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Concerned about clutch slippage?

B

Bozack

CEG'er
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
73
Location
MA USA
Hello,

I have for a while now been worried that my clutch was slipping and on its way out, the car is a 2000 SVT with 69,000 miles on it. I actually starting worrying about this at 40K but the stealership I brought it to while under warranty said that nothing was wrong, and even still I don't know if clutches are covered under warranty...doubt it.

With that said, today I tried "the test" of putting the car into fourth gear and hitting the gas, the result wasn't promising....I the revs would start to climb for a second and the car sort of lurched forward and then there was a squeal (I assume serpentine) and then the car would stall. I tried this three times all with the same result...oops just realized that I should have been doing ten to fifteen MPH...damn pays to read the whole thread, now I wonder how much damage I have done.

Wondering if anyone knew if this was indicative of a bad clutch or something else? also would the squealing serpentine be the result of a bad tensioner? I had it replaced a while back under warranty for something similar (high rev shifts causes it to squeal).

Thanks
 
good news is. if your car stalled, that means the clutch is grabbing fairly well.

bad news is, since you did the incorrect test so many times, you might have caused some extended wear on the clutch.

The squealing might have been from the Serpentine belt. But it is possible the clutch made that noise, if you went too slowly in a high gear and punched the gas pedal, you might hear a quick chirp of squeal come from the clutch, my old tour did this at 135K miles, and still grabbed fine.

Amazingly it all depends on driving habbits, I have seen stock SVT clutchs survive to 200K miles, as long as you arent doing clutch dumps or slipping the clutch/dont know how to properly drive stick, it very well could last that long. Just start a more relaxed driving style, make spirited driving a rare, but deserved thing.
 
AliasJerk said:
good news is. if your car stalled, that means the clutch is grabbing fairly well.

bad news is, since you did the incorrect test so many times, you might have caused some extended wear on the clutch.

The squealing might have been from the Serpentine belt. But it is possible the clutch made that noise, if you went too slowly in a high gear and punched the gas pedal, you might hear a quick chirp of squeal come from the clutch, my old tour did this at 135K miles, and still grabbed fine.

Amazingly it all depends on driving habbits, I have seen stock SVT clutchs survive to 200K miles, as long as you arent doing clutch dumps or slipping the clutch/dont know how to properly drive stick, it very well could last that long. Just start a more relaxed driving style, make spirited driving a rare, but deserved thing.
Click to expand...

Hey Alias, Thanks...

I tried the test properly and it did as it should, started to accelerate...

As for the noise, possibly, I notice it when I typically hit second gear hard and just assumed it was the serpentine slipping (reminded me of the noise one of my old autos made when it got wet and the belt slipped)

Oh well as for the extended wear from my mistake with the "test" I can live with that, I don't plan on keeping it forever and am actually amazed that the clutch is ok...always figured it was slipping a bit.
 
if it is a quick "sqeak" right at the shift, then that is, indeed, your serpbelt. possibly a loose tensioner, but more likely normal!
 
Ray said:
if it is a quick "sqeak" right at the shift, then that is, indeed, your serpbelt. possibly a loose tensioner, but more likely normal!
Click to expand...
Also bear in mind that it could also be the a/c clutch. Sometimes when it starts to fail, it also gives the "squeek" sound. But it is long way from failing and if it fails, you are not stuck with a car not working. Just a little hot, that's all. :laugh:
 
my belt starting doing the squeaking thing after the shop put a new belt on... i had the a/c compressor changed, still does it, is that becaue of the tensioner? Or could the shop not properly replaced it? Should I just buy a new one?
 
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