Why clutches wear out early, and how to make yours last

Two drivers can buy the same car on the same day, and one will need a new clutch years before the other. A clutch is a wearing part, like brake pads, so it will eventually need replacing on any manual car. How quickly that happens depends far more on how and where the car is driven than on the car itself.

This guide explains what a clutch actually does, why some wear out early, the signs that yours is on its way out, and what affects the cost of putting it right.

What the clutch does

The clutch connects the engine to the gearbox. When you press the pedal, it separates them so you can change gear or stop without stalling. When you lift your foot, a friction plate is clamped between the engine's flywheel and a sprung pressure plate, and the engine's power flows through to the wheels.

That friction plate is lined with material very like a brake pad. Every time the clutch slips while it engages, a little of that lining wears away. A clutch fails when there is not enough lining left to grip, or when one of the parts around it wears out first.

How long does a clutch last?

There is no fixed mileage. Some clutches last the life of the car, while others need replacing surprisingly early. The biggest factors are:

• Where you drive. Town driving, with constant pulling away and gear changes, wears a clutch far faster than motorway miles.
• How you drive. Small habits, repeated thousands of times, make the biggest difference of all.
• What the car carries. Heavy loads, towing and full vans put much more strain on the clutch every time you pull away.
• The engine. Powerful diesels and engines that have been remapped for more torque ask more of the clutch than they did when they left the factory.

Why clutches wear out early

Riding the clutch

Resting your foot on the pedal while driving can hold the clutch very slightly apart. You will not feel it, but the plate slips constantly and wears much faster. Keep your foot off the pedal completely unless you are changing gear.

Holding the car on the clutch

Holding the car still on a hill, or at a junction, using the biting point instead of the handbrake is one of the most common causes of early wear. The clutch is slipping the whole time you are waiting. Use the handbrake, or the automatic hill hold if your car has it, and only bring the clutch up when you are ready to go.

Slipping it when pulling away

A few extra revs and a slow, slipping release feel smooth, but they turn clutch lining into dust. Pull away with only as many revs as you need and let the clutch in cleanly.

Stop-start traffic and short journeys

Every time you pull away, the clutch slips for a moment while it engages. Drivers who spend most of their time in queues and town traffic simply do far more of those engagements per mile. It is not bad driving, but it does mean the clutch wears sooner.

Heavy loads and towing

A loaded van or a car pulling a trailer needs much more force to get moving, and the clutch has to slip for longer to deliver it. Working vans often need clutches well before a car of the same age would.

A worn dual-mass flywheel

Many modern cars, diesels especially, have a dual-mass flywheel: a two-part flywheel with springs inside that smooths out engine vibration. It wears out too, and when it does it can cause judder, a rattle at idle and extra strain on the clutch. That is why we always check the flywheel with the gearbox off during a clutch replacement.

Hydraulic and release problems

Most clutches are operated hydraulically, a little like brakes. A leak, air in the system or a failing master or slave cylinder can stop the clutch releasing properly, which makes gears crunch and the clutch drag and overheat. A worn release bearing can do similar damage. These parts can often be repaired on their own if the problem is caught early.

Oil on the clutch

If an oil seal between the engine and gearbox starts to leak, oil can reach the friction plate. An oily clutch slips and judders however carefully it is driven. When that happens, the leak has to be fixed along with the clutch, or the new one will go the same way.

Signs your clutch is wearing out

• The revs rise but the car does not speed up to match, especially uphill or in a high gear. This is clutch slip, and it only gets worse.
• The biting point has moved right to the top of the pedal travel.
• Judder or shudder through the car as you pull away.
• A burning smell after a hill start, towing or heavy traffic.
• Gears that crunch or are hard to select, which can point to a clutch that is not releasing fully.
• A pedal that feels different: spongy, heavy, or slow to come back up.
• A rattle at idle that changes when you press the pedal, often a sign of a worn dual-mass flywheel.

If you notice any of these, it is worth getting the car looked at sooner rather than later. A slipping clutch can leave you unable to pull away on a hill, and heavy slipping overheats the flywheel, which can add to the repair.

Can you fix a slipping clutch without replacing it?

Usually not. If the friction lining has worn thin, the only lasting fix is a new clutch. It is still worth checking first, though, because a few faults can mimic a worn clutch: air in the hydraulics, a sticking slave cylinder or an adjustment problem. We check those simpler causes before recommending a replacement.

What affects the cost of a clutch replacement

The price of a clutch replacement varies from car to car, which is why a sensible quote starts with your registration rather than a guess. The main factors are:

• The clutch kit for your exact car. Your registration tells us which kit is fitted. The quote covers the friction plate, the cover (pressure plate) and the release bearing.
• The labour for your car. Replacing a clutch means removing the gearbox, and on some cars that is a much bigger job than on others.
• The flywheel. A dual-mass flywheel is only replaced if it needs it. We check it with the gearbox off rather than replacing it by default.

You agree the price before any work starts.

How long does a clutch replacement take?

Allow four to six hours, depending on the car. For most drivers that means dropping the car off in the morning and collecting it the same day. We order the clutch kit for your exact car once you have agreed the quote, and it usually arrives within a day.

How to make your clutch last longer

1. Keep your foot off the pedal unless you are changing gear.
2. Use the handbrake on hills and at junctions, not the biting point.
3. Pull away with gentle revs and let the clutch in cleanly.
4. Select neutral and lift your foot off the pedal when you are stopped for more than a moment.
5. Do not use the clutch to slow the car down: use the brakes.
6. Get juddering, crunching gears or a change in the pedal checked early, before a small fault damages the clutch.

Clutch replacement near Maidenhead

NRH Autoworks replaces clutches, checks and replaces dual-mass flywheels and fits replacement gearboxes at our garage on Windsor Road in Bray, for drivers from Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough and the villages in between.

If your clutch is slipping, juddering or starting to feel different, send us your registration and tell us what the car is doing. We will come back to you with a quote for your exact car. There is more detail on our clutch and gearbox page.