Does anyone here have a sqeaking clutch?

[Xenonk]

This happened after a really REALLY bad burn on the clutch (which is not my doing ). I noticed about 20 mins after of driving my GT, I noticed that somewhere in the engine bay or near the clutch resevoir, I hear a faint sqealing noise similar to a tiny sqeaking fan belt/or something spinning when I push the clutch in about 95% of the way (car on). If you hold the clutch at 90% to 95% while the car is off, it sounds like a sqeak coming out of the engine bay where the tranny bolts up to the engine (as if something is rubbing on something). Does anyone have this problem? My guess is that the fluid is boiled and that there's a chunk of the clutch lodged in all over the place in the transfer case..

 

I am going to bleed the fluids tonight to double check the linkages and such.. hopefully I can just drive it off and even out the clutch wear.. currently, the car is driving normal but with about 5k to 10k miles burned off from it in a matter of 2 seconds from the burning/slipping.

[PGT]

I get a squeak in the pedal itself

[mmm def]

My pedal squeaks too.

[TSiWRX]

for Keefe.....

 

But like the other brothers have cited, there's been way more than one report of a squeeky *PEDAL* during engagement/dis-engagement.

 

I noticed this *ONCE* the other day, during a rather sudden weather change.....

[Chappy]

My pedal squeaks..I tell people its my homemade BOV..

[Legacy05]

Yeah mine sqeaks too ... they at one point replaced the clutch switch, which made the noise go away for sometime. It came back and the service told me it was due to "humidity" which I know is not the case. So I am just waiting for the temperatures to cool down here.

 

One thing of note, my pedal doesn't squeak at all when I first start driving my car in the morning. It only seems to come on after my car has warmed up, I wonder if the two are related somehow.

[Xenonk]

after 31k+ miles of driving, this is the first time it ever sqeaked for me like this after a horrible burn. I dont think any of the bushings or seals are over-torqued or overheated from the burning (but it's possible). My sqeak is actually coming from the engine bay where the clutch mechanisms that controls the fluids and the engaging of the clutch. I'll look it into it tonight and do a little checking and some lubing to see if it will go away. I know I'll have to "resurface" my clutch with longer slip driving to make it smooth again and easier for engagement.

[Th3Franz]

How did the clutch get burned? Someone else drive your car? I had a squeaking clutch but took it to the dealership and they lubricated a pedal linkage or something.. no problems since.

[mattg]

+1 on pedal squeek

[Xenonk]

How did the clutch get burned? Someone else drive your car? I had a squeaking clutch but took it to the dealership and they lubricated a pedal linkage or something.. no problems since.

 

 

yea, the GT was used all day at the autox school by my gf, but nothing happened there and it ran perfectly fine. It happend on the way home when she drove with just socks on (no big deal to me if she is use to it, she took off her shoes because she was forming a blister from the course-walking and driving at the autox school), but as she downshifted to get some speed up the hill, she got on the throttle but the car wasn't accelerating and the motor went all the way up to redline.. the clutch stank like no other. She said she was off the clutch pedal and I know the car was in gear.. talk about an oddity. About 1 mile down the road, we stopped at a traffic light. She shifted into 1st and then proceeded like any other 1st start/pulls.. the very moment that her foot was off the clutch at 2 mph, the car started to buck very hard for a good 2 seconds before the clutch caught.. it felt like the car was laboring bad and it felt like a hard bronco effect. She pulled over and we switched seats so that I can drive the rest of the way home because it was very odd/worried to me as this never happened in all me driving with this car. I can only assume the bucking came from the burnt clutch and clutch chunking badly off this one clutch burn. I drove the rest of the way home just fine with a burnt clutch feeling through the clutch pedal engagement.

 

I dont blame my gf for pulling a possible brain fart (as we all do) and it's very possible that she was feeling very tired and started to get lazy with the clutch work, I just want to make sure this doesnt happen again (hell, even I still get a minor clutch grind because I was too fast off the clutch before I got the chance to finish putting the shifter into the gear I wanted). In my mind, I am sure it's a 80% driver error (as I know it couldn't have been the hard driving previously through the day or any other day with the car at autox/track events). I put this car through a lot of events, but I doubt it's slipping the clutch (because clutch slipping is something that happens through a process of constant slipping of the clutch). I don't launch this car hard at all, just a minor boost launch to get the car moving (and the clutch has been consistently been grabbing for me even after this burn). I'll put in a request for my gf not to drive with just socks or bare feet, and if she doesnt feel like driving, then I'll drive.

 

I'll check the system tonight, just stay tuned everyone.

[Chappy]

It could be your throw-out bearing, Keefe...That will make a distinct squeal when engaging the clutch.

[PGT]

Keefe - what you just described is what some of us have had issues with before....a CDV type effect. I have had that same thing happen....on a somewhat more agressive launch than normal daily driving, and the clutch doesn't disengage even though you release the pedal. If the smell is like sauerkraut, then you now know what many of use had issues with previously.

[Xenonk]

It could be your throw-out bearing, Keefe...That will make a distinct squeal when engaging the clutch.

 

 

yea, I thought about that, and I hope it's not that because I really dont want to take out the clutch to find chunks of clutch material all over it..

 

 

I'll keep it in mind when it's time for a new clutch and flywheel. Exedy Hyper single, here I come..

[Xenonk]

Keefe - what you just described is what some of us have had issues with before....a CDV type effect. I have had that same thing happen....on a somewhat more agressive launch than normal daily driving, and the clutch doesn't disengage even though you release the pedal. If the smell is like sauerkraut, then you now know what many of use had issues with previously.

 

The thing is that this car's clutch does act differently than most cars, but it's nothing that a driver doesnt notice and make adjustments to that difference.

 

I just hope that this is a minor thing and that the throw-out bearing doesnt have a lot of clutch material all piled up in the bearing that will cause the clutch to not work properly. I give myself another 30k miles and see where/what the clutch will look like then.

[RobY]

Hmm, ask her if the clutch got stuck in the middle of the travel while she was disengaging it and her foot completely off of it.

 

Sometimes my car likes to do that to me when I drive her agressively.

 

The pedal plain sticks in the middle and floats in mid air until it finally snaps back into place following a stinkfest. Been to the dealer 3 times already... they can't reproduce it cause they drive like grandmas.

[TSiWRX]

^ +1 to boty RobY and PGT -

 

Although I have not yet had this happen with Winky, this "sticking clutch" (half-in, stuck there, car/driver revs to redline) phenomenon has been reported here on LGT.com more than once. It's been speculated to be the CDV, but there's still been some debate.

 

I'll try and see if I can't search up the past posts.....

 

----

 

Edit/back

 

Arrrrgh, I *hate* our search-engine....no "and" logic-connector/operator!

 

Sorry, no luck, but I *know* that someone here has complained BITTERLY about this "CDV-effect"/sticking. My last memory of this complaint was actually that the owner was trying to or has thought seriously about getting SoA to take the car back, based on potential safety concerns (the specific example he gave was "what if I got stuck on a railroad crossing") with the "sticky" clutch.

 

Sorry I wasn't more help...

[Xenonk]

Hmm, ask her if the clutch got stuck in the middle of the travel while she was disengaging it and her foot completely off of it.

 

I was in the car when this happened.. and I thought she was trying to be funny and making fun of rev-matching. I dont think she recalled about being completely off the clutch.. she said she thought the carpet caught the clutch pedal somehow and when I looked down at it, the pedal returned normally just like any other time. She double checked the shifter being in gear (and it was) and reapply the clutch and the car caught the gear just fine. I was watching her foot when it was bucking at the light and her foot was completely off the clutch, the clutch was in the correct position and it returned correctly. The pedal had a hard pedal feel just like any other time when I switched into the driver seat.

 

Of all my spirited driving, I never had this problem of finding the clutch engagement point and letting the clutch off with the correct touch at the right time. If I screw up, it's usually just creeping the car at 1st gear and I usually stall a car out before even burning a clutch. Even on the track with fast shifting and the such, I would get a grind than a burned clutch. Of my once-a-year gear grinding is based on me letting off the clutch too fast and not putting the shifter into gear fast enough, and it's a little grind, like .2 second grind, not some long .5 to 1 second "forceful shifting" grind.

 

Just an odd occurance? This happend on a 4th,/Neutral pause-long clutch hold (more than 2 seconds)/3rd gear downshift.

 

Mental note: Don't hold the clutch down that long when downshifting.

[Xenonk]

^ +1 to boty RobY and PGT -

 

Although I have not yet had this happen with Winky, this "sticking clutch" (half-in, stuck there, car/driver revs to redline) phenomenon has been reported here on LGT.com more than once.

 

I'll try and see if I can't search up the past posts.....

 

 

This is the thing that bothers me as I know my gf is still learning the skills that I have learned throughout my 3 short years of driving a stick. Of all the times I have been with this car, I have never experienced this kind of situation, so it's very puzzling to me, especially with this car that I want to make sure it's in good working order as I am taking it down to Florida for the Subaru Challenge in a couple of weeks (3000+ miles road trip). It's possible that the way I drive or learned how to drive in the past prevents me from certain habits that my gf have formed over the years that could result with this "CDV" feeling. I can tell her driving habits are different than mine. Granted that she has been driving stick 2.5x the number of years than me, she still has a lot to learn from me about driving stick and need to break some habits. I think it's very possible that there are some clutch habits that some people have that can produce this phenomenon and others haven't yet or won't.

[TSiWRX]

I think it's very possible that there are some clutch habits that some people have that can produce this phenomenon and others haven't yet or won't.

 

Agreed.

 

Although I've been driving stick for 15+ years now, I know for a matter of fact that I have MUCH to learn from you racers about proper technique, as well as different techniques.

 

I somehow can't shake the feeling that I, too, simply have not manipulated my LGT's clutch in such a way as to induce this "exaggerated CDV-effect."

 

Of course, I probably have avoided this simply out of luck, as truly, my footwork could use some, er....work?

 

Sorry I can't do more to help, including searching up the pertinent threads - maybe someone else here will have better luck, or the LGTer who posted his "sticking clutch" problem will notice this thread and come here to contribute.

 

Again, best of luck!

[Jaxx]

+5 on the squeaking clutch peddle

 

every one of my manual subarus (5 now) the peddle has squeaked

[Outback XT]

I was in the car when this happened.. and I thought she was trying to be funny and making fun of rev-matching. I dont think she recalled about being completely off the clutch.. she said she thought the carpet caught the clutch pedal somehow and when I looked down at it, the pedal returned normally just like any other time. She double checked the shifter being in gear (and it was) and reapply the clutch and the car caught the gear just fine.

 

That describes what I and others have experienced.

 

Mine was taking off on a snow and ice covered hill. The clutch pedal stuck half way out, clutch slipped and the engine bounced off the rev limiter. I was able to grab second and it grabbed hard like you described. I ended up with a new clutch from Subaru - after 6 months of back and forth with everybody in the company. SOA would only pay for the clutch with the understanding that this was a one time thing due to the stink that never went away. The dealer was great (after SOA agreed to make them replace it!), I told them to look at the flywheel and pressure plate and that I would be happy to pay for them myself if they were bad. At this point I just wanted it fixed. The pressure plate showed a lot of damage and the guy agreed that it needed to be replaced so I paid for it and asked for it back. I'm keeping it in case I need to go through this again. They said there was only one minor spot on my flywheel so I took a chance and still have the same one in there. I babied it for 700 miles to break it in then took it for a drive in the mountains a week ago and the clutch stink is back. I do know how to drive a clutch after decades of experience. It is too easy to say this is driver's error. There is something more here that some but not all of us are experiencing and I hope that they fix it soon.

 

Recent speculation points to the dual mass flywheel. I don't know how that could effect it. I had a 1.8t VW with about 240hp and 260tq with a dual mass flywheel and a clutch that was built for their base 110hp engine. I beat on that thing like there was no tomorrow and it never slipped, smelled or gave me any problems - although with 35,000 miles on it when I sold it it could have been ready to blow for all I know but it never showed any signs. With the subaru, I have to baby it in order to stay away from any stink and just a simple drive in traffic through the mountains is too much for the clutch and brings back the smell. I can hardly wait for winter to see if the slippage issue returns.

 

SOA is aware of the problem with the clutch pedal not fully releasing as well as the clutch stink but they are sticking to blaming the driver while trying to keep customer loyalty.

[RobY]

This is the thing that bothers me as I know my gf is still learning the skills that I have learned throughout my 3 short years of driving a stick. Of all the times I have been with this car, I have never experienced this kind of situation, so it's very puzzling to me, especially with this car that I want to make sure it's in good working order as I am taking it down to Florida for the Subaru Challenge in a couple of weeks (3000+ miles road trip). It's possible that the way I drive or learned how to drive in the past prevents me from certain habits that my gf have formed over the years that could result with this "CDV" feeling. I can tell her driving habits are different than mine. Granted that she has been driving stick 2.5x the number of years than me, she still has a lot to learn from me about driving stick and need to break some habits. I think it's very possible that there are some clutch habits that some people have that can produce this phenomenon and others haven't yet or won't.

 

 

When this thing happens its quite obvious. The Pedal stays stuck for as long as your motor is boucing off the rev limiter.

 

If you let off it snaps back into place. Im actually pretty good at catching it now before the stinkage insues. My friggin clutch is posessed a swear.

 

Try this.... Rev the engine up to around 4500-5000 rpm then let it out fairly quickly like you would do in a launch. It will probably get stuck in the middle.

 

It never happens when shifting from gear to gear. Just under heavy torque load in 1st gear. If there is very little load it wont happen.

[Xenonk]

+5 on the squeaking clutch peddle

 

every one of my manual subarus (5 now) the peddle has squeaked

 

A sqeaking clutch pedal from the actual pedal arm is not my concern as that is very common even in non-subarus, it's something within the engine bay/tranny case.

[RobY]

Its hard to diagnose a squeak. It may be a squeaky pressure plate/ throwout bearing.

 

But I doubt theres a chunk of anything bouncing around. If you chunk up your clutch you will know it. It will feel like sombody is shaking the living crap out of your car every time you use it.

[Xenonk]

When this thing happens its quite obvious. The Pedal stays stuck for as long as your motor is boucing off the rev limiter.

 

If you let off it snaps back into place. Im actually pretty good at catching it now before the stinkage insues. My friggin clutch is posessed a swear.

 

Try this.... Rev the engine up to around 4500-5000 rpm then let it out fairly quickly like you would do in a launch. It will probably get stuck in the middle.

 

It never happens when shifting from gear to gear. Just under heavy torque load in 1st gear. If there is very little load it wont happen.

 

 

This happened at 1200 rpms off a stop... I just think that that the pressure plate isn't as strong as most clutches we are use to. I drove the car home today and it seems fine (minus the minor sqeak). I still do think there is a driver issue involved, but I am sure that I was subconcious enough not to do certain things with the clutch.

 

I will say this: whether it be 5 years, or 50 years of driving, we all can zone out and have a brainfart. I have probably one of the hardest driven Legacies on the stock clutch making stock power. The clutch has been more than perfect to me through these past 31,000+ miles.. and I just hope it will last past 90,000 miles before I decide to change it out (so 2 to 3 years more of driving?)