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For those of you with manual transmissions, you know how important the clutch is, and how concerning it can be if it doesn’t appear to be working correctly. The clutch connects your engine to your wheels, allows your manual transmission to safely transition from one gear to the next, and makes sure you come to a safe, gradual stop. It’s like the mediator for your car parts. The clutch disconnects the engine, so the car is seemingly rolling and then you can put the car into the speed or gear you need it to be. If anything is to goes wrong with your clutch, your car will need clutch repair sooner rather than later! There are six basic parts to a clutch, and if any part suffers, the rest will suffer as well. Here are a couple instances that may warrant clutch repair:

Overheated Flywheel

The flywheel piece of your clutch is attached to the crankshaft, and it has the possibility (like a lot of other parts of your car) of getting overheated. Overheating may cause the flywheel to lose its original shape or to even crack, thus causing the clutch to slowly fail. A driver can tell if this ailment has rocked his/her automobile if there are pesky vibrations whenever the driver lets out the clutch.

Cylinder Leakages

Hydraulic clutches require fluid from cylinders to run properly. If your clutch forms a leak and begins to lose any of this fluid, there will no longer be hydraulic pressure to be the driving force behind your clutch. Drivers will be able to tell if any fluid begins pooling under the vehicle, or a strange smell begins to emit from the car. All sorts of fluids can potentially leak from a car though, so be sure to check with a professional about what is exactly leaking before you initiate any repairs.

Worn Out Clutch Disk or Pressure Plate

Parts are unfortunately not made to last forever, and no matter how much of an eye you keep on your vehicle, certain parts are bound to wear out. Two parts of your clutch that may wear out first are your clutch disc and pressure plate. A driver will be able to tell if they have a worn clutch disk if your clutch has to be released higher, and if your car begins to have difficulty accelerating with more people in the car. Similar to the woes of a broken flywheel, a driver will be able to tell is their pressure plate is worn if vibrations begin occurring when the clutch is released. The thing to remember here is that one problem could be caused by a multitude of different sources, so getting an expert opinion when it comes to clutch repair is very important.

Old Throwout Bearing

And last, but not least, your clutch may need repairing if the throwout bearing begins to wear out. It’s a constantly spinning piece and can wear out due to a lack of lubrication, and simple overuse. The way to tell if this is the issue is if you hear a strange squeaking noise while driving. The noise should go away once you press on the clutch, but return as soon as you release.

Clutch repair, just like other automobile repair is never fun, but addressing the problem immediately will prevent a chain reaction of more and more problems. So, take care of the vehicle you use every day and bring it into a shop that has professional and knowledgeable staff; a staff you can trust. For clutch repair or any other issues regarding your vehicle, come in today to Holiday Service Center, where we pride ourselves on our speedy and trustworthy service!