Here’s How You Can Diagnose a Slipping Clutch
Be Aware
The first step is to be aware when you’re driving your car. It’s easy to hop in the car for your commute, pump on the radio, and lose yourself. However, it’s important to take some time to evaluate the performance of the vehicle, daily. Whether you take a few minutes or the entire drive, watch for a change in engine speed without accelerating, a change in the height or position of the clutch pedal when it’s engaged or a change in acceleration power because of reduced power to the wheels.
Sniff Around a ‘Bit
No – you don’t actually have to go sniffing around your vehicle, but you should take notice of any strange smells. There are many reasons for this including an oil leak, an electrical problem, and, yes, a slipping clutch. It’s at least a reason to test the clutch out and make sure you don’t notice anything abnormal.
Engage the Clutch
When you engage your clutch pedal, there should be a couple of inches of free movement before you actually engage the clutch. If it engages immediately or doesn’t engage at all, that’s a major sign that there is a problem. This calls for an inspection by a trained transmission professional.
Check the Transmission Fluid
Another thing you can do is routinely check our transmission fluid levels. It’s best to check this every time you change your oil, just in case, but this could be a source of problems if the transmission fluid in the reservoir drops too low. Refill the transmission fluid, but also work to find out why there’s a fluid leak and stop its source.
Take a Drive
One simple test that you can do on the road is to downshift while driving and see if the RPMs immediately go up. If so, this is normal behavior, but if they don’t, this may be a sign that you need to replace your clutch.
Marshall’s Transmission offers transmission inspections, repairs, and replacements for O’Fallon, IL residents!
