How to Diagnose a Slipping Clutch in Your Car

Video Transcript

"Dave Erb here from Dave's Ultimate Automotive in Austin Texas and we're going to be talking about how to diagnose a slipping clutch. First thing you're going to feel if your clutch is slipping is that you're accelerating probably in forth or fifth gear and you're not moving any faster. In other words, you are pressing on the gas pedal and you're not feeling yourself being pulled along. You might even have a tachometer in your car, if you look down you'll see your tachometer rise but you are not moving any faster. So if you're foot's off the clutch, you're in forth or fifth gear, you're stepping on the gas, maybe going up a hill slightly, that'll be the most noticeable point if your clutch is starting to slip because, once again, that RPM will start to rise, you might hear the engine racing, but you're not going anywhere. If you feel like your clutch is slipping a good test for this is to get to a slower speed and take off first, second gear and when you feel like you should be in second or third gear, go ahead and stick it in forth or fifth and drop that clutch and hit some gas. If it doesn't lug the car down, if that RPM goes up, it doesn't almost kill the car, then you've pretty much got a slipping clutch. In todays car, most of them are self adjusted so there's not a lot of adjustment to add or to take out of the clutch mechanics or hydraulics to give it some more bite. So, unless you have an adjustable type and it can be adjusted, most likely you've got a worn out clutch."