Your car’s manual transmission has one part in particular you need to pay close attention to. The clutch is a crucial part of the manual transmission, and there are signs of trouble you need to know about. Young Automotive has this information that you might find helpful.
Chattering or Jolting Movements
Clutch chattering is a common problem and it’s a situation that occurs when the clutch plates are worn or the drivetrain is misaligned with other parts. There are other contributing factors for clutch chatter, too, but the bottom line is it needs to be addressed. If you’re feeling any jolting movements or some of these other signs when you’re using the clutch, you need to have the clutch and transmission inspected.
Slippage
Usually, slippage is what causes car owners to bring their car to the shop for clutch issues. This is sometimes a tough situation for car owners to understand because by design clutches are supposed to slip a small amount in order to do their job. It’s when that slippage is happening more often or to a greater degree that there’s an issue. That increase in slippage happens gradually as your clutch continues to wear.
Failure to Release
Your clutch is supposed to fully release when you depress the clutch pedal so that you can change gears. If you’re holding in the clutch pedal all the way and the clutch still isn’t releasing, that’s a problem. Failure to release completely can cause you to grind the gears when you shift or you may not even be able to change gears at all. If you’re noticing new stiffness to the clutch pedal, this could be a related issue.
Noise from the Clutch
The clutch typically doesn’t make a lot of noise at all, and that is a good thing. There may be times when there’s damage to the clutch or somewhere in that connection between the clutch and the transmission that causes more noise. Some of those sounds can indicate trouble with bearings, particularly if you’re hearing squealing sounds. Chirps, growls, and other types of sounds can also be a sign of trouble, so they need to be investigated further.
Diagnosing clutch problems is all part of what we do here at Young Automotive in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Call us today if you’re having clutch issues and we’ll be happy to accurately diagnose the cause of the problem for you. Then we can recommend the right solution for your clutch issues.
