Says that its a wearable item and that it will cost me $1500 to get replaced. i asked him if it was under warranty and he said no because it was a wearable item. But at 27K miles? What should i do, im waiting for him to call back, he said he was calling around to see what he could do.

 

pardon my french, but id tell him to fuck himself. the clutch should NOT be fried out at only 27k miles. bitch and complain man. you sould not have to pay for that with so few miles on the car. maybe at 40k,50k or more, but 27k?? give me a break.

 

Can anyone tell me what the exact warranty on the clutch is? My book is with the car. Also, this happened in another city, so im stuck at a friends and she went to work and they wont even send a loaner so i can get to work.

 

Thats what happens when you drive hard. Look into an aftermarket clutch, it will be cheaper and stronger.

 

I dont drive hard. I have, but not every 27 thousand mile was hard. A FWD clutch should last 50K easy. I know people with AWD DSM's that drive hard all the time and have lasted 45K.

 

That is a hard call. Although it shouldn't be worn at 27k if properly driven (which I assume is the case), they do have a case. Had it been 8k miles I would certainly demand replacment, again if it was properly driven. But at 27k it is questionable.

I would talk with them about the matter to see if anything reasonable for both could be agreed upon.

 

And that will certainly get them to help you out.

 

Comptech Clutch and Flywheel will only caost you about $500 more

 

Update: He got a hold of the acura rep and they ok'd him to open it up and see what the problem is. So i guess that's good? Any opinions.

 

well they need to open it up anyway so......only positive is that they spoke with the Acura Rep. Perhaps Acura will replace it for you but you'll have to pay the labor.

 

keep us posted, i had to replace mine at 12k, the rep looked at it, and they still made my pay for parts an labor. i kept the old parts. and i know how to drive stick, i am at 24k now and my clutch is fine, so i think the first one was defective...

 

BrendanCL,
What ended up being wrong with yours? was it excessive wear or was it a defective part?

 

It all depends on how you speak to them (Honda headquarters... found in your owners manual). On my 4th gen '92 Accord (which is known for bad distributors), the igniter went out at 94K and although that's WAY past the 36,000 mile warranty (and was listed as a TSB), Honda replaced it free of charge. And as an aside, I've driven Honda manuals for over 12+ years and the 1st clutch on my Accord (doing 40%/60% non-agressive/agressive driving) lasted 150,000 miles. 27K is way too short.

 

Can someone give me the honda headquarters number i may need to call, since my manual is in my car.

 

I talked to some others on other forums and they're saying that because i had no gradual slipping with my clutch, it was just all of the sudden, that it was probably a failure and not a wear problem. Which qualifies for full warranty. Any truth to this?

 

Yea, the number is 1-800-Shift-This!
Sorry for your clutch problems. I knew going in that Acura looks at the clutch as a 'wear' item. But they still should consider mileage and what is wrong. I'd never win at their game.

 

Generally a worn clutch will start to slip under load before giving out. If yours went out all of a sudden, it does sound like something broke as opposed to worn out. If your clutch went out all at once and it was a 5000rpm clutch drop, then you wouldn't be surprised, you would know what happened.

The only way I could see a clutch "wearing out" at 27K is if you regularily rested your foot on the clutch pedal.

 

I have read nothing today that suggests that this was my fault, i drive like a NORMAL 25 yr old, im not 16, never dropped the clutch. This should be a textbook warranty item.

 

Tough call. If the rep ok'd to open it up that is good. That should not cost anything to you. What they find will determin it. Clutch's do not just go out unless they are being abused at the same time. What were the symtoms? Why do you, or the dealer think it's the clutch?

 

I thought it was the clutch, because there was no pressure on the clutch. The dealer is a mechanic who should know what certain things are, im still waiting to hear the outcome, i'll let you know.

 

they told me excessive wear. my car was fine, one moring i started driving it, and it had minor slippage and took it to the dealer. they said i needed a new clutch.

 

In the hands (oops...feet) of a skillful driver, a clutch should last 250,000 miles, easy. On the other hand, a real twit can burn out a clutch in 500 miles or so. I am not saying that you are either. It is just that the clutch is really only doing work when your left foot is down.

One thing we all should do is this: from time to time, say four times a year, start the car, engage the parking brake, select sixth gear and let the clutch out. If the car dies, your clutch is plenty good. If the engine keeps on running, get a new clutch NOW!

 

guys, the clutch prolly needs replacing, cuz he can't drive stick properly...

why the fuck should Acura pay for it?

27,000 miles is no short distance...

 

I rested my foot on the clutch of my Legend way too often, and it lasted for 120,000 miles. It would take major abuse to go out at 27k.

 

Acura, winning more happy customers by the day!
Dan

 

Astro,

But that's just what he's telling us, if I worked at the dealership, would I believe him? I don't know. I would prob. go by the advice of my mechanic. Logic seems that a good mechanic should be able to tell if the burned clutch is due to the driver or the car.

 

Even if his clutch control leaves a bit to be desired (and I tend to think not), a clutch going out at 27K is crazy. My daughter drove a Chev. Berreta for over 85K and the clutch was still fine for another 65K by me. This was a lot of local driving (although not "city" block-block).

 

dude tell you mechanic to take the clutch. . . AND JUST SHOVE IT UP HIS ASS! $1500? for a stock clutch? for that price i can get you a clutch, exhaust, and headers. that's the worst price i've ever heard.

 

Well, they denied me, i have to pay for everything and i dont know what to do. he said he would put it back together for me and thats it. Where can i get a replacement clutch? Im so pissed, 03 CL-S for sale, brand new clutch, first forty seven dollars takes it. Im not a bad driver, just believe me, but i saw the clutch and it was burnt to hell, i think the stock clutch is just junk.

 

27k is unbelievable, esp. for Acura; my 96 Nissan Maxima SE went 90K and had no signs of wearing out; would classify myself as a moderate driver about 50% highway miles.

 

then spend your money on a nice 4 plate clutch...

I dunno wtf u guys are all complaining about tho, a clutch for my porsche costs me $3500....

 

I will be really pissed if something were to happen to my clutch because my sentra has 130,000 miles on the original clutch and it doesn't have any hints of slippage yet.

 

it's all relative.....

 

my 94 accord with 175k mi still has original clutch...if my acura needs a new clutch before that honda then...just wrong...

 

should we add a new topic Manny Tranny problems ?

 

I'll put in a Comptech clutch/flywheel for you. You can get JUST the clutch replaced for like $400 without resurfacing the flywheel.

 

That would be a 4 'puck' clutch... we don't have plates

By the way... I can have kevlar clutches made for the 6-speeders if folks are interested

 

I'd fight it. Call Acura. Do not deal with a dealer. I'd get to the shop & take some pics document everything. Just cause a dealer says it's not covered doesn't mean it's in stone. Bitch, bitch, bitch tell they give in. What's the worst that can happen? At the very least Acura could work something out where you pay for parts only, or labor only.

 

That's a good idea, get a good digital with a flash and take pictures of everything. Maybe even a recorder while they explain why "you were the cause of the clutch wearing out at 27K miles"..

 

How much is the comptech flywheel/clutch? I dont see it on comptech's site? If i dont here anything soon, im gonna have to go stock because i need my car.