Think clutch is finally done?

[dmitri]

i think my clutch is fried. I race my vibe daily but i usually dont abuse it like not rev matching when i downshift, etc.I dropped the clutch around 5000 and took off, but i didnt take off. My revs hit the limiter, and then i shifter to 2nd and i was bouncing off the limiter for a good 3 seconds until i let off the gas. Behind my car was a cloud of white smoke. The whole block smelled so bad my eyes teared. I have it all on video since my friend was taping my car, u can see the white smoke behind the car.On the way home i didnt feel it slipping too much so i dunno how ill prove to the dealer that i need a new one. Does this whole thing mean the clutch is done and its time for a new one, or clutches can slip that bad from improper launches as well? this has never happened before btw.For anyone that wants the video, IM me on aim: neoplasticity Its in quicktime format.

[MadBill]

Sounds bad, dmitri!There's a chance that when it cools down it will be OK, but that much slippage and smoke almost certainly means it's toast. At the best, it might survive a while if driven gently. (Ya, like that'll happen!) Better start working on a sob story for your dealer. (and for plan B, researching availablity of heavy duty replacement assemblies)Oh yes: make sure the flywheel is checked out for warpage, cracks, etc.

[dmitri]

dealer can suck my d*ck. If they dont replace it, then ill sue them or something. They dont know i race, nor will they. The story will be that i had to pull out hard and it suddenly hit the limiter. If the clutch cant handle the power or 8200 RPMs, then make it better from the factory.

[ragingfish]

Clutches are considered wear and tear. They are not covered beyond the 3/36. Period.If you're within the 3/36, good luck proving it was manufacturer defect that toasted the clutch. From what my dealer told me (I was talking clutches with the service manager because I was discussing how i wanted a stick), he gets at least half a dozen people a month who try to claim defect on clutches that are clearly damaged from racing. They can tell.Perhaps you should stop racing before you really DO kill it (if you haven't already)?

[dmitri]

even if i do race, its not supposed to go bad at 15,000 miles. Its clearly a defective product from the factory because numerous other people have had problems.And the whole issue with my clutch squeaking and feeling spongy will further prove my point that its defective.btw mike, i wouldnt believe anything that they claim to have seen before. I've caught dealers lying to me...

[rasermon]

Quote, originally posted by Salsa! »IUf you race your car, don't come and complain about a fried clutch...Ditto's.Remember this post? http://www.i-club.com/forums/s...=9739

[philndz]

Quote, originally posted by rasermon »Remember this post? http://www.i-club.com/forums/s...=9739 I remember that post!! If you ABUSE, then you LOSE.....its plain and simple.Dimitri...firstly, i suggest you read this thread posted above. secondly, if i were you i would not be handing out a video of you breaking the car....seems like the thieves that make a tape of their entire robbery and then it ends up in the hands of the authorities. I hope for your sake that what you have done does not screw you over too bad...but on the flip-side i do think you should be held responsible and i wouldnt waste my energy holding someone back if they wanted to take the same actions that were taken in the subaru case in the link; in fact i would probably support them....i just could never bring myself to rat someone out for an act that is (in the scheme of things) fairly trivial. now...if i know the guy that just ran out of the bank w/ millions of bucks....uh...yeah, i'll turn him in!I also hope for the sake of everyone here and all the Vibe owners out there that this case w/ your car doesnt affect any honest claims.I'm thinking that if you dont want to start a ruckus, you might want to be as quiet as possible.(The above is my personal advice and opinions....take it or leave it)-Phil

[dmitri]

aite wutever *. i know how to drive stick. It should not be bad after 16k miles, regardless of how hard you drive.i have friends with Civic Si's that beat the **** out of them and havnt had probs for 80k miles.* edited by moderator

[philndz]

hehehe! People like you make me laugh....but not b/c your funny. We have your type show up at the autocross competitions all the time....really showy kids that talk a lot of crap and think their sh** don't stink....then of course they get their asses handed to them by some old rust bucket beater when they hit the course....hehe....they dont ever show up again! It's all about attitude...they could simmer down and listen instead of talking non-stop about their car, their buddys car, their kills, and god knows what else. If they could listen, watch, and learn they would become great drivers....but they just can't do it, not until they get over themselves.Quote, originally posted by dmitri »i know how to drive stick. Aren't you a smart boy!Quote, originally posted by dmitri »It should not be bad after 16k miles, regardless of how hard you drive.hmmnn....are you gonna hit up your warranty for tire wear too....b/c those shouldn't wear out when you race either!??Quote, originally posted by dmitri »i have friends with Civic Si's that beat the **** out of them and havnt had probs for 80k miles.Your Vibe is as durable as a Civic....you might find they dont abuse their cars on a daily basis. If you're really going to whine then just buy a Civic....If you treat it like you have the Vibe, you'll still have the same problems.Recognize what you are doing with the equipment you are using. It's not a problem to drive the car like you do...you just need to understand that it will need to be reinforced for that type of use....in this case, a racing clutch. You wont find a track car on all-seasons or a winter commuter car on slicks, the same goes for your clutch. This really is elementary.Eagerly awaiting your next middle-school-age response,-Phil

[NSimkins]

Quote, originally posted by philndz »Eagerly awaiting your next middle-school-age response,You made your point, I don't appreciate the 'egging' on of an argument with this thread. A topic of this nature can be discussed rationally (I would really hope so) so let this be a warning to anyone posting or previously posted here.Everyone is entitled to do whatever they want, so if you cannot constructively participate, don't. Many may disagree with dmitri, or don't care, but please play nicely.

[joatmon]

I hadn't seen that subie thread before. Some good points in there. There are people who are having GT clutch problems that do not race, but many GTs do not have clutch problems. It seems to me in this case that clutch issues are related to extreme usage, or at least the extreme usage has overridden any initial GT clutch reliability problem. dmitri, my advice is learn how to replace the clutch on the vibe. Daily racing and repeated high RPM drops are gonna wear the clutch fast, no matter how rugged it is. In the general GT clutch problem thread, you said you went thorough a racing clutch in a camaro in only 10K miles, so you should know what racing will do to any clutch. You will probably go through a couple, so save some dealer labor costs and learn to put new ones in yourself. I've looked at the procedure in the service manual, and it might take a little bit of time, but it doesn't look that technically challenging. (I'll probably do my own whenever it goes out, which won't be anytime soon) They won't warranty it forever, if they even cover it the first time. If you want the car to be a daily street racer, then you need to upgrade to clutch parts that can handle that type of use. The stock setup can't, and will fail. imho

[dmitri]

1. Im not a showy kid at all. If i was, i wouldnt get a vibe. Id get something i could put a body kit and rims on etc. In fact, i hate show. Thats why i have mostly sleeper cars.2. I have 2 old rust beaters that will smoke any car you own. My malibu is now pushing a 125 shot of nitrous on top of its 450+ hp 327 v8.3. I dont talk alot of crap, you started with me by saying i dont know how to drive clutch, etc. I dont think my sh** dont stick because i know what it is and its proper place. But, i do hate when people pull all this "older and wiser" stuff like i have to watch and learn from the great almighty people on here that of coarse know how to drive.joatmon: clutches on fwd cars are extemely hard and time consuming to do. I have no idea how to do them, nor do i wish too because it really is a pain putting it in. usually i love doing my own work, but clutches arent worth doing yourself on a vibe.

[philndz]

Quote, originally posted by dmitri »1. Im not a showy kid at all.Thats a good thing...Quote, originally posted by dmitri »2. I have 2 old rust beaters that will smoke any car you own. My malibu is now pushing a 125 shot of nitrous on top of its 450+ hp 327 v8.you have no way of knowing what i might own...and again....here comes the bragging...impressive power...but even my vibe has beaten a Z06 and a Viper on the course....so obviously power doesnt mean you'll beat anybody at anything....give that careful thought.Quote, originally posted by dmitri » you started with me by saying i dont know how to drive clutch, etc. I don't think I said that....Quote, originally posted by dmitri »But, i do hate when people pull all this "older and wiser" stuff like i have to watch and learn from the great almighty people on here that of coarse know how to drive.Older & Wiser??? Dmitri, I'm probably no older than you....but after looking at this situation...im thinking i might be a little wiser. You should accept that others are better drivers than yourself. I compete in order to make myself a better driver...i know i can always improve and for that reason I am constantly watching, learning, practicing, and improving. I am not into myself enough to turn down advice from other drivers...i'll be continuing to learn for the rest of my life...and im not ashamed to say so.-Phil

[Mavrik]

A clutch falls into the wearable item category when it comes to your car. If its not defective, its not warranty. They can be able to tell defective from abuse.. You can add bearings gone from hitting curbs, broken inner fenders... brakes worn out under 15,000 miles/30,000km, tires worn out from racing... etc.

[joatmon]

It sounds to me like dmitri pushes it too hard, and that the wear on his particular clutch should probably not be covered under warranty, but if he can get it replaced for free then good for him. He's just getting something for free that he should have to pay for out of pocket. Just like downloading music off the internet for free instead of buying it, nobody complains about that, that's the society we live in, getting one over on the man, so don't go jumping on dmitri's case over the clutch.

[Vibe Rater]

*Note to self:Don't buy a used car from dmitri

[philndz]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon » He's just getting something for free that he should have to pay for out of pocket. I wonder why the dealers have to be so (removed)-headed about warranty work....hmmnn???

[goodvibe]

Clutch is weak in the GT but will probably double the warranty period if you don't beat it. Kind of a wash for those keeping score.

[engine1]

It will take a micro second for the tech to tell why dmitirs clutch blew up. Hey dmitri get a centerforceII clutch, you will still burn it out eventually but it is made for those hard launches.

[mu_ohio]

I put 20k on my GT and never had a problem with the clutch. I don't undestand how a clutch can be driven for 15k and then found to be defective. Especially when it has issues after a hard launch and a ton of smoke. I'm sure the dealer will replace it for the cost of labor and the parts.

[mrgrn]

hey D, i live real close to you and if you decide to replace it yourself i will give you a hand i had a 1981 rabbit with over 500,000 miles when i bought it for $600 it needed a clutch though it was front wheel drive and i replaced it myself in december in NH on my back on a big piece of cardboard in 10 degree temps, it sucked.Or you could buy a bike and spank everybody the clutch in my bike takes 10 min to replace i eat vettes and porches everday, standing start,1/4 mile, 60-100,100-170mph in does not matter funny story now that i think about it. Last year on a sunday morning about 7am on rt.287 south by mendham i am in the slow lane going maybe 70 mph. along comes a viper(blue w/ white stripe) in the fast lane. he pulls up to me and is trying to get me going(i am laughing under my helmet) by waving the signal. He takes off fast and i wait a split second before twisting the throttle in 4th gear. Lickity split i am next to him at 120 mph waving to him, He has this look that was priceless, wish i could have taken a pic. He waves me on again, and again i pause for a second and let him go ahead. I then put my head down and blasted through 5th and 6th all the way to the rev limiter at 170 mph. i looked back to see him and he was miles, i mean miles behind.not trying to brag, just share a funny iny life.

[dmitri]

its actually fine now i dunno it was bad for a few days. it doesnt slip anymore, its really weird lol.Im still racing but i put on crappy tires for racing so instead of smoking my clutch, i just spin a little more.Mrgrn come to avenue p in newark friday night. im goin with some of my boys...i can meet up with u somewhere atound 12 before i go.. im usually there till like 4 or 5