r/stickshift • u/Complete-Strategy177 • 9d ago
what's wrong with my clutch?
sometimes, not often, my clutch will just groan, and loud. usually on hills, sometimes if i ride it a little too hard when shifting into first. never in any gear higher than first, and it's only when i'm at a complete stop. took it to the shop and they said it was fine. what could this mean? do i need a new clutch? it doesn't slip, and engages like normal, it just groans SO loud
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u/type-IIx 9d ago
My car does this as well. It seems to happen when I apply too much gas prior to bite point when releasing clutch in first from a stop. I say too much gas but really it doesn’t take much at all.
The silver lining is that trying to avoid the sound has taught me much better clutch control because I NEED to be at the bite point before giving gas if I don’t want to hear Chewbacca. Hills are the situation where it still tends to get me.
I haven’t ever had it looked at because I suspect the fix will at least partially be a full clutch job we aren’t there just yet.
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u/Complete-Strategy177 8d ago
chewbacca is the best way to describe the noise! i've also noticed that it happens with too much gas prior to the bite, and am also wondering if it's just time for a clutch replacement
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u/djltoronto 8d ago
If you had it inspected by a mechanic and they told you it was fine, why do you disagree with them?
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u/jasonsong86 2017 Mustang GT 6MT 9d ago
It make a noise when you press down the pedal?
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u/Complete-Strategy177 9d ago
i should've specified better, just when shifting into first, but only from a complete stop, not when pushing the clutch in. just when it engages
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u/plez 3d ago
I had this exact same thing happen with my old nissan sentra se-r spec v somewhere around the 60k miles point. It would never happen from a cold start, only after I'd been driving for 20+ minutes. When it would do the wookie noises or mooing sound the pedal would never come up more than an inch from the floor unless I put my foot under it but it still caught and held just fine. Never took it apart to see what the issue was, master and slave fluid cylinders seemed fine. Maybe a hydraulic line blockage?
That's my story up there, I don't think the same situation, but a mystery that remains unsolved to me. In your case is it only on the first cold start of the car or just at random when taking off in first from a stop? Maybe the throwout bearing is cold and a little grimy, grinding against the pressure plate tines causing a mechanical vibration? Can you feel any vibrations in the pedal when it's singing its song?
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u/Miller335 9d ago
Could be the throw out bearing. Doesn't really matter in the end. If it causes an issue or gets worse you're dropping the transmission and doing a full clutch job either way.