Is clutch slippage always easily noticeable?

[onebigunion]

My 05 Civic is coming up on 200k miles. The clutch engages very close to the top of the pedal travel. I haven't really noticed any problems with its operation.

My understanding of clutch slippage is that you will notice a jump in RPM's without a corresponding increase in vehicle speed.

I guess my question is - would the RPM jump suddenly and obviously or could it be a a lot more subtle? I climb a couple of mountains each morning and I've noticed that I need to downshift now when ascending and I usually didn't earlier. I had attributed to just a little loss of engine power due to the very high miles. Is it possible that it could be due to clutch slippage - not all of the engine's output being transferred to the driveline? I haven't noticed anything that feels like slippage to me - but I'm not sure I know what it would feel like.

 

[cchase]

An easy test is to put it into a gear and drive, get it into its power band, and then floor it and see if the RPM's go up before the speed starts going up.

 

[SteveSRT8]

to answer the original question, no, it is not always easily noticeable.

But if it is slipping it won't be long until you know!

 

[eljefino]

I first started noticing it when I was zipping up a hill and quickly upshifting from say 3rd to 4th. I can bang a shift like the rest of them using the clutch as an on/off switch, as you should, and I was noticing I had to wait for the revs to come down and couldn't punch the gas like I wanted to. (with 100 hp I use the accellerator like an on off switch as well.

)

Once engaged, I could nurse the accellerator open again.

Also clutches have weights on them that make them grip tighter with higher RPMs. So you may only notice slipping under very certain circumstances.

Beware, you can overheat the flywheel driving with a slipping clutch, make it blue, and make the clutch job a little more expensive.

IDK if civic clutches are self adjusting, most are, so if the pedal engagement moves it is probably not long.

 

[Vikas]

Once they start slipping, they get worse pretty quickly. Anything that you do to find if they are slipping, is going to quicken their slippage! Generally, it will be noticeable in the higher gears. As long as you have a tachometer and it is your daily drive, you would be able to notice it.

- Vikas

 

[willix]

Once the PP looses enough clamp on disc it will burn up without you feeling anything if driving steady speeds down the road. The slip is the doom. All though I did nurse a slipping clutch for 10,000 miles driving it like a grandma.

 

[onebigunion]

Thanks everyone. I've been keeping an eye on the RPM and I haven't seen anything unusual. I thought the same thing - that if I try to test it, the extra strain probably isn't good for it.
When I had it in for a state inspection, the service guy mentioned it engaging so high. I hadn't really noticed it, because I'm sure its gotten that way very gradually as it wears. I think it likely is getting pretty worn, but I think it may have a fair amount of life yet before its done. I've never worn out a clutch before but I've never quite hit 200k on a car before.

 

[brentalan]

maybe just the pedal freeplay needs to be adjusted

 

[Vikas]

Isn't the clutch hydraulic? If so, I don't think there is any manual adjustment on it. When it starts engaging high, it is on the last legs. But you could still get another 10-20 thousand miles out of it given that you are already approaching 200K with your type of driving.

Isn't pedal itself now higher too? Compare the resting position of clutch and brake pedal. I bet your clutch is higher than the brake by quite a lot.

- Vikas

 

[demarpaint]

Once slipping they get worse fast was alredy mentioned. If you are driving up a long grade and the clutch is slipping many times you can smell it, or see rpm blips on the tach.

I found a very easy way of testing a clutch. Get up to about 25 mph, and shift into the highest gear, 4th for a 4 speed, 5th for a 5 speed, etc. Then floor it and watch the tach, if the clutch is tight you'll lug the engine and the rpms will stay low and steady. If it is slipping the engine will speed up but the car won't.

If it is slipping replace it ASAP, before you ruin the flywheel.

 

[SteveSRT8]

It's all up to the driver.

Sounds like you must be a fair one with nearly 200k on the original clutch.

I'm an expert 'nurser', I could baby that thing for years if it only slips in top gear!

 

[Lethal1ty17]

200k on the stock clutch? geeze. its about time it gave out. chances are its worn, replace it as soon as you can and enjoy the new clutch feel.

 

[fdcg27]

As others here have noted, you'll know if the clutch is slipping pretty soon.
It will become impossible to ignore.
200K on a clutch is pretty good.

 

[morris]

man o man 1. lets see-live in hilly country. 2. 200,xxx miles. 3. you bang gears. yep mr.Lethal1ty17 is right NEW CLUTCH time. i would thank my lucky stars, that i didnt go over the edge on one of those mountains. how are the breaks? tires?

 

[CBR.worm]

Some cars tend to slip when they are closer to their hp peak.

It is a bad sign if when you let off the gas the tach drops more than a tiny bit.

Also if it smells like their is a dead animal under your hood. . . it might be time.

What I used to do to check was to be in top gear at about 80, push the clutch in, rev to about 7,000 rpm and pop the clutch with the throttle wide open and see how long it took to drop to the correct RPM. It took me a little while before I realized the error of my ways. I might as well have been at the drag strip.

 

[Vikas]

If you are going to keep the car for another 5 years and 100K miles, get the clutch replaced now and enjoy the new clutch. But if you are only planning for another year, you will not need it.

- Vikas

 

[garlicbreadman]

i have no idea why people are telling you to change a clutch when it doesnt show any problems. Dont fix it unless its broken. The service tech is an idiot. Some clutches naturally engage high.

When i bought my car 3 years ago at 55k, i was really surprised at how high it engaged, now at 102k, it hasn't changed one bit and grabs very well even at redline.

a Slipping clutch is VERY easy to recognize..

 

[Craig in Canada]

I've never had a clutch go out by slipping. Instead they all become chattery, grabby, noisy, or allow lots of driveline play. I don't think I've ever had a clutch start slipping.

With 185,000km on the car I do lots of city driving but I'm generally a low rpm slipper, except with my current clutch now has a tendancy to chatter cold or grab hot so I'm now slipping more gradually at slightly higher RPMs to counteract this.

It's probably just time to pony up for a clutch replacement and "enjoy the new clutch". It sure does make the car feel "old" and chatter, grabbing and lashing probably doesn't help the rest of the drivetrain.

 

[mechtech2]

one - Adjust your pedal total travel, then the freeplay. Even hydraulic clutches have adjustments.
A bleed is always good.
200k is a very good life out of a clutch, but so far, no death sentence is for sure.

 

[onebigunion]

I did a little more close observation over the weekend. I'm not getting any slippage climbing the mountain, at least that I can detect on the tach or by feel, and I don't appear to have any upon hard acceleration from low rpm. I don't experience any grabbing and only a very oocasional chatter. The actual pedal position is exactly even with the brake pedal, although the engagement point is quite high. I think I have some life in it yet. I'll shoot for 1/4 million miles on it.