Recognising a Slipping Clutch
The engine revs climb but the car doesn't accelerate in proportion — especially on hills, under load, or in higher gears. A burning smell after hard use is another tell-tale sign: it's the clutch disc lining overheating.
The test: in 4th or 5th gear at around 50 km/h, accelerate firmly. If the rev counter needle shoots up without a matching increase in speed, your clutch is slipping.Likely Causes
- Worn clutch disc. Normal wear over mileage, accelerated by town driving, towing, or riding the clutch pedal.
- Oil on the disc. This comes from a leaking oil seal — either on the engine side (crankshaft) or the gearbox side (input shaft).
- Faulty clutch control that fails to fully release the mechanism.
- Worn dual-mass flywheel, which should be replaced along with the clutch kit.
Is the Gearbox to Blame?
No: a slipping clutch does not mean the gearbox is damaged. The fix is to replace the clutch kit — and usually the flywheel if it's a dual-mass type. The one exception: if the oil contaminating the disc is coming from the gearbox input shaft seal, that seal must be replaced at the same time.
Can You Keep Driving?
For a few days, if you drive gently. The slipping worsens quickly, causes the flywheel to overheat, and can ultimately leave you stranded on a hill. Avoid towing and overtaking.
Worth Knowing if Your Gearbox Is Also Struggling
Replacing the clutch means removing the gearbox. If it's already making noises or grinding, now is the ideal time to replace it with a reconditioned exchange gearbox, warranted for up to 24 months — saving you a second removal job.
