JakeCL

took my car into the dealership for what i thought was a slipping clutch after 8k miles. got a call this morning saying that the technitian thinks it is the clutch and to tear down my transmission and check will be 600 hundered dollars if its not a warranited item, then probably another 600 for parts, durring the phone call he told me more than once that acura will probably take care of it even if it isnt covered by warranty under some sort of "good will" program, does anyone know anything about ths good will he is talking about?

Nashua_Night_Hawk

becareful, it seems a 22 catch... once they drop the tranny you responsible for the $600!...

Shit... $1200 for a clutch job

CO-CL-S

"Good Will" is a term that Acura uses when there is technically some way for them to weasel out of a warranty problem, but it is really something that they should fix. Like, light bulbs don't have a warranty, but most places will replace them no charge. Almost all wear items are not covered, but real early failure (like a clutch at 8,000 miles shouldn't happen and there probable is/was something wrong that caused it to happen. YMMV

I am RobG

if your clutch is gone after 8k miles, you either need to learn how to drive or you have some major malfunction going on and they should replace it under some kind of lemon law

JakeCL

no i know how to drive i put 50k+ on my jeep that was a stick without any problems

Bluto

Was your CL new when you bought it? Let any else drive it?

How is the dealership? This should be a 'no questions asked' repair the first time. Unless your car looks abused. May want to let your salesperson know, sometimes they can help

Collective27

Im new to driving stick, so just for my own reference, how can you tell if your clutch is "sliping" or going dead, just so i know in case any of the symptoms occure in the future.

Thanks

Gilgamesh

Um....forivenss please...what does YMMV mean?

Clutch is dead if you rev car and the car doens't move with the clutch out and the car in gear. Or if the clutch will not release when you push the pedal in (seen it happen, but not too often) You know the way you start out with the clutch just barely out to the friction point, and you give the car gas, that is when the clutch is slipping, too much of that is no good, and eventually any clutch, even one driven right will slip like that with the pedal all the way out, and then its time for a clutch job.

Ashburner

Your Mileage May Vary

JakeCL

yea my car is new and my family has bought a legend 2 rls an nsx and a first gen cl in addition to my car over the years so they should take care of me, hopefully.
mine has been steadily slipping for a while (ie hit accelerator steady and rpms jump up then drop then begin to come up again) but finally i could barely get the car up to speed, like 10 min to get to 60 because if i pushed the accelerator too hard it would just start to slip

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I'd call Acura customer relations first. Get everything docmunented.(number should be on a bill, or in your maunal) There's no way a clutch will ever last only 8K miles unless there was some internal problem, or a bad part to begin with. Sounds like some defect to me. I'd go through Acura first before letting that dealer do anything. I'd also go to another dealer & get another tech to look at it. Having the tech say he "thinks" it's the clutch isn't going to cut it. They need to know first hand. It may be a tranny issue? Fluid? Any number of things. Use the roadside asstance to tow it to another dealer. Note. It may take a few weeks, or months to get this resolved this way.

Scrib

If you've owned a manual tranny car before, then I DOUBT it's driver error. I'd seriously fight the "good will" crap. That's total BS.

JakeCL

why is the good will thing crap? if they fix it for free they fix it right?

tuleman

If they fix it once on "good will" chances are they will not fix it again for free.
I have had Acura Dealers use this good will shit on me. Something breaks and they fix it calling it good will instead of warranty. If it breaks again and you take it back they say sorry we have already fixed this under good will it will cost you this time. Love the car..... HATE the f'ing dealership service depts.

EricL

The only clutch I ever had go that early, was from rear engine seal that was dumping oil all over the clutch and pressure plate.

If someone had a problem this early, and they were giving them grief, I'd demand to look at the parts that came out of the car (everything!)


I also seem to remember this:

http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...5&pagenumber=2

BY amisconception


"OK, Joshua Jacob is the man i've dealt with at Keyes Acura... i've had a couple problems, First issue, my clutch was messed up at about 200 miles after i bought my car, they misdiagnosed the problem and said nothing was wrong... 1000 miles later, i was stuck on the side of a road... second issue, they FUCKING installed the clutch assembly incorrectly, a few hundred miles later, i was having an issue with the clutch assembly again, i took the ride to valencia acura and they said that they installed the Clutch INCORRECTLY. Third issue, i recently got a flat tire and took it to Keyes Acura to get it fixed... THEY INCORRECTLY DIAGNOSED ME AGAIN and said that it wasn't a big deal, "NO CHARGE" they had fixed it. I drive home with what i thought was a fixed tire and by the time i get home, the fucking tire is flat. I WILL NEVER GO TO KEYES ACURA SERVICE AGAIN, i got my oil change done there at 7500 miles and i'm afraid my car is going to blow up. don't bother, go to 101 West Acura or Vlencia Acura"

EricL

YOU NAILED IT!

moomaster_99

2200 for a NSX clutch...

JakeCL

i wish the comptech was out i wouldnt mind paying for that

JakeCL

just called the dealership and they said they wont know whats going on with it until tommorow... im getting worried

BrendanCL TypeS

my clutch started slipping a month ago @ 12k miles. i took it to the dealer and had to pay around $1200 for parts and labor for a new clutch. they would not cover it under warranty. i even called acura and the said they dont cover wear and tear items like a clutch. and i also know how to drive stick. let me know what happens with you. i know i didnt cause my clutch to take a shit, and i want my money back...

EricL

Do you ever "drop the clutch" and burn rubber?

OUTRAGEOUS CL TYPE S

shitz i was thinking of picking one up this weekend. you telling me you all are having problems???

95LegendCoupe

Sorry to hear about you guys' clutch nightmares. I figured clutches would be covered, what a rip! I just bought a 6 speed saturday and a clutch problem at low miles should be warranty work. Not happy, I usually buy older used cars with no warranty and now I buy a newer one with the factory warranty and a major componet is not covered. If Acura can't waranty their clutches they shouldn't be putting them in their cars. Part of why I got the 6 speed was to avoid the automatic trans nightmares.
Hope you guys get satisfaction, keep us posted. Maybe a email or write-in campaign. I'm sure they don't want anymore bad press after THEIR OTHER TRANS FAILURES!!

good luck.

Shawn S

I think this is only the SECOND issue I’ve heard of here with the manual Tranny.
Don’t let TWO “issues” out of 2,700 6-Speeds sway your decision on buying.

Mine is running GREAT.

Shawn S

JakeCL

yea i wouldnt let this detour you from buying one, if there is anything defective about the clutch they told me they will replace it, however if it is just worn out they wont and thats where the good will thing comes in.
i hadnt heard of anyone but me having any problems with the six speed, and although i wouldnt say i abuse my car, i dont baby it either and maybe thats part of the problem.
the sales rep didnt even have an exact price on a new clutch when he called me this morning because he hadnt replaced one yet

tuRb0mikEy

haha it seems shawn really is the only one who can correctly drive a CL 6spd

EricL

Something to consider...

What's hard driving to a 19-year-old, 30-year-old and/or 50-year-old? Now add in variations based on previous car ownership and degrees of "hot rod" prep. Hey, I sure got my jollies off in the 16- to 21-year-old period...

So, what might be OK on one car might not be "super" for a 260- to 300-HP FWD car.

Acura went to the trouble to damp the return action (orifice to slow down the clutch return) for the 6-speed. (They probably did it to keep peek loads on the drive train down) Let's see, these cars are putting down 220-250hp to the ground in manual form (without FI). So, if anything the clutch is not engaging and disengaging extremely fast (as would be the case with some other cars that were NOT FWD). The slower engagement means that the clutch is going to wear quicker if the shifts are "rushed."

So, there's going to a few duds. However, if someone gets a chance to look at the "dead" parts (meaning you paid for 'em), you can "generally" tell if something has been beaten-up. If the pressure plate or hydraulics are "acting up", or there is an oil leak that is causing the clutch to slip and burn, it will show up on inspection.

So, is one street start per day abuse?
OR
One burnout per stoplight?
AND
IMO, some cars will do it all day long, others will NOT.

I asked the question about "Do you drop the clutch" to BrendanCL who was one of the few people showing-up in the tranny problems forum. And, I was curious. He's 19-years-old (tell me I’m wrong) and here is an interesting link:

This is a DIRECT QUOTE FROM BRENDAN (it's his website):

"...already got a ticket in the few days i got the acura back.
since when is peeling out a $80 crime?"

LINK to above site and quote: http://www.brendanmcdowell.com/home.htm

(So, this isn't a, "boy the cop was unfair, I never, ever let my clutch out hard...)

LINK to ticket (how long it remains is an interesting question):



A little image processing and voilà:

1. Aggressive driving box is checked off on TICKET
2. Careless driving, improper start is written AND rubber-stamped in red on same TICKET.

JakeCL

i am willing to bet if mine is worn out its from a combination of downshifthing and speed shifting

JakeCL

get a black one i wanna see your rims on a black car those are what i want to get eventually but having to pay for a this may set me back a couple months

OUTRAGEOUS CL TYPE S

man should i just keep my 01 i have no trans prob with it. i dont want to deal with clutch bullshitZ

OUTRAGEOUS CL TYPE S

ohh by the way while i was at my dealer, this guy brought in his g35 coupe stick and only had 200miles traded it in and got a black CL type S 6speed. he payed 29888K though. damn

nate'sCLS

Why would he be trading in a G35c 6MT so soon. I mean they are both good cars, what happened though, did he not like RWD?

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Since I have been easy on my car since I have about 700 miles now, I'm opeing it up a little more each day, & this car shifts smoother, & better the faster you shift. I could never keep this car smoth shifting slow, & below 3K RPM's. Also Vtech kicks in after 4K RPM, so you have to be able to hold higher RPM's in lower gears to get in that range.

nate'sCLS

Shawn S

Funny statement, but there’s actually a bit of truth to it.

I keep reading here how many people think the 6-Speed is indestructible. THAT’S BS !!!!

Every time you “slip” the clutch for a HIGH REV takeoff you’re hurting the clutch.
Every time you slam it in 2nd gear for a compression brake around your favorite corner you’re hurting the clutch.
Every time you “break em loose” by flooring the throttle and power shifting you’re hurting the clutch.

If done in moderation the above will have a minimal effect in the life of your clutch, but if you do them EVERY DAY you’re looking for trouble.

Also here’s one that hardly ever mentioned:
Watch the rev’s when in REVERSE.
I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen this at the mall.
You see a car backing out of their parking spots and the RPM’s are easily at 3-4K but the car is hardy moving.
That’s because the clutch pedal is only 1/3 released and it’s slipping lake crazy to maintain the slow acceleration as the people back out of the spot.
I’ve heard this is HORRIBLE for clutch wear.

Treat the car with some respect and the OEM clutch will easily see 100K or more.
Beat the SHIT out of it and you’ll be arguing with your service manager about warranty claims every 20 thousand miles.

Shawn S

OUTRAGEOUS CL TYPE S

i'm sure you'll get 100k i mean my honda accord ex groccery shopper i just changed it after 140k. and i'm sure some where in that time i have floored it, its has many mods that i can resist flooring it. but proper breaking i did and proper maintainece should do get us 100k+. but hopefully its not a defective clutch thing going on with acura.

Slimey

It would be hard to pin a couple early clutch failures as a problem with the clutch (unless there is oil on it or real mechanical failure, as EricL mentioned).

I agree with ShawnS and don't find it far-fetched that people are abusive to their clutch. It is a component that will wear and ultimately fail, as brakes or tires. It is a fact that some will wear it out faster then others.

Honda/Acura has been making manual transmissions for a very long time, and many of us on these boards have owned these cars. I've never had a problem with a Honda/Acura manual transmission. The construction is different then an automatic transmission and I don't think it's fair to extrapolate the automatic failures to the manual gearboxes, however, people will continue to replace clutches, it is the nature of the beast. Some of us will have clutches that last >100K miles, and others will replace them earlier.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Yeah but at 10K miles or less? I never heard of such a thing. Even a Viper, or other high perforamnce car's clutth will last at least 50K miles.

Slimey

With some effort, I bet you can trash a clutch in only a few 1000 miles. Just dump it at every take off.

ShawnS gave a nice list of clutch abuses above.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Hopfully mine lasts a long time. I have launched hard a few times, & grinded the occasional gear casue I'm still learning this car's clutch. I'm not used to a 6 speed. I seem to hit 4th when triyng to get to 6th alot, & hit 2nd when I try for 4th.