is this a clutch problem ? help diagnose !

[proenca]

Ok since yesterday my car started to develop a very distinc problem :

I was fooling around and noticed that in 3rd gear, when flooring it, between 4 and 5k rpm, the car doesnt transmit power to the wheels. all other gears seem fine.

I'll try to explain better :

start off seems ok - no difference in the biting point.
clutch neither heavier or lighter than usual.
start engage 1st, all ok
energetic until 2nd, all ok
energetic until 3rd all ok until it reaches 4000 ish rpm
then it seems that Im pressing the clutch ( which Im not ) from 4 to 5 ( like the car is loosing traction ) and then at 5000ish rpm it "grabs" traction again.
engage 4th , all ok
well dont have enough space to test flooring 5 and 6.

My car is a 996 twin turbo, 2001, manual.

What is this ? If I dont floor it, SOMEWHAT doesnt show this.

If I need to press full on the gas, and if I'm in 3rd, this happens.

What is this ? The so called clutch slip ? What ££££ I'm facing here ?

The other day I was driving well, vigousrly and this happen - I had the windows down and I had a smell of burned clutch although I wasnt pressing or depressing the clutch. Just going fast between 3 and 4. And not near the gear lever.

Cheers in advance

ps > my car is a Porsche 911twin turbo, 2001, manual

 

[Mark Elder]

You are doing the standard "does the clutch slip?" test and getting the answer "yes"[]

You don't see it in 1st and 2nd because the clutch is still strong enough, at lower speeds, to convert the engine torque into additional mph. But at the higher speed in 3rd, but with the same engine torque, the clutch is beaten by the gear ratio (ie a given torque can't add the mph as quickly) - so it is slipping.
You probably only see it in the 4-5k rpm range because that is peak torque I guess.

I'm afraid it will only get worse...

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Agree with Mark, clutch looks like it's on it's way out.