warning signs of a bad clutch?

When a clutch goes bad usually it will slip. Meaning when you give it gas the rpm's go up but the car does not speed up.

Hope this helps

 

Just went through this with my daughter's Mazda3. Drive the car at 50 mph in 4th gear. Step on the gas to accelerate strongly, as if you were trying to pass someone. If the revs go up without matching acceleration, the clutch is slipping. The clutch will continue to degrade until it slips a lot at lower speeds. It will eventually leave you, or your daughter, on the side of the road. As me how I know.

 

You should also notice the engagement point off the floor getting higher.

 

I thought Mondials had a hydraulic clutch that would compensate for wear and thus not change the pedal point. No?

 

Slip and pedal height, as has been mentioned.

Bad enough, you'll just stay home or roll backwards down the hill... cuz
of course your brakes are less maintained than your clutch.



Jedi

 

I've driven only manual transmission cars since 1982....I've replaced many clutches. Their behavior when failling goes between excessive slipping all the way to not completly releasing......and anything between.

Geffen

 

These are all good observations, but the important point is your clutch is probably not the cause of the bucking..I'd look at CV joints, engine mounts and investigate anything that might cause a steady speed engine miss, tune up or fuel delivery for example.

 

I agree with apex, bucking at highway speed does not sound at all like a clutch problem. My SWAG would be some type of ignition problem.

 

Look for tears/leaks in the air intake ducting after the MAF. If there is a tear that opens up when the engine torques over a little it can let excess, unmetered air in causing the engine to go overly lean and cut out momentarily.

 

22,000 miles?
Someone who owned that car before you *really* didn't know how to drive a stick.

 

Watch for clutch slippage.

 

Just goes to show you...Its time for a clutch when....

and I thought it was due for a clutch because I found out my credit card was paid off!!!

:-{

 

+1
Sounds like a electrical problem

 

My Mondial t "bucks" at times when I slightly let up off of the throttle. It's not a clutch issue.

 

That's exactly what happened when the clutch on my 328 went bad.

 

Are you sure about the time frame? OEM mounts might be a quick swap but they will cost you $12,000.00.

Cheaper options are 355 motor mounts or generic JC Whitney, although they will have to be modified to fit. At least that's what I've gathered from searches on this site.

Please post when you change the mounts. Ours are getting sloppy too and I'd love to know how you fix 'em.

Thanks,
Dave