I went to a car mechanic to get my oil changed and he told me the clutch needs to be replaced and that it’d be $800. Yikes.
What are the signs of needing to replace a clutch? I read the tips on this site (and others) but still don’t think I understand what to look for to know if it’s time for a new clutch.
I have a 2007 Toyota Corolla with 53K miles on it, although I know mileage may not be important and it’s probably more based on my style of driving.
On level ground, put the car in 4th or 5th gear. Give it some gas (up to about 1,500 rpm) and release the clutch. If the car stalls, then the clutch is OK. If the motor doesn’t stall then the clutch is slipping and that’s not good.
Are you having trouble going up steep hills? A slipping clutch would have problems maintaining car speed going up steep hills in 4th or 5th gear.
If you feel the car is driving normally, then get someone else to check the clutch for you before you replace it.
Hey Uncle Turbo - thanks for the help so quickly. To clarify, should I have the parking brake engaged first BEFORE I go into the 4/5th gear?
And I live in Texas, so not many hills I am encountering to notice if I am having trouble. But I’ll start paying attention as much as I can.
You need to find a new mechanic to get your oil changed. You should have a hydraulic actuated clutch. You will find a small clutch master cylinder next to your brake master cylinder. The fluid in it should be at or near the full level in reservoir. The reservoir is made of translucent plastic so you can see the level just by looking at it.
It the level is way above or way below the full mark, post back and let us know.
The parking brake should be on before you do anything. The key thing is trying get the car moving in 5th gear. It isn’t possible with a good clutch, the motor will stall in the attempt. If the motor doesn’t stall and the car isn’t moving forward, that tells you the clutch is slipping.
Check the fluid level for the clutch as per Keith’s reply. Where is the engagement point on the clutch? It should be about 1 to 1 1/2" before the clutch petal is completely released.
From your post and reply I don’t see any problem.
On level ground, put the car in 4th or 5th gear. Give it some gas (up to about 1,500 rpm) and release the clutch. If the car stalls, then the clutch is OK. If the motor doesn’t stall then the clutch is slipping and that’s not good
I was test driving for a friend who didn’t have a license. The clutch passed this test, but the clutch was clearly slipping going uphill
A more definitive method would be to drive around in 1st gear at the engine’s peak torque rpm (20 mph would be my guess). Then floor the go and stop pedals. Despite what you’ve heard from the media, even your Toyota should slow down and drag the engine speed down with it. If the engine keeps reving high, you clutch is bad.