Common clutch failures

What are the most common clutch failures?

1 Slide of the clutch
When the clutch disc is worn down by friction, the surface that holds the other two components, plate and steering wheel, is defective. This causes the whole system’s reaction time to be slower than normal, because the clutch disc does not hold the other two components well and therefore they do not perform in a coordinated manner.

The most common feature of this failure can be detected when the car starts slower than normal, even though the engine reports the same revolutions so you can start your car movement. That is, when you start to move the car, you’ll notice it moves slower than usual.

In these cases it is recommended to change the clutch disc with your trusted mechanic and make the necessary adjustment of the components.

2 The friction noise during the change of gears
This problem is very common in manual transmission cars, especially when it has already been several years of use or a significant amount of mileage driven. Its main feature is a friction noise when changing speed. So you should pay close attention to any strange sound, as it is a symptom that something is not working right.

In the case of the noise during a gear change it can be due to several circumstances, all related to the clutch. If you spot this irregularity in time, probably your trusted mechanic will have to adjust the clutch, tighten the wires or adjust the hydraulic circuit and that’s it, the composition will be relatively simple. In cases of more wear and tear it may be due to the so-called “clutch drag” and it is caused by a deficiency in the clutch pressure or disk.

Apart from the sound you find that the gear lever is more rigid than normal, this may be due to poor lubrication of the system or wear of the clutch control or one of its rods. The solution is a little more complex, but it’s still simple for your mechanic to change the parts. Right there, ask about the state of the clutch in general. You may need to change some disc to improve friction.

3 The pedal gets stuck or doesn’t return to its place
Although the causes of this problem are varied, almost all of them are related to clutch cylinder failures. This problem is more complex than the previous ones, as it will surely require a clutch cylinder replacement because it is already worn out. In this case a change of this piece as well as adjustment of the main clutch cylinders.

4 The clutch pressure system does not work
Another common failure is one that involves the entire clutch system. The way it can be detected is when we change speed and the car doesn’t accelerate as it should, it takes longer to catch the speed for the next change.

This indicates wear and tear in the clutch components, such as the disc, or the pressure system of the plate, or the diaphragm or the casing. In this case the complete system or worn parts will need to be replaced, and therefore requires major intervention on the part of your mechanic.