No one knows your vehicle
better than you do. If you're wondering if the performance of the
vehicle is different to you or you just never noticed it before, chances
are it's the vehicle. Knowing when a clutch needs to be replaced is one
such diagnosis that can begin by
giving
off subtle hints and changes in the performance of the vehicle. While
there's nothing you can do to prevent or fix it from inevitably going,
having it checked soon could likely save other components that could be
damaged by ignoring the problem or prolonging the inevitable repair
needed.
Instructions
- Look at the tachometer of your vehicle when you're shifting normally. Most standard transmissions
have a tachometer gauge on the dashboard to tell the driver when to
shift to the next gear. A slipping or worn-out clutch will begin to
shift sloppily and you will notice the tachometer indicator moving up
and down erratically. This is an excellent visual indication that the
clutch needs to be replaced
- Feel the vehicle. Again, no one knows your vehicle better
than you. Feeling how the stick shift engages and how the engine reacts
to normal shifting is another good test to see how your clutch is
performing. If it jerks or jumps abnormally and frequently when
upshifting or downshifting, it could also be an indication the clutch is
on its way out.
- Listen to the engine as you engage the stick shift into
gear. This test combines Step 1 and Step 2, but instead of looking at
the tachometer or feeling the jerkiness motion of the vehicle, you can
listen to how the engine reacts to the normal shifting pattern. If it
revs irregularly when the stick shift is engaged in normal shifting, up
or down, this would make the tachometer bounce erratically and the
vehicle jerk.
- Smell the vehicle. When the clutch is going in a vehicle,
most often it will omit a pungent burning rubber smell. You may well
smell it in the passenger compartment, but you'd also smell it once you
parked the vehicle and got out of it. Although the friction material of
the clutch is much like the material of a brake shoe, when it is worn
and contacts the flywheel improperly, it creates this bad smell that is
almost unmistakable and a clear indication the clutch needs to be
replaced.