# Clutch chatter

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/clutch-chatter/13667>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 5, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/clutch-chatter/13667 "2008-05-05T22:35:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![motorhead9c1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@motorhead9c1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/motorhead9c1)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/clutch-chatter/13667/1 "2008-05-05T22:35:05Z")

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I’ve got a 2003 Mazda Protege 5 with the 5-speed manual transmission and 90,000 miles. Occasionally, and particularly when the car is hot and has been driven in city traffic for a while, the car shudders when the clutch is being engaged in first gear. If I disengage the clutch and rev the engine a bit, then re-engage the clutch I can get started smoothly. I’m assuming this is clutch chatter. My question is, will clutch chatter damage my car? Can I continue to drive around the problem or should get it repaired?

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/clutch-chatter/13667/2 "2008-05-05T23:11:22Z")

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It won’t damage the car, but I’d start saving for a new clutch assembly. Yours probably has worn thin pads with some glazing or even edge chipping.