Something weird happened tonight ad I'm just curious if it would be an early sign of clutch failure, because I'm not sure what else it could be.
Was coming to a stop (Engine was cold - Just started a minute or two prior), down at the bottom of a hill, pressed the clutch in, took it out of third, and put it in first. After I stopped, the rpm's dropped from about 850 or so to maybe 450, while in gear, clutch in, then back up to 850, then down to 450, then back up to 850 and then I gave it throttle and let out the clutch to go. I tried to get it to do it again, but it wouldn't. When the RPM's dropped like it did, it kinda felt like the car was trying to move forward, but, that sensation could have also been the fact that I was going down hill. I'm not sure.
When I got back home, engine at temp, I put a huge load on the engine (A/C on high, Rear defog on, radio on, lights on, and turn the wheel back and forth, clutch in, in first gear, and it didn't do it again. I pumped the clutch a few times to see if there was a difference in pressure, and there didn't seem to be a difference.
If anything when the engine is cold, I have a small amount of clutch chatter, that goes away probably after the third or so time I engage the clutch.
It's an 03 eco, getrag, with 95k miles.
Clutch chatter is a sign of a clutch starting to not grab, although you say that goes away after the 3rd shift which could just be a cold clutch. Now let me get this right, you're stopped on a road that is on a small slope forward with the car in 1st with clutch all the way down and no foot on the brakes, that seems like the reason you moved forward. The Idle dropping and coming back up could have been plenty of other things and I'm sure it would have done the same if you just left it in neutral with clutch up. Probably happened because the engine was cold....IMO if it didn't happen again, don't worry about it lol maybe a little dirt in the gas for a few seconds. If you want to test your clutch, get massive load on the engine like all lights on, radio, heat, ect. and drive uphill doing 25mph in 5th gear and just floor it, if the car revs like it's in neutral, then your clutch is slipping. Hope that helps.
95LsCoupe wrote:Clutch chatter is a sign of a clutch starting to not grab, although you say that goes away after the 3rd shift which could just be a cold clutch.
Okay. I figured as much.
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Now let me get this right, you're stopped on a road that is on a small slope forward with the car in 1st with clutch all the way down and no foot on the brakes, that seems like the reason you moved forward.
No, Brakes were applied, LIGHTLY The corner is hard to see around, and it is a steep, although short, hill. I was trying to roll a little so I could see better, but then it felt like the car was trying to propel itself forward.
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The Idle dropping and coming back up could have been plenty of other things and I'm sure it would have done the same if you just left it in neutral with clutch up. Probably happened because the engine was cold....IMO if it didn't happen again, don't worry about it lol maybe a little dirt in the gas for a few seconds.
It's never done this before, which is why I asked. I'm not gonna worry about it until my RPM's drop so low, it stalls. Then I have a problem. Or, when I can't get it in gear.
If you want to test your clutch, get massive load on the engine like all lights on, radio, heat, ect. and drive uphill doing 25mph in 5th gear and just floor it, if the car revs like it's in neutral, then your clutch is slipping. Hope that helps.
I thought this test was supposed to be done in 3rd? I do this test basically every day. I have to drive up a massive hill to get to my complex, but I don't shift all that early. I usually shift pretty late. It's a steep hill. I'll shift early this time and see what happens.
Mine used to do that, it would sometime happen even if the engine was warm.. I would put the clutch in to slow down for a stoplight or something and the engine would bog out, I think it even stalled once. My best quess is it is something to do with the factory tune on the computer? No idea what tho.
Anyways, 30,000mi later and a few hundred drag passes and my clutch is still holding like a champ.
I would test it in 5th up a hill anyways....but odds are your clutch is fine.
