hello, I have a 2001 mazda protege lx w/ aprox 120,000 miles manual transmission. for the past few days i’ve noticed a change in how it shifts & i fear its getting worse. it feels like it has low power/acceleration, when i apply the gas it seems to over rev (higher than usual rpms) in order to accelerate. i also noticed going 70 mph on cruise control today, i tapped te cruise control to increase speed another 1mph or so & it over-revved in order to accelerate onloy another mph (jumped a couple thousand rpms & made revving noise it did used to do for aonly a slight increase in speed, then onceit catches it goes back normal rpms or aprox 3000) which kind of mirrors what it feels like it needs me to do to increase speed when not on cruise control. i puch the gas slightly & it doesnt seem to accelerate as well so i have push harder & it revs more than it should before it catches & increases speed sort of like normal. this is new worring me as i fear an expensive repair
You’re describing what happens when a clutch begins to slip. So you probably need a new clutch kit installed.
Tester
ugh… is this expensive? i’m pregnant & about to move & kinda cant afford a major repair right now. if it is expensive is it the kind of thing that can wait several months? or does it completely “slip” rather quickly? if it is "slipping’ is it dangerous to drive until i can fix it? sorry for all the follow up questions but i dont actually have a mechanic i know & trust & am a little afraid of getting “ripped off” by an unscrupulous mechanic so i’d rather have as much info as possible before taking it to a shop. thanks!
You can “nurse” it for a week or two, avoid high speeds and high gear as much as possible, that’s where it will slip the most. Control the slipping instantly when you detect it…
Get several repair estimates. In FWD vehicles, the repair cost can vary a lot because of the difficulty in removing the transmission varies from car to car…Typically, shops that specialize in transmission repair are your best bet because they R&R transmissions all day long and are very good at it…Clutch replacement in FWD cars usually falls in the $500-$600 range…
I wouldn’t count on more than a week with the symptoms you have now. The more it slips the more it erodes the friction material, which makes it slip even more. Eventually you’ll be at redline just to get it to go 15mph. Don’t drive it any more than you absolutely have to, but even that won’t hold off the job for very long. Caddy is right - it should be around $600 or so.
thank you all. i called around & got estimates ranging from $700-$818 in the Columbus, Oh area for new clutch. but one place said they would give me a free transmission type diagnostic so i’m going to take it there tomorrow. if it ends up being something cheaper i’ll get it fixed right away but i certainly dont have $600 let alone $800 so if i do need a new clutch, i’m not sure what i’m gonna do…
“one place said they would give me a free transmission type diagnostic”
Huh?
If this place is AAMCO, Lee Myles, Cottman, or another transmission chain, I would advise you to go elsewhere. A good independent trans shop is likely to be able to replace your clutch for less money, do a better job, and to stand behind their work in the event of a problem.
You don’t have much choice. Your clutch is worn out. Cheaper to replace the clutch rather than junk the car and buy a new one. People who own cars and need them to get around should keep on hand enough money to fix them. Cars need repair and maintenance, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this occurs.
YEAH, I KNOW. BUT I HAVE TO MOVE NEXT MONTH & PAY A DEPOSIT ON A NEW PLACE PLUS ALL THE OTHER MISC MOVING EXPENSES, ETC. IF THE MONEY ISNT THERE THEN IT JUST ISNT THERE. I DIDNT ASK FOR A LECTURE ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. I POSTED FOR TECHNICAL/MECHANICAL CAR REPAIR ADVICE. POOR PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS ALL THE TIME. NICE TO KNOW YOU HAVE A LITTLE NEST EGG FOR SUCH EMERGENCIES BUT I HAVENT BEEN THAT LUCKY. I WILL SEE WHAT THE FREE DIAGNOSTIC TELLS ME TOMORROW BUT REGARDLESS, I WONT NEED TO “JUNK” THE CAR. WORST CASE SCENERIO, I CAN RIDE THE BUS UNTIL I CAN SAVE UP THE MONEY FOR REPAIRS.
Please STOP YELLING.
Anyway, what you call luck (or lack there of), I and many others would call planning.
i apologize for the caps. i have to use them at work & sometimes forget to switch back & forth. but is it really necessary to be so judgemental? did i ask for that? do any of you know how responsible or irresponsible i am or am not? i posted about my clutch. and i now regret ever mentioning that i am worried about the expense of replacing it but i didnt expect such judgemental remarks from people who dont even know me. but this is the internet so i suppose i should have known better. those of you making the negative remarks about my finances should stop to think about how you treat people. i do the best i can, i have little credit but i pay all of my bills on time, have never been evicted, always have car insurance, always change the oil on time, etc. i have a college degree but am a social worker so i dont earn very much money & rarely have more than a few hundred in savings. if i didnt have to move next month i could pay for the repairs right now. the timing is just bad. as a social worker i see people much more worse off than me. some “deserve” it for lack of planing & bad decision making but some people really do the best they can with what they have. you should have some compassion for the misfortune of others & dont judge unless you know ALL of the circumstances that has brought them there. shame on you for being so judgemental towards me & towards any one else you look at with such cold hearts.
If the clutch is slipping (very likely) it will get worse quickly. Pretty soon you won’t be able to go up big hills, then a few days later you won’t be able to go up any hills at all. Better to take the car and get it fixed before you have to have it towed to a shop.
A free diagnosis is OK, but not if the shop isn’t very good. Chain transmission shops (like AAMCO) don’t have the best reputation on this site. A good independant transmission shop is a good bet for a good job at a fair price.
The good news is clutches just plain wear out. If the job is done correctly your car will be just fine and the new clutch should last for about as many years and miles as the original. Don’t take this repair as a bad sign that your car is falling apart.
I agree with Becky - this is not the forum to make judgments on anything but automotive issues. Whether she was or was not irresponsible is immaterial and contrary to the purposes of this forum.
Becky, be careful with that free diagnosis - -a lot of places will “diagnose” for free all sorts of problems that don’t exist so that they can then charge you money to “fix” them.
I’ve even seen them “diagnose” a nonexistant problem and then tell you they can’t, by law, let you drive out of there without getting it fixed because it’s unsafe. I wanted to give you that heads up, because if they try to pull that on you, it’s against the law. They cannot legally keep or impound your car. If they try, whip out your phone and call the police in their presence. They’ll give you the car back.
to all of you who have answered my question about the clutch without judgement, I THANK YOU! i wrote down the name of 2 transmisson places in my area (Metro Transmissions & Cottman Transmissions) that do free diagnostics. But i may or maynot actually get the repairs done there. i kinda feel more comfortable going to an independent place for the actual repair as well, but ultimately i will have to check online reviews & ask around at work, etc for recommendations for a good shop. from the above responses, i understand i shouldnt drive it much until i get it fixed. i will go get the diagnostic done tomorrow and will probably be catching rides &/or riding the bus to work after that, until i can find the money to get it fixed… once i get the diagnostic done, i will post an update & let the readers know what they say in case others are experiencing similar issues.
Yup!
That would be fairly consistent with the AAMCO business model.
wow, ok. thanks for the heads up! like i said, i’ll let you all know how the diagnostic goes 
This wasn’t meant to be judgmental, it was meant to be advice. You said you didn’t know what you were going to do if your clutch needed to be fixed.
Cars cost, on average, about $1,000 per year in maintenance and repair. Some years are less expensive and some years are more expensive. My point is just that car owners should be mentally and financially prepared for this expense so they don’t get freaked out when they actually have to spend money on their car.
A valid point, Goldwing, but one that doesn’t take into consideration the fact that some car owners (who need their car to get to work) don’t make enough money to just put a grand aside. That $1,000 may well be two months rent and two paychecks.
So putting it on a credit card at 23% interest would be better advice?
Go ahead and don’t be prepared mentally and financially for the facts of life when it comes to car ownership.
having a $1000 readily available or using a credit card are not the only 2 options out there. my aunt works near my job so she’s agreed to drive me to & from work unti i am able to save up the money. i am greatful for my aunt but if i hadnt been blessed with such a great family then i would have to settle for the hour long bus ride (each way) and so be it.
in more auto related news, i went to cottmans b/c metro transmissions was about to close & they did a test drive & said the clutch was DEFINATELY slipping & that they didnt have to put it on a machine to diagnose it b/c it was “fully hydrolic” & didnt have any cable to adjust. does that sound right? he said “some of those Mazdas” did have cables but mine was full hydrolic. and he seemed to know this from a simple test drive (never put it on a machine & never even opened the hood. so i was just wondering if that sounded right & is it something that good mechanic should know so easily with just a test drive? they have a “21 point” free diagnostic but said it wasnt necessary.
also, his estimate was $895. the highest i’ve gotten yet. said labor was 5.8hrs at $85/hr & the rest is for parts, i guess. i have no intentions of actually having them fix it. i want to take it to an indep mechanic but also kinda wanted input on what part sounds excessive, the labor? the parts? the amount of time they estimate it will take?
thanks in advance!!