How to tell if clutch is going bad?

[Hobbes]

My clutch is starting to feel a bit strange.

It's not slipping at all, but it feels lighter? Like I have to finesse it more than I used to. Like there is less positive lockup (horrible description, I know).

My commute went from 0 miles to 40 miles a day in gridlock, up and down some hills and ramps. Could this have something to do with it?

Anything obvious that I should check before sending it to the shop?

Thanks in advance!

[Justincredible]

Hobbes,

I need more then that to help. Are you referring to the clutch pedal feel? How many miles are on the car? One good way to test the clutch is to put the car in 6th gear at 30mph then floor it. If you feel the clutch slip then this is bad if the car just slowly works its way up threw the RPM then the pressure is good.

The only thing I can make sense of is it might be the pressure plate. The pressure plate has a adjuster on it. At several times threw out the clutch life it will click into adjustment to take up the slack of the wore down disk. A new adjustment can make the pedal feel different or change the engagement point threw the ware pattern of the clutch

[Hobbes]

Yea its the way the pedal feels. Like it used to feel more "positive" hooking up.

Car has 51k miles on it.

I did the 30 mph thing when I got home today.

I started at 30mph in 2nd, then shifted to 6th and mashed the gas. Didn't slip at all. Slowly it got all the way up to 70mph.

[sakimano]

I'll try this test tomorrow .... but what am I looking for, on the 'bad'? I don't know what clutch slippage would feel like. Would this feel anything like losing traction (i.e. ESP kills power a tiny bit)

[Justincredible]

No you will see the RPM rise and the power acceleration of the car stay the same.

As for the pedal feel. That can be from several things. But if the engagement of the gears is fine and the clutch doesn't slip. then the adjustment of the pressure plate might be what you are looking at. Especially if the engagement point it higher

[Hobbes]

No you will see the RPM rise and the power acceleration of the car stay the same.

As for the pedal feel. That can be from several things. But if the engagement of the gears is fine and the clutch doesn't slip. then the adjustment of the pressure plate might be what you are looking at. Especially if the engagement point it higher

That might be it, because the gears engage smooth as butter. It's kind of like the engagement point changed and is "softer".

[Justincredible]

If it engages higher in the pedal travel that could be from the Self adjuster in the pressure plate

[AElucky83]

ul get a gummy bear like scent from the air vents..strawberry flavored..AND..the washer fluid light will come on. everyone knows that. jeez!

[sakimano]

No you will see the RPM rise and the power acceleration of the car stay the same.

As for the pedal feel. That can be from several things. But if the engagement of the gears is fine and the clutch doesn't slip. then the adjustment of the pressure plate might be what you are looking at. Especially if the engagement point it higher

how the FUK do you know all this stuff? I read some of your posts sometimes and my head spins! Brilliant contributor to Audizine. +REP ADDED!

[XwalkerX]

how the FUK do you know all this stuff?!

hahah not for nothing but that type of information is the same with almost any manual car on the market.

[road race s4]

When was the last time you bled the clutch? Try bleeding the clutch and get some fresh fluid in there from a brand new container. Don't use something you had a while in an open container.

In addition to the high gear pull from 30mph you can also try putting in a high gear while in your driveway standing still (make sure the e-brake is on and your right foot is on the brake pedal) and let the clutch out. A healthy clutch will stall the engine right away. With a really bad clutch the engine will want to keep running and it will not shut off right away.

[serumk]

Mine doesn't slip, but makes some interesting noises for the first few engagements.

[Justincredible]

how the FUK do you know all this stuff? I read some of your posts sometimes and my head spins! Brilliant contributor to Audizine. +REP ADDED!

Thanks

I try to find all the tech info I can. Not so much on the net but from Audi. Or Audi distributors. If I find company X actually makes the part for Audi I go the there web site and read as much as I can. The I will ask for tech info. some companies are very happy to send info out about there products. Then from the info I try to get used parts from scrap yards to see how they work. I have a pile of random bad parts for the B6/B5. Then If I'm helping people out with installs I will ask for there stock parts. From there I tear apart my car as far as I feel comfortable (to make sure I can reassemble it to run again LOL)

By the time I did the chip testing. I already knew how 90% of the system worked and what I should look for. That is how I knew the height to make the pedal position tubes to test the actual vs. requested

In the end I have more time then money LOL

[Justincredible]

A healthy clutch will stall the engine right away. With a really bad clutch the engine will want to keep running and it will not shut off right away.

Just remember if you do this our cars have an anti stall feature to prevent the car from stalling so be careful. You might get the car to stall or you might actually burn the clutch up if the car doesn't stall

[serumk]

Just remember if you do this our cars have an anti stall feature to prevent the car from stalling so be careful. You might get the car to stall or you might actually burn the clutch up if the car doesn't stall

Good to know -- I would not be able to sleep at night if I tried that test, though.

[road race s4]

Just remember if you do this our cars have an anti stall feature to prevent the car from stalling so be careful. You might get the car to stall or you might actually burn the clutch up if the car doesn't stall

I'm not familiar with the anti stall feature. How does it work?

[40valve]

Not sure how exactly it works but it's probably the same way cruise control works to add throttle when needed. Have the car in first gear and don't touch the gas just slowly release the clutch. You will not stall. That car will start rolling on it's own.
BTW, will this work in 2nd gear? I didn't drive the S4 to work so I won't be able to try for a while.

[Justincredible]

I'm not familiar with the anti stall feature. How does it work?

Ive been in a car when it activates. But I would be guessing if I told you how it worked. All I know is that is done like 40valve is talking about. The car modulates it own throttle. to stop the car from stalling

[serumk]

This is just another of the devices machines are going to use to take over the world and enslave mankind.

[ieatfishburitos]

From my experience I've burned out a clutch in a mustang in college that taught me what to look for. Everything seems fine but in the 30mph+ range in a higher gear you'll notice the RPM going up really fast while the car isn't accelerating at that rate. When you've seen it one time, you'll never forget it! Same experience Justincredible is describing for you to test.

The other way to know your clutch is gone, and what I've read and SEEN in person is that if you break the clutch, the clutch pedal will just fall to the floor. At that point the car isn't driveable.

[serumk]

A close friend of mine has been driving a Geo Prizm for like 4 years now with a slipping clutch (lol, i know...). Essentially, every shift he makes, it's like he's still letting the pedal out for a second or two after the pedal has come all the way up.

Most of the stories I've read about the S4's clutch going aren't nearly as drawn out, or comically joyous.

[MikeS4]

Not sure how exactly it works but it's probably the same way cruise control works to add throttle when needed. Have the car in first gear and don't touch the gas just slowly release the clutch. You will not stall. That car will start rolling on it's own.
BTW, will this work in 2nd gear? I didn't drive the S4 to work so I won't be able to try for a while.

i really doubt it will work in second, maybe if you let it out REALLY slow. i do the no gas thing in first a lot in slow traffic. whenever i start from a stop in second i use gas and slip it longer.

i may try it today if i think about it

[rsquattro]

I had no idea we had an antistall feature--if I just let it out in first, I stall. Oh well.