If your car, truck, or C/SUV’s clutch is acting strange, look no further than Allman’s Automotive. We can inspect your clutch and replace it if necessary. In some cases, we may be able to rebuild it to avoid a total replacement. If your clutch is doing any of the following things, bring your vehicle to our shop right away. The sooner we address the problem the less chance of damaging the clutch further.
A Burning Clutch
If your clutch is smelling hot when you use it, this means that the internal mechanisms have worn out and the clutch is slipping. Continuing to use the clutch will only make the problem worse. You should never smell hot odors coming from the clutch when you press down on and release it.
A Spongy Touch
Another sign your clutch is going bad is if it gets spongy underneath your foot. The clutch should give you about the same resistance every time you use it. If it feels soft or sinks to the floor without catching, we will probably need to replace the clutch because the original one has reached the end of its lifespan.
Gear Shifting Issues
Naturally, if you have problems shifting the gears in the manual transmission, it’s a safe bet to look at the clutch as being the problem first. You should be able to get your vehicle into gear and shift through the gear cycle without any resistance or hesitation.
Grinding Gears
Another sign that your clutch is slipping and not staying engaged is grinding gears. You may have ground the gears when you first learned to drive with the clutch, but you shouldn’t hear any grinding noises now. If you do, the clutch is not completing the power transfer between the engine and transmission.
Hesitating Acceleration
Another sign that the power transfer is incomplete is if your acceleration hesitates when you release the clutch. This is a sign that the transmission does not have enough power to turn the drivetrain. Unfortunately, this is also a sign that your clutch needs to be replaced.
Higher Catch Point
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Finally, the catch point in the clutch is the point at which you shift the gears. When a clutch starts to go bad, the catch point can get higher. If this is the case in your automobile, we may be able to resolve the problem by adjusting the clutch. Allman’s Automotive in Groveland, MA, would be happy to inspect your clutch and recommend the proper course of action. Call us today for an appointment.