Is My Clutch Going Bad?

[lcgrzy]

I have a 2004 Pontiac Vibe 5 speed manual. I am having a couple different issues that I believe are related to my clutch.

1) My clutch has been acting a little funny lately. I first noticed a problem about a month ago when the gears would stutter (or slip?) when shifting into third gear. Sometimes it was so bad that it made me cringe. Not long after I noticed the stutter, it seemed to spread to when I would engage first and second gear as well. This made me nervous, so I called around to some tranny shops and they told me to bring it in and they would take a look at it, but they wouldn't give me any definitive answer as to what the problem might be. I continued to monitor the issue, while I considered bringing it to a tranny shop. I must have changed the way I released the clutch, because the stuttering happened less. So I haven't taken it in to a tranny shop yet (after all, I'm a very busy man).

2) Ever since I got this car two years ago, I noticed that I had to have the clutch pressed very far down to get it to start. Lately, even with the clutch pressed all the way down, it won't start initially. I release and depress the clutch again, but still nothing. By this time I am pretty much standing on the clutch. After a couple of tries, I can eventually get it started, but the next time I go to start it, it takes longer to get it to work. When I am trying to get it started, sometimes it will start to crank, then stop. When I do get it to start, it sounds normal. This only seems to happen when the engine is cold. When it has been running for a while and I shut it off and start it back up (like if I ran into a store for a couple minutes) it starts up just fine.

So my question is, do both of this issues mean that I have a bad clutch? Is there some kind of switch that is going bad that is preventing it from starting in my second issue? Should I get my Vibe into a tranny shop right away?

Thanks for the help!

[Chiadog]

YES, sounds like a pressure plate / clutch disc problem.
Also, sounds like your clutch switch is shot or out of adjustment.
Stay out of "Transmission shops"! Find a good local mechanic. Ask friends, relatives, co-workers, etc.
If you post your LOCATION someone here may be able to help. Good luck.

[lcgrzy]

Thanks for the reply. I live in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan if anyone had any recommendations.

How come I should avoid tranny shops? My most trusted mechanic told me to take it to the one that I was planning on.

Thanks again.

[Chiadog]

old adage: When all you have is a hammer: everything looks like a nail! Transmission shops are notorious for "finding" tranny problems in every car that comes through the doors.
Why hasn't your mechanic diagnosed/repaired the problem? It's a simple diagnosis and a relatively simple repair.

[lcgrzy]

I see.

Well my mechanic said that to have the clutch replaced, he would take it to this tranny shop, have them do it and charge me $100 on top of what the shop charged. So he told me just to take it myself and save the $100. He said it would take him too long and he doesn't have the best tools to do it himself. I have known this mechanic for a long time, and I would pretty much trust him with my pocketbook, that is how much I trust him.

I'm not sure where to take it at this point The only other option I have is the dealership which is probably a bigger hammer than the tranny shop

[Raven]

The clutch on the Vibe is tricky and different to most cars I've driven and I've driven a lot at age 54.
The wear on the clutch has nothing to do with how it starts. There's a switch which engages when you depress the clutch fully to allow the engine to start in any gear. If there was no switch you could bounce the car forward when you try to start it and hit another car or crush somebody if you forgot to press the clutch. The '74 VW Bug I learned to drive standard on was like this. Our '06 has always needed to be stood on to engage the switch, especially with the winter mats in place.
If the clutch is wearing out it will start to engage with the pedal higher and higher. You will also feel it start to slip under load in second or third gear.

[lcgrzy]

I appreciate the responses. I have a couple more questions.

1) Can I adjust the clutch switch myself?

2) The stuttering in 2nd and 3rd gear is hardly noticeable, am I doing any harm by waiting to get it fixed? Or should I have gotten it taken care of weeks ago?

Thanks!

[joatmon]

1) Can I adjust the clutch switch myself?

Not really. To solve the problem on mine, I looked at it to see where the switch was contacting the clutch pedal, and taped a coin behind the pedal at that spot. If that isn't enough, tape two coins

[lcgrzy]

Where is it located?

[joatmon]

I traded my 03 5 speed for an 03 auto, so going from memory, but in this pic of the clutch pedal, about 2/3 of the way up, on the left side you can see a metal tab sticking out of the left side. I am pretty sure that tab is what contacts the clutch-to-start switch. I taped a coin to the backside of that tab. Used regular scotch tape, lasted years. (I wonder if I reclaimed my coin when I got rid of the car) The switch itself is mounted on the inside firewall behind the clutch pedal

pedal.jpg (22.6 KiB) Viewed 2172 times

[lcgrzy]

The coins worked great. Thanks for the diagram, it lead me right to the switch.

Now I just need to know if driving with the minor, occasional stutter is okay, or if I should take it to be repaired right away.

[Chiadog]

If the "stutter' problem is the clutch (and I believe it is), You can't hurt anything because you will want to replace ALL wear parts with new, when the job gets done.
If you want to race it or shift at full throttle / high RPM, replace it immediately or it will leave you stranded! Otherwise, you may be able to "nurse" it for 6 months!
If it becomes noticeably worse - change it quickly. just my 2 cents.