Is the clutch really worn out and is the mechanic telling me the truth about the parts? (joint, brakes)
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Not to hijack but can someone explain how a manual car downshifting on its own and then upshifting on its own is a clutch problem? I have had manual cars my entire life and never seen a clutch fail like that. I have had cars slip into neutral, and synchros go bad where it won't go into first, but no random "i am not engaging the clutch and the car is downshifting."
Is this a byproduct of some new computerized way manual trans. work?
I have had "vanity shift" automatics do this when being driven as "manual" but never actual manual tranny.
Okay, so I'm having an issue with my 2015 Kia Soul. It has 51,500 miles on it because I drive for Uber full time. The only problem I'm having, and only sometimes, is when I'm in 6th gear at high speeds of almost 70mph and it will tell me to shift up to 6th when it is in 6th, and then once the engine revs past 4000 rpm, it will fix itself usually and go back down.
I mentioned it during an oil change and to check a tire, and he said the clutch is worn out and needs replaced. What he told me though is that they have to get it from KIA because they don't make the parts anywhere else, and they called 5 or 6 local shops. I asked if he was saying that just the local shops don't have it, and since it was going to take 2 days for it to come in anyway, why it matters if they get it locally. He said they don't have them anywhere else in the world.
I'm not sure if he meant they just didn't feel like looking anymore. He said the repair is $1278 plus tax.
He said the warranty for KIA is only good on the clutch for 12 thousand miles because it's a typical wear item. I told them I'd have to get back to them, because I didn't really believe that you can only get the parts from the dealer, and also, I'm not sure how serious the clutch really is when it only happens at high speeds in the highest gear.
IMO that could be why your clutch is slipping. You are doing a lot of short trips every day which means a lot of shifting and a lot of clutch wear.
Short trips will cause clutch wear a lot faster than highway miles. The people getting 200K miles on a clutch are not UBER drivers.
Not to hijack but can someone explain how a manual car downshifting on its own and then upshifting on its own is a clutch problem? I have had manual cars my entire life and never seen a clutch fail like that. I have had cars slip into neutral, and synchros go bad where it won't go into first, but no random "i am not engaging the clutch and the car is downshifting."
Is this a byproduct of some new computerized way manual trans. work?
I have had "vanity shift" automatics do this when being driven as "manual" but never actual manual tranny.
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The car isn't downshifting or upshifting on its own. It's in 6 gear, and due to the clutch slipping the RPMs go high. The computer sees higher RPMs than it should for that speed and 6th gear, so the computer thinks it is in 5th (pure RPM/speed calculation I bet) and tells the driver to shift up (even though it already is in 6th). Once the RPMs works back down to "normal" levels, the computer thinks the shift happened, and the message goes away.
The problems you described above, as you noted are synchro or other problems, and not clutch problems.
The OP's issue seems very much like early clutch issues.
Yes, it's on its way out. Yes, it can be expensive for two reasons (I think): clutches in cars these days are hard to get at. If it's an automatic in the sense that you have no clutch pedal (or actually a clutch), automatics require more parts to fix.
Have you checked the tranny fluid? It plays a major role in automatics, more so than in an a manual shifter, as the fluid provides a medium through which mechanical energy is transferred from the engine to the tranny (roughly speaking).
Even if you can shift manually through all gears (as in some racing car technologies transferred to commercially available passenger cars) , this can still be the case.
The RPM only jumps up at full throttle in 6th gear slightly more than it should for a few seconds. Others online are saying that's the first sign of a slipping clutch.
That's exactly the first sign of a slipping clutch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LakeErieHomes
We'll see if in a week or two it is getting worse.
^^Agreed. RPMs surging after shifts is actually a common sign of a clutch on its way out. However, 12,000 miles is ridiculously low for a clutch replacement. Even your current mileage seems low to be experiencing a worn clutch. My own car is at 185K and the clutch is still performing well. Price seems reasonable, though.
Last edited by Professor Griff; 10-25-2016 at 08:31 AM..
My recent experience........2007 Toyota Camry..manual transmission,,,bought new...now 189,000 miles on it.
About 2 months ago, while driving on curve filled ,hilly highway to church, I noticed RPM shot way up while going up a hill. I let off gas and it went back down. It did this a couple times.
Over the next few weeks it did it more often at higher speeds in 5 gear.
Two days later it really started slipping and I limped 3 miles in 2nd gear with RPM higher than normal to my nearby auto repair shop.
I had new clutch installed and bill was $896
I have had 4 other manual transmissions and never had clutch problems. However I moved 4 years ago to Ozarks of Arkansas and it is very hilly all over here. Stop signs at top of very steep hills.
So, yes...............it sounds like early stages of clutch slippage.
and yes, it will go downhill fast. I would guess within 3 weeks it will be totally shot.
I still had no trouble shifting gears at the end, but clutch slippage was so bad car was not driveable.
I'm not sure how serious the clutch really is when it only happens at high speeds in the highest gear.
That's usually how slipping clutch issues show up. High gears first, and eventually in all gears. The more it slips, the worse it gets. So if you are having this problem, you are already on borrowed time.
If the parts are available only from Kia at this time, and the vehicle is still under powertrain warranty, it might be worth going to the Kia dealer for an estimate. I don't know anything about that car, but if the clutch was contaminated by something like the rear engine seal leaking, this might be a warranty repair even though the part that was affected is considered a "wear" item. Also the price might be the same anyway.
I don't usually advocate for dealer service departments, but you should still have the Kia powertrain warranty, and the dealer has the connection to the manufacturer and the mfr. warranty.
I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH A TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH, COULD I BRING IT IN AND HAVE YOU EVALUATE IT?
Thank You
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