4 Sure Signs That Tell You Your Car's Clutch Needs To Be Changed Immediately

The clutch of your car is one of the most vital parts as it gives you the control over the output of the engine in a more granular manner. Now since the clutch of the car is one part that is constantly used while driving, it also becomes one of the parts that sees the most wear and tear. This wear and tear can vary from person to person as per their driving style and habit. Another aspect that determines the clutch wear and tear is the usage scenario of the car, while a car that is used in city traffic will see the clutch wear down soon, highway usage will see the clutch of the same car lasting for a long while. Therefore, in order to help keep your clutch in top condition, we have gathered some pointers for you that you need to keep in mind. These pointers will help you determine the time when the clutch plates of the car needs to be replaced or repaired.

Clutch Slipping

Ever notice your car revving unnaturally before it actually gains the speed? Yes, you may be in need of replacing your car's clutch plates. The wearing in clutch leads to the engine revs going higher than the original speed of your car. This phenomena is called as clutch slipping. This not only affects the pick-up of your car it also impacts the mileage. A simple test to check whether your clutch is slipping is to start the engine, put your car in third gear while keeping the handbrake on and then release the clutch. This should normally lead to your engine stalling, if the engine does not stall, you have a clutch that is slipping and a clutch change is in order.

Shudders

Yes, this is one thing that one instantly notices when the car is in motion. Often older models throw up this problem as the driver tries their best to make the car behave normally. This shuddering that one feels in the car is generally due to the friction plate of the clutch malfunctioning. This could happen due to various reasons, either your clutch has worn out, or there are some unwanted elements coating the friction plate of the clutch. Anyway, you need to get this checked immediately. Another pointer for noticing this is that the car has done a stretch of driving in a flooded area, as the shudder problem often creeps in due to the same reason.

Noises From the Engine

This is one condition where one not even needs to be told that there is something wrong with their car. This something generally is the fault with the clutch of the car. If you notice a constant noise coming from your engine when you release the clutch fully, it means that the clutch of your car is in need to immediate attention. This sound generally goes away when the clutch pedal is fully depressed but return once it is released. This is caused by worn out (thrown out) clutch release bearing. If this is not replaced within a certain time, it can lead to a bent clutch fork, which again causes pressure plate problems leading to clutch assembly failure.

Gear Shift Issues

If you hear the clattering noise every time you try to change gears of your car or even putting the car in neutral takes a lot of effort and minute adjustments, we have bad news for you as the clutch of your car is in need of immediate replacement. This problem can happen when there is a bent clutch fork, leaking slave cylinder in the hydraulic clutch systems or a badly adjusted clutch cable in the mechanical clutches. It can be fixed by adjusting the mechanical linkages or by replacing the slave cylinder and put new fluid in the hydraulic systems.