The following nine issues, when observed on a heavy-duty vehicle, are all indications of a worn or damaged clutch or a clutch in need of adjustment. Let us help you identify signs of a clutch problem:
1. Complaint of loss of power, but the engine races up
- You are driving along and start to hear the engine race, however, you do not gain any speed
2. Hard to put the vehicle into gear, forward or reverse, when you are stopped
- You might hear a grinding noise, or might feel it is hard to shift into gear from neutral
3. The vehicle slows down, but the engine races up when pulling a hill
- You are driving up a hill and hear the engine racing, however, you either do not gain any speed or you slow down as you move forward
4. It becomes harder to press the clutch down
- This usually indicates an issue with the pressure plate or other component parts
5. Clutch pedal doesn’t have proper free travel
- There needs to be at least half an inch of slack play at the top of the clutch pedal travel for proper clutch and release bearing longevity
6. A burning smell
- Once the clutch starts to slip, you could smell a burning smell all the time, not just when the clutch is engaged
7. Clutch engages at a lower-than-normal position or than higher-than-normal position
8. You hear a bearing noise or whirling sound when the clutch pedal is pushed and held in
9. When letting the clutch out on accelerating, there’s a delay in acceleration speed
If experiencing any of these issues, you can check with a mechanic to see if a clutch adjustment is needed. A new clutch might be needed, including resurfacing of the flywheel.
Regular inspections and timely repairs are crucial to extending clutch life and preventing costly downtime.
Long-term tip: Don’t ride or slip the clutch longer than needed upon takeoff.