Who's changed their clutch? Who has the most miles on their clutch?
#1
Who's changed their clutch? Who has the most miles on their clutch?
For those that have replaced the clutch, how many miles and how much (OEM, aftermarket)?
For those who have not and have high miles, how many miles?
I only have 56k miles on mine so the clutch is still strong, as expected.
For those who have not and have high miles, how many miles?
I only have 56k miles on mine so the clutch is still strong, as expected.
#5
8K miles on my new clutch. exedy stage 1 organic. I did that @ 54k when i bought the car. The clutch was soo gone when i purchased the TSX i barely got the car home it was slipping so bad. apartently the previous owner either A: didnt know how to drive a stick or B: got screw over by the dealer who install a new clutch between 30-40K milesor C: all of the above.
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#8
Here are some excerpts from some writings I've done over the years. Hope these get you started in the right direction. If you have questions, please feel free to ask.
And remember. Just because someone has been driving a manual transmission for years does not mean they know how to do it correctly. Don't absorb bad habits.
================================================== ========
What follows is a collection of writings which I have posted at various times on this website in an effort to help answer some questions regarding the proper manner in which a manual transmission should be operated. While there are certainly many ways to drive a car with a manual transmission, there is really only one correct way. I was most fortunate to have learned these techniques while I was still in my teenage years. In so doing, I was able to avoid developing entrenched habits before they became really bad habits and difficult to correct. It is my hope that this helps you learn what I have learned and perfected over the years. If you do, you will reap the rewards, both financial and in the knowledge that you have mastered a technique that few do in their lifetimes. Have fun!
Under normal driving situations (not racing), when you start out from a standing start, you do so with the lowest possible RPMs, get the clutch out to full engagement as soon as you can while adding throttle. If you do this correctly, the transition will be smooth and seamless, and the wear on your clutch disk, pressure plate, release bearing, and flywheel will be minimized.
If properly designed (sufficient size and clamping pressure, etc.), and properly installed with no defects (correct torque, non-faulty equipment, alignment, etc.), then the next, and most important, factor to the life of the clutch assembly is the operator.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY A CLUTCH CANNOT LAST THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS.
When I speak of engine life here, I am referring to life before a serious teardown or part replacement such as a timing chain (200,000+ miles) or headwork. If you cannot get at least 100,000 miles out of a clutch, you are doing something terribly wrong. Obviously, racing and other extreme conditions such as towing constitute a whole different approach and, as such, do not come under this.
Don'ts:
Do not use any more engine speed (RPMs) than absolutely necessary to get the car rolling in first gear.
Do not hold the car on a hill with the clutch.
Do not wait for a traffic light to turn green with the transmission in gear and the clutch depressed.
Do not rest your foot on the clutch while driving.
Do not ride the clutch in any gear (obviously you will to a small degree in first to start off).
Do not down shift by just removing your foot from the gas, moving the shifter into a lower gear, then releasing the clutch slowly.
Do's
Start off smoothly and with low engine speed, and shift in such a manner that if you had a passenger on board, they would not even notice the shifts.
Hold the car on hills with the brakes.. that's what brakes are for. NEVER hold a car on a hill with the clutch. The amount of heat generated by doing this is incredible.
While waiting for a light to change or while sitting in heavy traffic, put the transmission in neutral and get your foot completely off of the clutch petal. Leaving it in gear for extended periods heats up and shortens the life of the release bearing. The normal condition of a clutch is fully engaged so it stands to reason that's where it should be most of the time.
Resting your foot on the clutch petal while driving engages the release bearing.. see above.
Avoid riding the clutch as much as is humanly possible. You will extend its life significantly.
If you do not know how to properly downshift, DON’T. Use the brakes (should do this anyway), and avoid downshifting any more than necessary. Improper downshifting is analogous to riding the clutch because that is what you are actually doing. Learn how to properly downshift first and save yourself the frustration of premature clutch failure.
Clutches are wear items, heavily affected by heat caused by friction. In a front wheel drive car, they are costly to replace, so unless you like shelling out a lot of money periodically for the replacement of these components, learn the correct way. Learn it until it becomes second nature like breathing.
Downshifting
Ah yes, downshifting. If I had to name just one facet of manual transmission errors-of-operation, this would probably be it.
To understand how to operate a manual transmission, you have to know how the clutch assembly and transmission work, and I am going to take the assumption that most do on this forum. I will only clarify synchronizers. They serve to match the speed of the gears in the transmission as the shifter is moved to a given gear. Now for downshifting.
Let's say you are in fourth gear and you are approaching a stop sign, so you decide to downshift from fourth gear into third. What most people do is just remove their foot from the throttle, depress the clutch while moving the shifter from fourth to third, then start releasing the clutch slowly until they achieve full engagement. If you do this, what you are actually doing is riding the clutch in third gear. After all, the engine has returned to idle (or close to it), you get into third, then just ease the clutch out which pulls the engine from idle up to the RPM's at which it will operate at whatever speed you are traveling in third gear. Here is the correct way to do this in steps that I will break down in a moment.
Raise your foot off of the throttle.
Depress the clutch.
Start the shifter up into third.
As you pass through the neutral gate, let the clutch out a bit (doesn't have to be all the way) while at the same time blipping the throttle to increase engine speed BEYOND that which it will operate in the chosen lower gear.
Depress the clutch again.
Engage the chosen lower gear.
Let the clutch out while adding throttle.
As the engine RPM's decrease they will be met by the engaging clutch and opening throttle.
This should be a simple, smooth, fluid motion and you will know you've done it right if there is no jerking as the clutch comes out in the last step. Now for some details.
As you move into the neutral gate with your foot off of the throttle, the engine RPM's will be returning to idle. This is the point at which you want to blip the throttle a bit while at the same time engaging the clutch some. You want to get the engine turning faster than it will when you are in the lower gear you have chosen. The reason is that you want to spin the gears up to a speed that equals that at which they will be operating when you finally release the clutch in your downshift. If you do this right, there is no clutch slippage because the engine and the gears in the transmission will be spinning at the same or nearly the same RPM's. No slippage means you will get into gear with full engagement of the clutch sooner and with virtually no wear. To best understand this, you really need to know how a clutch assembly and transmission work together to deliver power from the engine to the drive wheels.
This takes a lot of practice, but if you get it down, you will be heads and shoulders above just about anyone else who drives a car with a manual transmission. You will begin to notice the mistakes other are making when they drive. Learn from their mistakes and it will both save you money and make you a far better driver.
So it's in with the clutch, start the shifter into the chosen lower gear, while passing through the neutral gate, blip the throttle and at the same time engage the clutch a bit to spin up the gears, then back in with the clutch as you get into the chosen gear, then finally release the clutch in one smooth operation.
Here's another little tip. Say you are waiting at a light for the green and your transmission is in neutral like it should be with your foot completely off of the clutch petal. When the light turns green, instead of just depressing the clutch and pushing the shifter up into first, pull the shifter partially into a higher gear first, such as second or third. The gears in those selections are not spinning as fast as the gears in first. By starting the shifter into a higher gear before you go to into first gear, you will cause less wear on the synchronizers and they will last far longer because they do not have to stop gears which are spinning at a higher speed. For cars which do not have synchronized reverse, definitely do this and you will not experience the grinding affect when shifting into reverse.
Say you are driving normally, shifting up through the gears to the one in which you wish to be for cruising. As you disengage the clutch and move the shifter to the next higher gear, you might notice a slight resistance just before you finish the shift. What you feel is the synchronizer for that gear forcing the drive gear(s) from the input shaft and the gears selected to "mesh". That is to say, their speeds are forced to equalize so that as they engage, there is no grinding and no damage to the gear teeth. That said, we can move to double clutching.
Instead of going right into first as the light starts to go green, try starting the shifter into second gear.. don't have to go all the way into gear, though it won't hurt. This slows the gears down just as though you had gone on into first, but it's much easier on the synchronizers. And you won't get the "crunch" you mentioned when you have to move quickly.
To prevent rollback; practice, practice, practice, practice.
One way to do this is to find a nice little hill someplace where you won't be a bother to anyone. Take along some masking tape and mark off two sections with the tape a foot apart. Your goal is to keep the car from coasting back more than 1 foot.. of course you do not use the clutch to hold the car.. use the brakes. As you learn to do this, find another hill a little steeper. And so on, and so on.
And remember. Just because someone has been driving a manual transmission for years does not mean they know how to do it correctly. Don't absorb bad habits.
================================================== ========
What follows is a collection of writings which I have posted at various times on this website in an effort to help answer some questions regarding the proper manner in which a manual transmission should be operated. While there are certainly many ways to drive a car with a manual transmission, there is really only one correct way. I was most fortunate to have learned these techniques while I was still in my teenage years. In so doing, I was able to avoid developing entrenched habits before they became really bad habits and difficult to correct. It is my hope that this helps you learn what I have learned and perfected over the years. If you do, you will reap the rewards, both financial and in the knowledge that you have mastered a technique that few do in their lifetimes. Have fun!
Under normal driving situations (not racing), when you start out from a standing start, you do so with the lowest possible RPMs, get the clutch out to full engagement as soon as you can while adding throttle. If you do this correctly, the transition will be smooth and seamless, and the wear on your clutch disk, pressure plate, release bearing, and flywheel will be minimized.
If properly designed (sufficient size and clamping pressure, etc.), and properly installed with no defects (correct torque, non-faulty equipment, alignment, etc.), then the next, and most important, factor to the life of the clutch assembly is the operator.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY A CLUTCH CANNOT LAST THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS.
When I speak of engine life here, I am referring to life before a serious teardown or part replacement such as a timing chain (200,000+ miles) or headwork. If you cannot get at least 100,000 miles out of a clutch, you are doing something terribly wrong. Obviously, racing and other extreme conditions such as towing constitute a whole different approach and, as such, do not come under this.
Don'ts:
Do not use any more engine speed (RPMs) than absolutely necessary to get the car rolling in first gear.
Do not hold the car on a hill with the clutch.
Do not wait for a traffic light to turn green with the transmission in gear and the clutch depressed.
Do not rest your foot on the clutch while driving.
Do not ride the clutch in any gear (obviously you will to a small degree in first to start off).
Do not down shift by just removing your foot from the gas, moving the shifter into a lower gear, then releasing the clutch slowly.
Do's
Start off smoothly and with low engine speed, and shift in such a manner that if you had a passenger on board, they would not even notice the shifts.
Hold the car on hills with the brakes.. that's what brakes are for. NEVER hold a car on a hill with the clutch. The amount of heat generated by doing this is incredible.
While waiting for a light to change or while sitting in heavy traffic, put the transmission in neutral and get your foot completely off of the clutch petal. Leaving it in gear for extended periods heats up and shortens the life of the release bearing. The normal condition of a clutch is fully engaged so it stands to reason that's where it should be most of the time.
Resting your foot on the clutch petal while driving engages the release bearing.. see above.
Avoid riding the clutch as much as is humanly possible. You will extend its life significantly.
If you do not know how to properly downshift, DON’T. Use the brakes (should do this anyway), and avoid downshifting any more than necessary. Improper downshifting is analogous to riding the clutch because that is what you are actually doing. Learn how to properly downshift first and save yourself the frustration of premature clutch failure.
Clutches are wear items, heavily affected by heat caused by friction. In a front wheel drive car, they are costly to replace, so unless you like shelling out a lot of money periodically for the replacement of these components, learn the correct way. Learn it until it becomes second nature like breathing.
Downshifting
Ah yes, downshifting. If I had to name just one facet of manual transmission errors-of-operation, this would probably be it.
To understand how to operate a manual transmission, you have to know how the clutch assembly and transmission work, and I am going to take the assumption that most do on this forum. I will only clarify synchronizers. They serve to match the speed of the gears in the transmission as the shifter is moved to a given gear. Now for downshifting.
Let's say you are in fourth gear and you are approaching a stop sign, so you decide to downshift from fourth gear into third. What most people do is just remove their foot from the throttle, depress the clutch while moving the shifter from fourth to third, then start releasing the clutch slowly until they achieve full engagement. If you do this, what you are actually doing is riding the clutch in third gear. After all, the engine has returned to idle (or close to it), you get into third, then just ease the clutch out which pulls the engine from idle up to the RPM's at which it will operate at whatever speed you are traveling in third gear. Here is the correct way to do this in steps that I will break down in a moment.
Raise your foot off of the throttle.
Depress the clutch.
Start the shifter up into third.
As you pass through the neutral gate, let the clutch out a bit (doesn't have to be all the way) while at the same time blipping the throttle to increase engine speed BEYOND that which it will operate in the chosen lower gear.
Depress the clutch again.
Engage the chosen lower gear.
Let the clutch out while adding throttle.
As the engine RPM's decrease they will be met by the engaging clutch and opening throttle.
This should be a simple, smooth, fluid motion and you will know you've done it right if there is no jerking as the clutch comes out in the last step. Now for some details.
As you move into the neutral gate with your foot off of the throttle, the engine RPM's will be returning to idle. This is the point at which you want to blip the throttle a bit while at the same time engaging the clutch some. You want to get the engine turning faster than it will when you are in the lower gear you have chosen. The reason is that you want to spin the gears up to a speed that equals that at which they will be operating when you finally release the clutch in your downshift. If you do this right, there is no clutch slippage because the engine and the gears in the transmission will be spinning at the same or nearly the same RPM's. No slippage means you will get into gear with full engagement of the clutch sooner and with virtually no wear. To best understand this, you really need to know how a clutch assembly and transmission work together to deliver power from the engine to the drive wheels.
This takes a lot of practice, but if you get it down, you will be heads and shoulders above just about anyone else who drives a car with a manual transmission. You will begin to notice the mistakes other are making when they drive. Learn from their mistakes and it will both save you money and make you a far better driver.
So it's in with the clutch, start the shifter into the chosen lower gear, while passing through the neutral gate, blip the throttle and at the same time engage the clutch a bit to spin up the gears, then back in with the clutch as you get into the chosen gear, then finally release the clutch in one smooth operation.
Here's another little tip. Say you are waiting at a light for the green and your transmission is in neutral like it should be with your foot completely off of the clutch petal. When the light turns green, instead of just depressing the clutch and pushing the shifter up into first, pull the shifter partially into a higher gear first, such as second or third. The gears in those selections are not spinning as fast as the gears in first. By starting the shifter into a higher gear before you go to into first gear, you will cause less wear on the synchronizers and they will last far longer because they do not have to stop gears which are spinning at a higher speed. For cars which do not have synchronized reverse, definitely do this and you will not experience the grinding affect when shifting into reverse.
Say you are driving normally, shifting up through the gears to the one in which you wish to be for cruising. As you disengage the clutch and move the shifter to the next higher gear, you might notice a slight resistance just before you finish the shift. What you feel is the synchronizer for that gear forcing the drive gear(s) from the input shaft and the gears selected to "mesh". That is to say, their speeds are forced to equalize so that as they engage, there is no grinding and no damage to the gear teeth. That said, we can move to double clutching.
Instead of going right into first as the light starts to go green, try starting the shifter into second gear.. don't have to go all the way into gear, though it won't hurt. This slows the gears down just as though you had gone on into first, but it's much easier on the synchronizers. And you won't get the "crunch" you mentioned when you have to move quickly.
To prevent rollback; practice, practice, practice, practice.
One way to do this is to find a nice little hill someplace where you won't be a bother to anyone. Take along some masking tape and mark off two sections with the tape a foot apart. Your goal is to keep the car from coasting back more than 1 foot.. of course you do not use the clutch to hold the car.. use the brakes. As you learn to do this, find another hill a little steeper. And so on, and so on.
#9
From reading the above- I do some of the things that are supposed to be not good for the clutch. When I am at a red light I do not put it in neutral-I put it in first with my foot on the clutch. I also have some other bad habits. I have driven numerous vehicles with MT. Most of them have gone over 100,000 miles and some over the 200,000 mile mark. I have NEVER needed to replace the clutch.
#11
My brother taught me how to drive manual. I remember the first time like it was yesterday, I tried to cross over an intersection. I stalled, he laughed, I started the car up again, stalled again. His words of wit I wonder How Long it will take you to buck across this intersection.
#12
04 TSX with 125,000 km. I bought the car used with 103,000 km last year. Within a week or so of purchase, the release (throw-out) bearing was on its way out. So I ended up also replacing the clutch as well at around 110,000 km.
#14
#15
#16
#17
#18
Just turned over 100,000 miles. Still have the OEM clutch. Throwout bearing complains on occation, but it's still working fine. Now that I think about it, I've never replaced a clutch. Took two vehicles over 150,000 miles so far.
#19
Clutch replaced at 23k miles, 3k on new one.
I had a third gear grind on my 08 6mt @ 23k miles and the dealership took it in for a rebuild. They called me to tell me my clutch was shot (I babied it and it was fine when I took it in), but Acura HQ said tough luck and I paid for the clutch parts.
Of course, after the rebuild my transmission is completely SHOT and two separate dealerships I've taken it to can't "feel" the problem. (Lots of clunking, rough shifts, blocked shifts, etc.) Oh and lets not forget the initial dealership returning the car with regular engine oil instead of MTF leading to very rough shifts during the end of winter.
Guess who's never buying a new Honda/Acura ever again? These dealerships/warranties are pretty damn useless. They're doing everything they can to not fix my car (I know the economy's bad, but I dropped $30k on this car and expect it to work through the freakin warranty period..)
I had a third gear grind on my 08 6mt @ 23k miles and the dealership took it in for a rebuild. They called me to tell me my clutch was shot (I babied it and it was fine when I took it in), but Acura HQ said tough luck and I paid for the clutch parts.
Of course, after the rebuild my transmission is completely SHOT and two separate dealerships I've taken it to can't "feel" the problem. (Lots of clunking, rough shifts, blocked shifts, etc.) Oh and lets not forget the initial dealership returning the car with regular engine oil instead of MTF leading to very rough shifts during the end of winter.
Guess who's never buying a new Honda/Acura ever again? These dealerships/warranties are pretty damn useless. They're doing everything they can to not fix my car (I know the economy's bad, but I dropped $30k on this car and expect it to work through the freakin warranty period..)
#21
90k clutch is fine. Clutch pedal itself is stiff as hell and I have the classic creaking sound whenever it is higher than 60 degrees, but shifting is smooth.
Per the post of justnspace, nice write up except when one is downshifting while braking. But for myself I don't down shift and ride the clutch when I brake, i just brake on neutral when i know i will stop unless there is an emergency and I need the engine engaged for better braking. So it is kinda tough to downshift, brake and add throttle to match rpms !
Per the post of justnspace, nice write up except when one is downshifting while braking. But for myself I don't down shift and ride the clutch when I brake, i just brake on neutral when i know i will stop unless there is an emergency and I need the engine engaged for better braking. So it is kinda tough to downshift, brake and add throttle to match rpms !
Last edited by kanonen; 07-15-2010 at 05:37 PM.
#23
127,000 miles on my wifes 04. Original clutch with the creaking problem. I have never replaced a clutch on any car I have owned. Most miles was 200,000 on a VW Corado. My MB C230 has 125,000 on the original clutch and feels a s new.
#26
All of my cars have had manuals, and currently on my TSX I replaced the clutch at 80k. The friction plate still had good life on it, but the engine was out of the car anyway so I did all the maintenance items like that. Now I have 112k on the car and its doing great. My last car a family friend bought, and it is still on the OEM clutch at 180k, no slipping.
Another tip to help with the transmission and clutch life, don't shift into 1st until you are under 5 mph or better yet stopped. On our cars you can easily speed up from 5 mph in 2nd, so you really don't even need first below that unless you are on a hill. The article above is great, I am going to print it out and make my wife read it!
Another tip to help with the transmission and clutch life, don't shift into 1st until you are under 5 mph or better yet stopped. On our cars you can easily speed up from 5 mph in 2nd, so you really don't even need first below that unless you are on a hill. The article above is great, I am going to print it out and make my wife read it!
#27
It's not a TSX but 185,000 miles on the original clutch of my 2000 Integra.
While you are doing all the double clutching and down shifting you are, presumably, also braking, smoothly and possibly at full force. Keep practicing!
While you are doing all the double clutching and down shifting you are, presumably, also braking, smoothly and possibly at full force. Keep practicing!
#28
Just curious. Has anyone driven their clutch until it actually "failed" and left you on the side of the road?
Besides shifting problems, what other signs are there to look for when the clutch is going "bad"?
I'm close to 90k and during my last visit to the stealership the service advisor stated "Your engagement point is kinda low, it may be time to replace your clutch."
It feels like it's the same since the day I bought it. Or it might have changed so gradually I am unable to notice.
Besides shifting problems, what other signs are there to look for when the clutch is going "bad"?
I'm close to 90k and during my last visit to the stealership the service advisor stated "Your engagement point is kinda low, it may be time to replace your clutch."
It feels like it's the same since the day I bought it. Or it might have changed so gradually I am unable to notice.
#29
my pedal has a little play in it and i'm guilty of leaving it in gear at a light. Living in DC the clutch gets a work out but I think its got plenty of life left - I only have 20something thousand miles on the car....
#30
Just curious. Has anyone driven their clutch until it actually "failed" and left you on the side of the road?
Besides shifting problems, what other signs are there to look for when the clutch is going "bad"?
I'm close to 90k and during my last visit to the stealership the service advisor stated "Your engagement point is kinda low, it may be time to replace your clutch."
It feels like it's the same since the day I bought it. Or it might have changed so gradually I am unable to notice.
Besides shifting problems, what other signs are there to look for when the clutch is going "bad"?
I'm close to 90k and during my last visit to the stealership the service advisor stated "Your engagement point is kinda low, it may be time to replace your clutch."
It feels like it's the same since the day I bought it. Or it might have changed so gradually I am unable to notice.
#31
04' 2nd owner. Got the TSX with 33,000 replaced the clutch around 65,000 at the dealership. Im coming on 158,000 now and it's starting to go. I have to sart the car with reverse engaged to move backwards. If I dont the grinding starts. Looking to go for the aftermarket upgrade now!
#32
This is true on cable clutches. The TSX has a hydraulic clutch, and thus, like brakes, it is self adjusting. I call bollocks on the stealership tech. Your engagement point will be exactly the same throughout the life of the clutch because it is hydraulic. The only time you will ever notice a low engagement point on a hydraulic clutch is when your fluid levels are very low. I had a leaky slave cylinder on my Accord and knew when I needed to fill the reservoir by how low the engagement point was.
#33
04' 2nd owner. Got the TSX with 33,000 replaced the clutch around 65,000 at the dealership. Im coming on 158,000 now and it's starting to go. I have to sart the car with reverse engaged to move backwards. If I dont the grinding starts. Looking to go for the aftermarket upgrade now!
#34
Thx Hulu for the info. If I'm not careful droping into any of the lower(2,4,6) gears, I can get it to grind. Reading your post though, if these Dbags at the dealership just Urea lubed up the tranny and gave it back, Im livid! That was close to $1500 for that job!
#35
Your original post suggested that you couldn't put it into reverse without grinding. This is exactly the "dry shaft" issue.
#36
Sorry, I shouldnt of used the word drop. I was refering to upshifiting but only in the 2,4,6 gears. I can avoid the grinding by shifting "carefully" or avoiding using those gears to get to speed. But yes if I am parked head in(hood forward) and need to back out, I have to start the car with reverse engaged. I remember the first time I had the clutch done, it was because it would always grind engaging into first gear out of neutral. I cant remember for sure if I tried engaging 2nd out of neutral or not. Either way it got bad enough that I had to take it in. So if I paid for replacement parts and they were not put in that is some dump!
#37
'04 with 142k on original clutch.
For the past few months upshifts to 2nd gear cause grinding most of the time - I've been skipping 2nd. 2nd gear also pops out. Not sure if it's the clutch or the 2nd gear synchro.
For the past few months upshifts to 2nd gear cause grinding most of the time - I've been skipping 2nd. 2nd gear also pops out. Not sure if it's the clutch or the 2nd gear synchro.
#39
Otherwise, I got 71K on OEM, but the throw-out bearing is making noise which I attribute to poor lubrication and who knows if I'll make it as high as some of you as a result.