I have a 1993 protege that was previously not having any issues. I recently had a mobile mechanic replace my axle after it broke. Since then I have had issues with the rpm’s increasing but the speed staying the same or decreasing. This happens mostly uphill and especially when the vehicle is cold. Is there another reason this can occur besides a bad clutch?
Mr. Obvious, Here . . .
Snow and Ice on the roadway will cause this, at least it does around here.
Does it do it on dry roads ?
CSA
Thanks for replying yes this happens on dry roads as well.
This sounds like a clutch that is slipping. If you are still on the car’s original clutch, you are past due for a clutch rebuild anyway, so no worries. It is extremely unlikely your mechanic’s replacing the axle damaged the clutch, as long as there were no weird sounds or vibrations afterward, which would indicate a bad or wrong sized part was used. And even that wouldn’t damage the clutch in most situations, provided you fixed whatever was wrong straight away. But it is possible the actual breaking of the axel event could have contributed, if it occured while the car was moving fast.
Just curious, what exactly is a “mobile” mechanic? Do you mean a mechanic at a Mobile gas station?
A Nimble Mechanic, Jack Be Nimble.
I Believe He/She Comes To The Car For Work As Opposed To A Stationary Mechanic That Works In A Shop Where One Must Take Their Vehicle. They Make House Calls.
Mobile Marine Mechanics are probably more common than Mobile Car Mechanics.
CSA
I think OP means a mechanic who drives to your house to fix the car.
Where I live, many mechanics advertise this service in Craigslist.
The clutch is probably in bad shape, but maybe that after the work was done, the clutch linkage or hydraulic connection should have been adjusted.
Thanks everyone I did mean someone that drives to you and actually I did find him on craigslist. Also, I noticed that when I change gears the shifter is very “loose” but it shifts into each gear fine and smoothly.
Would a shop also be able to tell right away if the transmission needs to be repaired?
Put the car in 4th or 5th gear. Give it some gas, about 2500 rpm. Slowly release the clutch; if the car stalls then the clutch is OK. If the car doesn’t stall then the clutch is slipping and it is time for a new clutch. Pretty simple test to tell you what you need to know.
Thanks for that information I will test and check back.
Ok I just went outside and put the car in 4th and started it. I got it to 2500 rpm and slowly released clutch while maintaining the rpm’s and the car did not stall. This just started I wonder if I can get by a couple weeks with it the way it is.
Oops, you most definitely need a clutch job. Mechanics do this every day, no worries. It’s hard to tell when the car will become undrivable, other than to say that it will at some point become impossible to drive.
It is probably too late but maybe the clutch could have been adjusted.
<i>I got it to 2500 rpm and slowly released clutch while maintaining the rpm's and the car did not stall.</i>
Did it move? How much?
Well if you let the clutch all the way out and it did not stall, you definately have a clutch problem. Either it doesn’t fully engage or it is burned out. I assume you had it in a higher gear???
On the question - can you get a couple of more weeks out of it? That depends on how many hills you have to deal with. Eventually you won’t be able to get up a hill, even if you downshift and go slow. The slipping clutch will also get much hotter, much faster. The heat can damage the flywheel and cause things to warp. Bottom line - it won’t get better. Continuing to drive it for a couple of weeks might leave you stranded somewhere. It could also mean more damage and a more expensive repair (as in 2 to 3 times as expensive) when you finally decide you have to get it fixed.
When releasing the clutch, how high does the pedal travel before the clutch begins to move the car? Very near the top? Half way up from the floor? Just off the floor?