Diesel 4x4 clutch maladjusted. Driver's fault or mechanic's?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

Hi, I need help! I have a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder diesel 4x4 and do use it off-road.

I had my clutch replaced two months ago. Last week during a long, hilly trip, when the car was hot, it began losing power and having difficulty accelerating and even moving in 1st and 2nd gear. No codes showed when plugged in to auto mechanic’s computer, but mechanic noted that clutch was “very high” and may be maladjusted. On return to mechanic who did original work, he immediately adjusted the clutch, and told me that the maladjustment was caused by my driving. But he wouldn’t explain how that happens or what I could be doing that would cause a clutch to go from perfect height adjustment to bad height adjustment in space of 60 days. I think he is trying to get out of honoring the guarantee on his initial clutch replacement.

Can anyone advise on whether I’m right or he’s right?

Also, would the clutch being too high cause the failure I experienced?

I’ve been driving a stick all my life, but this is the first year I’ve had a diesel 4x4. If that helps.

2

One question:

Did the RPMs increase when this happened?
If yes, probably clutch is slipping.
If no, engine problem.

3

Thanks for response. Yes, the rpms were high and sounded like the engine raced. Would the clutch slip because it was adjusted badly (or high) when the mechanic installed it? Or because of something I did driving?

4

My GUESS is something in the clutch linkage was not adjusted correctly after replacement.

5

Sounds like the clutch was not adjusted correctly. The clutch was slipping so this brings up an unknown. That is how much it affected the lifespan of clutch.
A slipping clutch can also burn spots on the surfaces of the flywheel and pressure plate. If the cliutch starts chattering so to speak when taking off from a dead stop you will know why.