What Happens When Your Clutch is Damaged?

A good driver can get up to 100,000 miles on a single clutch – as long as they don’t push their car too hard and do lots of starts and stop driving. Under normal circumstances, drivers get way less lifespan from their clutches.

That is why one of the most prominent serviceable parts in a manual car is the clutch. Veteran stick drivers know well to check how long a vehicle’s clutch can last before buying it.

Before looking at signs of a damaged clutch and why some fail so fast, we must understand how this crucial component of a manual shift vehicle works.

What is a Clutch, and How Does it Work?

A clutch is any mechanical assembly in a vehicle or an engine that disengages or engages a powertrain (the engine) to a rotating driving shaft.

The whole idea behind the clutch is to allow the powertrain and driveshaft to spin at the same speed when engaged or spin at different speeds when disengaging or engaging.

In a single-disc dry clutch system, the engine’s crankshaft, flywheel, pressure plate, and spring are permanently connected. The clutch is permanently connected to the gearbox input shaft.

Strong springs on the pressure plate press the clutch against the flywheel forming a perfect bond between the engine and the gearbox.

Pressing the clutch pedal creates tension that overcomes the pressure plate’s spring pressure. This, in turn, releases the clutch disc, which breaks away from the flywheel hence disconnecting the engine from the gearbox.

This gives drivers the power to disengage the engine from the transmission and driven wheels to:

  • Make changing gears more efficient
  • Bring the driven wheels to a stop without stopping the car’s engine
  • Gradually bringing driven wheels up to the engine’s speed (RPM)

Once the desired gear is engaged, the clutch has to be re-engaged by releasing the clutch pedal. The pressure plate’s springs are no longer under tension from the clutch pedal and will firmly re-engage the clutch disc, finishing the bond again.

Drivers can control how fast they release the clutch pedal. This directly translates to how hard the pressure plate presses against the clutch. This is crucial in bringing the transmission and engine up to speed.

As you gradually let out the clutch pedal, the friction won’t be enough to force them into an instant speed match. The clutch will slightly slip over the pressure plate because it doesn’t have enough pressure to create stronger frictional force.

Nonetheless, this gentle friction is enough to bring the gearbox and car up to speed. As the friction intensifies with more of the clutch pedal released, the friction grows maximum, and finally, the clutch can fully engage.

If you are driving from a standstill, this gradual engagement gives you time to rev up the engine and produce more torque that’s enough to keep the car moving without stalling.

ProTip: Letting out the clutch fast (throwing the clutch) will make your car jerk and stall if you don’t provide enough throttle. Letting out the clutch slower might mitigate this, but the slipping will wear it out faster. Driving a manual is all about finding the balance between the two.

Signs that You Have a Bad Clutch

Now that we understand the basic functioning, it’s time to look at the top signs and symptoms of a failing clutch.

ProTip: As it is a purely friction-driven component, most clutch failures are due to timely or untimely tear and wear on the clutch disc’s frictional surface.

Your Clutch Will Slip

Even when it’s fully engaged, the clutch will slip if it can’t make sufficient contact with the pressure plate. If this happens, you will notice that the vehicle moves slower than usual for the specific gear and engine RPM.

In essence, it will feel like the clutch is still halfway engaged, while in reality, it is not.

This mostly happens when the clutch disc wears out. With the frictional material worn out, the plate loses its ability to grip onto the pressure plate and the flywheel making it harder for the engine to transfer all its power to the transmission.

Apart from this, you’ll also notice that the clutch disengages sooner than before. You won’t have to push the clutch pedal as far down as you used to, and you won’t feel as much resistance on the pedal.

This also means the clutch’s bit point will move further up (you will have to release the clutch pedal more than usual to get to the ‘bite’ position when starting from a standstill.)

While slippage often hints on a worn out clutch plate, it could also be caused by:

  • Bent or misaligned clutch linkage
  • A weak or damaged pressure plate
  • Rusty clutch linkage and cable
  • A clutch linkage that needs adjustment
  • An oil-contaminated clutch assembly
  • Blocked master cylinder compensation ports
  • Broken motor mounts

If you recently replaced your clutch pedal and are still experiencing considerable slippage, consider having the entire system inspected for further damage or wear. Only after ruling out the entire clutch system should you start looking at your motor mounts – unless you have other symptoms of broken motor mounts.

How to Check If Your Clutch is Slipping

If you are not sure if your car isn’t slipping, you can use the following test in a safe location.

  1. Crank up the engine and keep the emergency brake engaged
  2. Press in the clutch pedal and shift the car into second gear (or third for diesel cars that have more torque in low RPM)
  3. Rev it up to around 2400 RPM and slowly let out the clutch pedal

If your car’s clutch isn’t slipping, it should bite soon enough to overpower and stall the engine. If this doesn’t happen, then your clutch is slipping.

Problem Getting In and Out of Specific (or All) Gears

Since the clutch assembly is in charge of disengaging the transmission and letting you change gears smoothly, any damage will make gear shifts harder.

Some gears will be harder to select depending on their position in the gearbox. The most common are reverse and third gear.

If this happens, chances are your linkage needs adjustment. It could also mean that the linkage is malfunctioning or you have damaged or bent your clutch plate.

Mechanical (Cable) driven clutches will also make it harder to slip into gear if you have issues with:

  • The pressure plate
  • The release lever
  • The shift lever assembly
  • Your control cable
  • A faulty release bearing

If your car’s clutch is hydraulic, getting into gears could be more challenging when your master and slave cylinders have low fluid levels. A loose and spongy feel will also accompany low clutch fluid levels on the clutch pedal.

Having trouble shifting into gear doesn’t always mean your transmission has issues. It could also mean your synchronizers are worn out, or you have lousy pilot bearings.

Squealing and Growling as You Push on (or Release) the Clutch Pedal

When pressed and released, your clutch pedal evokes some gentle and smooth sounds – even with the car off. However, when these turn into sequels and clunks, something must be wrong.

For instance, if you hear abnormal sounds when you press and release the pedal with the car off, chances are the noise is from the clutch release mechanism.

Regardless of whether your clutch is hydraulic or mechanical, the release mechanism needs lubrication for smooth operation.

A cable rolling over a pulley, a connecting road, or other components will scrape when it dries up, leading to sequels, clunks, and scraping noises.

The Car Makes a Grinding or Whining Noise in Neutral

A car that’s in neutral shouldn’t make any noise. Even though the clutch is engaged, the gearbox’s input shaft isn’t connected to any gear. There is no pressure whatsoever on the clutch.

You can isolate the noise source by depressing the clutch pedal while still in neutral to isolate the gearbox input shaft. If the noise slows down and stops as the input shaft slows down to a stop, its bearing and not the clutch system is faulty.

If the noise continues, the bearings on your pressure plate and the flywheel should be looked into.

Grinding Noises When Shifting Gears

Any grinding noise when changing gears means the gearbox’s input shaft was still moving when you tried to change gears.

This can only happen if you didn’t fully disengage the clutch. Sometimes, this could be due to driver error. You either forgot to press the clutch pedal or didn’t press it thoroughly before attempting to change gears.

If you worked the clutch move perfectly and still got the grind, then it means that the clutch disc remained engaged.

A couple of things could keep your clutch from disengaging fully or make it disengage partially even with the clutch pedal fully depressed. These include:

  • If it is a mechanical clutch system, then your release system could be faulty. This could be a rusty, broken, overstretched, or poorly tuned cable
  • Problems with the throwout bearing or pressure plate
  • In a hydraulic clutch system, you could have low hydraulic fluid or air in the system
  • The master or slave cylinder in a hydraulic system might be faulty
  • Your clutch pedal could be having too much travel and in need of a tune-up

A clutch that doesn’t release fully always hints at the release mechanism and the actual clutch pedal problems. It can never mean your clutch plate is worn out.

However, it might mean that you adjusted your clutch system on an old clutch plate. If you tune up the pedal travel or adjust any other cables, do it on a new clutch plate. Allow for enough travel room such that your clutch can theoretically work without other tuneups until the clutch plate is entirely worn out.

Your Clutch Pedal Takes A Lot of Effort to Fully Depress

Yes, it takes some effort to depress the clutch pedal and hold it down fully. However, if it becomes more of a chore than it used to be, signs are something is faulty with your clutch.

A damaged release mechanism will make it harder to engage the clutch. If your car has a mechanical system, this could be anything from a seized pedal linkage to a stuck pivot ball, cable, or cross shaft.

If your car uses a hydraulic clutch system, a stiff clutch pedal might mean there’s a blockage somewhere in the system.

Regardless of your clutch type, inspect the pressure plate, the fork, any linkage, and throughout bearings to ensure that they’re adequately lubricated, and there’s no gunk blocking their movement.

The Clutch Pedal Vibrates as You Accelerate

Even though the clutch pedal might not be in use when it is fully engaged, and you are accelerating, it can still have some feedback from the clutch system. It could vibrate and shake if your clutch disc has intermittent contact with the flywheel.

Some of the things that could cause such uneven grip even with the clutch fully out include:

  • A glazed clutch disc
  • Worn out frictional material on the clutch
  • A clutch disc that’s contaminated with oil
  • Worn out clutch disc splines
  • A warped flywheel or pressure plate
  • A weak pressure plate diaphragm spring
  • Worn out flywheel
  • Damaged or worn pilot bearings

It takes time to troubleshoot and pinpoint some of these problems. Either way, you’ll need an expert to help you identify the problem – unless you want to change the entire clutch assembly bit by bit.

The Clutch Pedal Pulsates

If you can feel the clutch pedal pulsate every time you try to use it (or when you ride it on purpose to troubleshoot), something somewhere is misaligned.

It could be a warped flywheel causing uneven rotation. A release lever could be faulty and in need of alignment.

Moreover, if the pulsating pop up after servicing your transmission, the problem could be a transmission housing that isn’t in line with the engine.

Your Clutch Pedal Stays Stuck on the Floor

If the clutch pedal remains stuck on the flow, chances are the linkage or release bearing has a problem. Chances are they’re not pushing the clutch pedal back after you take your foot off.

Sometimes, this could be accompanied by a clutch that doesn’t engage fully or at all, giving the symptoms of a slipping clutch.

If the clutch still re-engages, a spring that could pull the clutch pedal back up is faulty. Some cars have the spring in the cabin attaching the clutch pedal to a hook somewhere in the footwell.

The Clutch Pedal Is Spongey

A spongy mechanical pedal means the release bearing or clutch fork is damaged. Sometimes, the problem could be with the pressure plate diaphragm.

If you own a car with a hydraulic release mechanism, some of the things that could go wrong include:

  • A damaged master cylinder center valve seal
  • Damaged master cylinder primary seal leak
  • Leaking connection or hose pipes
  • Lower than acceptable hydraulic fluid
  • Air in the hydraulic system

How Does a Clutch Get Damaged?

A clutch wears out every time you use it. Nonetheless, a well-used clutch should last tens of thousands of miles. Here are some of the things that make clutches wear out faster.

Avoiding them will increase your clutches lifespan, making you a better and more frugal driver.

Overloading Your Vehicle

An overloaded vehicle needs more torque to get going and keep going. This torque might be more than what your engine can provide at low RPM, forcing you to slip the clutch by keeping it partially engaged to let the engine build up RPM and car speed.

While this will get you going, your clutch will be under more duress, making it age faster.

Other parts of the car, from the engine to the transmission, the drive train, and the suspension, will also be compromised when you overload.

Spending too Much Time in Start-Stop Traffic

Start and stop traffic in cities puts a bit more strain on your transmission than a cruise on the open roads does.

You have to let out the clutch slowly and, in essence, slip it for a moment to get your car going. Doing this repeatedly wears the clutch faster than doing it very few times when on the freeway.

Moreover, you will have to cycle through gears more often in the start and stop traffic while on some freeways. You could happily cruise along in a single gear for miles before having to gear down or gear up.

Slipping the Clutch Too Much

We’ve already seen that slipping the clutch can help you get your engine’s RPM high to deliver more torque from a standstill. It can also limit the torque demands from your drive train, helping you gradually pull out with a heavy load.

Some drivers also slip their clutch on purpose to get this extra oomph for faster acceleration even when they’re not overloaded. This will wear out your clutch faster.

Riding the clutch

Riding a clutch is when you keep the clutch pedal slightly depressed even when the clutch is past the biting point, and the car is already moving.

At this point, you don’t need any clutch input as the car can maintain speed with the right gear and a fully engaged clutch.

Lift your foot off the clutch and place it on the dead pedal or on the floor to avoid riding the clutch.

Sometimes, crawling or creeping forward in slow traffic is inevitable. This is where people ride clutch the most.

Instead of riding your clutch, use the following trick:

  • Read the traffic and maintain a decent following distance.
  • When you surmise that the car ahead will start moving and create a considerable gap, get your car going past the biting point and fully release the clutch
  • Don’t accelerate too much to gather a lot of momentum. Get sufficient momentum that will let the car roll for a bit.
  • Fully depress the clutch to disconnect the engine and let the car roll on momentum until you have to stop it again or repeat the procedure for more speed instead of riding the clutch in the bite position.

Riding the clutch is sometimes inevitable. However, adjusting your driving style such that you don’t have to do it for longer will increase your clutches lifespan.

ProTip: If your vehicle has a low transfer case, use the low gear when rock crawling, towing something heavy slowly, or navigating a tricky offroad course instead of riding the clutch or letting it out halfway.

Check this too: Why Won’t My Car Go Into Gear When the Engine is Running?

Releasing Your Clutch Too Soon and Too Fast

So far, we’ve been complaining about letting the clutch out too late. You might feel under pressure to let go of the clutch as soon as possible. While this is in good faith, letting out the clutch too fast isn’t favorable.

First of all, your car will jerk and stall. This isn’t the smoothest or coolest thing to do.

While the jerk and stall might seem like a mere matter of aesthetics, it is also bad for your transmission, the engine, and the clutch.

  • It puts more sudden strain on your engine and the transmission
  • The clutch will overheat and deteriorate faster
  • The sudden jerks could tear loose some parts of your clutch.

The key is letting out the clutch as fast as possible but smoothly and gradually. If you do it right, your vehicle won’t jerk at all. That reduces strain in all active components giving you longer lifespans.

Clutch Balancing to Hold Your Car on a Hill

The last and worst mistake you could make is clutch balancing to hold your car still on a hill.

This happens when you let your clutch bite and apply enough throttle to keep the car from rolling back but not enough to make it creep forward.

Some people do this when stuck in stop and go traffic since it is easier to start moving again (you just increase throttle) instead of fully depressing the clutch pedal and using your brake pedal to hold the car in place.

Clutch balancing will overheat the clutch plate and could sometimes lead to instant failure. If this doesn’t happen, the constant slippage will wear out your clutch way faster.

Use your footbrake and emergency brake to hold the car still on a hill in start-stop traffic. Don’t bring the clutch to bite if you don’t intend to roll the car forward.

ProTip: With most modern cars giving hill start or hill hold assist, starting from a hill is easier, and you never have the excuse to clutch balance.

How to Tell if a Clutch is Bad By Looking at It?

Just like brake pads, the friction surface on the clutch plate wears out over time. The clutch plate will look considerably thin.

However, it is easier to use signs and symptoms to diagnose damage than to remove the clutch for visual inspection.

Removing a clutch can be labor-intensive. Replacing it once you get as far as removing it is always a clever move.

Can You Drive With a Damaged Clutch?

While you could technically keep your car moving with a damaged or partially ruined clutch, it isn’t wise.

Chances are the damage will spread over to other parts of the transmission or components that support the clutch’s operation. Replace it as soon as you can.

Can a Clutch Fail Suddenly?

Clutches rarely fail suddenly. They do so gradually. Chances are, the signs were there, but you did not notice them.

A clutch can fail suddenly if an oil spill contaminates the friction surface, rendering it too smooth to operate.

Under extreme conditions, overheated clutches from too much slippage could glaze over and stop working suddenly. The failure could happen in a matter of minutes.

How Often Should You Change Your Clutch?

There’s no rule on how often you should change your clutch. While some cars will keep a clutch up to 80,000 miles, others will need a replacement long before they hit 30,000 miles.

It all depends on your car, what you use it for, where you drive, and your driving style. Avoid the things that make clutches fail faster to avoid frequent changes.

Check this too: Signs That You Have A Damaged Or Faulty Drive Shaft

How to Break in a New Clutch

Breaking in a clutch is all about wearing in the new parts such that they are within spec of the existing parts. This always involves the matching wear on the clutch disc, the flywheel, and the pressure plate.

Since the flywheel and the pressure wheel don’t wear that much, you rarely have a lot of clutch plate breaking in.

Luckily, breaking in a clutch is simple. You just have to drive gently and carefully for around 300 miles.

Don’t load your car to capacity or do other extreme maneuvers with your new clutch for the very first couple of hundred miles.

This will give it time to wear in and match the rest of the components for the best performance.

ProTip: If your flywheel and pressure plate is too worn out due to misuse or in a very old car, you should consider changing them too, as they will wear out your clutch plate faster.