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C2S: Clutch has been feeling odd, but does not slip - any advice/explanations?

pjvenda

New member
Hi all,

I've been driving my 997 Carrera S for about 32 months now, over 20k miles. Lately, it has been giving me the impression that the clutch is less 'grabby' and seems to actuate 'later' or 'higher' in the pedal travel. It's almost as if the clutch hardly grabs enough to pull the car forward, and it happens shortly before the travel ends, which I'm pretty sure wasn't the case 2.5y ago, where I remember it grabbing around the middle of the pedal and quite fiercely, providing more confidence for nippy starts when necessary. And by nippy starts I mean leaving junctions, etc, not hard launches at high revs in a straight line. There's always been some mild thumps when engaging gears, although those are occasional and could be down to technique.

What I know:
- A new clutch has been fitted around 30k miles ago - which I understand does not necessarily mean much;
- This car has a compensation mechanism for clutch plate wear so in principle this change of behaviour is not a consequence of wear;
- The clutch is not slipping. It never has slipped by accident and it didn't slip when I tried hard accelerations in 3rd and 4th gear;
(whilst writing this post I realised I haven't checked the brake fluid level, but the brakes have been working fine so I doubt there will be issues there. Nonetheless I'll check today);

What I would like to know:
- Is this 'behaviour' familiar to anyone here? If yes, have you confirmed it to be a fault and in which component?

I am at the point where I can't reliably show a mechanic that there's definitely a fault, but I drive the car often so even if I try to forget about this issue, there will be times when the car will appear to be hesitant to go... again reminding me that there may be something wrong. I'm trying to collect more information to work out what this could be before taking it to the garage.

Thanks all in advance;
Cheers,
Pedro.
 
Take a look around the bellhousing underneath to see if there is any moisture there, in which case it may an oil leak onto the clutch face. Otherwise it could be a faulty hydraulic system, release bearing or associated component. The description of "feeling a bit odd" is just a little too vague for a definitive diagnosis.

Put the stationary car into high gear with the engine running, handbrake on hard and slowly release the clutch pedal to identify any noises or clutch slip. This may provide you with a clue.
Good luck,
Clive
 
Hi Clive, thanks for this, I'll keep your suggestions in mind and ask the mechanic. I've tried releasing the clutch while holding the brakes and there's no weird noises, the clutch appears to act as it should, I think it will stall the engine but I haven't released the pedal that far. It's when the car is in motion that I notice something odd.

Unfortunately I can't do much better than vague: I have no real experience in Porsche world apart from driving my own 997 for nearly 3 years and I'm not a trained mechanic. :-/

The bell housing is indeed 'stained' - I've been told - the guys at the garage have been monitoring over the services and suggest it is probably only 'sweating' from the RMS. There has appeared the occasional drop in my garage floor but it's very sporadic and I've never been able to trace its nature or origin (could be coolant as I've been told the coolant hose fittings are on their way out). The location is near the front of the engine though so could be related.

A couple more questions if you would not mind:
- If the clutch face is indeed contaminated with oil, should it not slip?
- Also, is it possible that either the clutch plate or the fly wheel are glazed? Is this possible and is it significantly different to a worn clutch plate?

Cheers,
Pedro.
 
Sounds like you may have some clutch plate contamination then, just not enough to slip badly. The difference between oil and coolant is quite marked, so you should be able to identify each easily enough.

You appear to have a couple of alternatives a.) continue to use the vehicle and see how things develop when it should eventually be possible to pinpoint the problem or b.) pull the gearbox off to see what's going.

If b) with 30k miles on the clock, it would be as well to replace everything anyway. I expect with the oil seal and clutch components all replaced, your problem will be resolved.

Regards,
Clive
 

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