Thread: New Clutch
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Old 07-21-2010, 03:27 AM   #4
Boxtaboy
07 Carrera S Cab
 
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,273
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I hate it when mechanics say that without basis. At my 30k service, my then dealer tech said that my clutch needed replacement soon, and that this was normal since they don't last long. I didn't notice any signs of failure...ie. Slipping, so I told em no thanks. That was six years ago. I'm now at 62k miles, and still on the same clutch, and it still works fine thanks. Just them trying to write up unnecessary jobs for folks who don't know better.

Let me tell you from personal experience of when your clutch fails, since it happened to me once on a previous car... The clutch will start slipping, and when it does, you will step on the gas and see the revs rise, but your car will not move in conjunction with the revs going up. The car will still move, but much slower than it did before, and not move with the revs as it used to. You can see early signs of this slipping if you go up a hill and then dump your gear lever to a very high gear like 4th and then floor the gas pedal, and then see the revs rise quickly, but the car doesn't move with the revs going up. Regardless, even when the clutch starts slipping, it will still give you enough time to drive it to a shop. I drove my BMW with the clutch slipping for a few days like that before getting the clutch replaced. I don't recommend you driving long distances when your clutch is slipping, as that may also ruin your flywheel, but just want you to know that in most cases, even with a failing clutch, you do have time to get it to a shop and you won't be stranded. When the clutch totally fails after driving it continuously while it's slipping, it will finally not allow the car to move at all, so you can step on the gas and see the revs rise, but the car will not budge forward at all. Don't let your mechanic trick you into doing an expensive job like that unless it is absolutely needed!

There are folks with Boxsters that have over 150k miles on them with their original clutch. If you don't abuse your clutch (ride the pedal or high rev starts), there's no reason to believe it is on its way out.
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Last edited by Boxtaboy; 07-21-2010 at 03:36 AM.
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