Possible Clutch Slipping?

[stanger9410]

Ive got an 03 Protege5 with the 5sp, its got about 187,000 miles on what i believe to be the stock clutch. I read on other forums that the stock clutch has "chatter" Im looking to get some more info on that. When i accelerate from 0 it feels like it slips a couple times then catches and the car takes off. It doesnt slip when moving faster than about 15 mph and if i get into and gear and put the pedal to the floor it doesnt slip. since its been cold ive been doing nothing but spinning first and second gear. i really dont want to have to replace the clutch since im pretty sure i dont want to mess with it. anyone have any thoughts?

 

[T-Rash]

The previous owner of my P5 had the same problem, thought it was the clutch. Turns out it was air intake hose had cracks in it. Quick and cheap fix considering what a new clutch would be. Think other people had the same prob on this forum as well, as I have read about it a few times. Might want to give that a quick look first...

 

[kamesama980]

If you're unsure of the clutch, there are a few home-checks to try:
1. get goign on the highway up to the speed limit. drop to 4th and floor it. all the way down. If the clutch slips, it'll be most noticeable in the higher gears first. you'll see the tach needle rising faster than it should and if you let off the gas, it'll settle down to where it oughta be.
2. park, set the ebrake, put it in 5th, rev it up and drop the clutch. should stall almost instantly. If the clutch is worn, it'll drop revs slowly before stalling. If the clutch is shot, it might not stall at all.

If the clutch is slipping, you'll see the revs go up a bit faster than they should then go down a little if you let off or it starts grabbing. Make sure that's happening rather than just intermittent engine problems causing poor acceleration.

Where are you in indiana? If you're near Columbus and want me to check it out, let me know.

 

[mike662]

The previous owner of my P5 had the same problem, thought it was the clutch. Turns out it was air intake hose had cracks in it. Quick and cheap fix considering what a new clutch would be. Think other people had the same prob on this forum as well, as I have read about it a few times. Might want to give that a quick look first...

I think I may have the same problem. My clutch feels like it slips or hops sometimes, but if I do any clutch-slipping test it doesn't budge at all. I heard from another P5 owner that it could be the engine mounts, but some tests and visual inspection shows them to be fine. My intake hose is cracked and taped up from the previous owner.

My questions is, how does a cracked intake hose cause this hopping to occur? I'm curious if there's another way to go about fixing this since the car runs quite well as is so I don't want to spend $30-$40 on a part for a car I might not keep past the winter.

 

[JesseM]

I have this issue also, and yes my intake hose is cracked but taped over. Taping it fixed lurching in 1st gear in parking lots, but I swear the clutch does slip when accelerating from a stand-still. Its worse on humid/rainy days. Once its engaged though, it never slips and feels quite solid.

 

[tweety2300]

Huge difference between chatter and slipping. Chater will make the whole car shake and feel like the car is going to fall apart, this is caused by hot spots on the flywheel.either deal with it or replace the flywheel

Best way to tell if a clutch is good is redline first and grab 2nd hard. 1 of 3 things will happen it will either grab and chirp 2nd which is good. It will grind due to bad syncros or it will slip. Just make sure there's not heavy traffic or cops around when you do this.

Cracked intake tube should not cause these issues. It can cause surging and make it feel like it's your first time driving a stick