to diesel cars, but the rest of the day it does not produce the noise when I turn it on. They tell me that it is the connecting rod. In the NISSAN workshop they told me to use it. I ask, can the car make long trips like from Armenia to Cali with this problem?

      Juan said

    hello I have a renauld 19 and I want to put the changes and all kedan as in neutral does not engage what could it be

         Gaby said

      Good morning, I don't know how to solve the problem of my Nissan micra year 1998, they changed the clutch and the cable and they charged me 350e for everything, but it didn't help me because it doesn't work, it keeps staying halfway when I step on it to change, it enters but it doesn't return to its place the clutch stays in the middle and sometimes it doesn't work when I put gear 1 it doesn't work and it started in 2 I called it again it says that there is a part that they don't make anymore I don't remember the name it helped me to change if I'm still the same and I mean using the car like this thanks

      Juan said

    I have a renauld 19 when I put the gears keda as in neutral and it doesn't engage and it sounds ugly what could it be

      antonio arteaga said

    I HAVE A JETTA 2001 MECHANICAL MY QUESTION IS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SECOND CHANGE IS RAKING ME DUE TO WEAR OF THE CLUTH DISC

      Gaby said

    I have a toyota avanda whose engine heats up and they told me at the agency that the clutch is failing and that I should change it. Is that possible? I had never heard that the clutch had a relationship with engine temperature.

      Virgilio said

    Hello my name is virgilio, and a few months ago my hyundai acennt rb 2012 is giving me problems when I get to the center where there are many traffic lights and I have to stop a lot, this after 10 times that I use the clutch it starts to cost to get out and it's like not I should force the clutch. And when I have to go back there is a screeching sound and I have to accelerate it much more to be able to go back.
    I hope you can help me thanks

      mary ruiz said

    I bought a fiat punto 1999 and I changed the entire clutch kit. Because it got stuck when putting gears when I had to accelerate. the clutch. you can help me. Thanks.

      Edwin said

    I have an Audi A 6 Evans car when it tried to engage the gear while it was on, it did not go in, we turned it off and the gear went in, which could be, thank you very much

      jose zardoya said

    Hello, I have a 2007 Ford transit with 205.000 km,
    The other day on an all-round track- asphalt with a steep slope, wet ground, tires at the limit of wear and rain...
    The thing is that with the leaves in first gear I skidded and in second gear it moved 3-4 meters and stopped climbing, leaving a strong smell of clutch, I have 2 doubts:
    1) that it was too steep for my vehicle
    2) that x age, the clutch is already pulling Justito.

    Thank you for answering
    Greetings from Iruña

      MIGUEL said

    I have a 1997 Ford Ranger XL single cab truck, it generates a noise when the engine is on and parked, my mechanic points out that it may be the collar that is worn and it is necessary to change the complete clutch system (pressure plate, disc and collar). ).

      Ramon verdu nettle said

    I went out with the car to give it a ride, it has been stopped for 2 weeks, I know that many times I have noticed the smell of burning, but when I use reverse gear, many times it is and other times it is not. I went for a few kilometers, I stopped at a friend's house. when I left, I put the first, and when I changed to second, it wouldn't let me anymore, it stopped. I did not realize that the pedal was completely lowered, and with the car stopped I could put all the gears.

      wikicost said

    As always in these cases, the amount to be spent on the clutch is highly variable and depends first of all on the type and quality of the spare part: costs on average fluctuate between just over 100 and 500 euros.

    The voice that most affects the final price in this case is labor. Replacing the clutch is not particularly easy and takes time. A whole series of preliminary interventions involving mechanics is necessary:

    Disassembly of wheels and shock absorbers.
    Starter motor removal
    Drain the used oil from the gearbox
    Elimination of the latter
    The cost of labor can vary from a minimum of 100 euros to go up, and depends on the time needed for the replacement, which can be more or less easy depending on the car models.