Clutch shake!

[Spec B]

So..I have a total of 3,300 miles on my car and I have launched the car 1 time hard, the rest of the time it has been normal aggressive highway driving.

 

So today, after sitting in traffic for like 20 minutes, I get cut off by some mini van and in a fit of anger I launched the car at like 4000 rpm..something I have never done before. As I engaged 1st that car did nothing..I mean it rolled to about 4 mph as the RPMS shot up with the clutch fully let out..I shifted into 2nd and got off the gas slightly because I needed to get moving. eventually 2nd gear caught and I was up to about 30 mph. then I rolled to a stop and there was a burnt rubber smell (not the normal burnt clutch stink) every where and got out to inspect and everything seemed fine.

 

However, now ever time I engage the clutch in 1st gear the car has a pretty bad shake right at the engagement point. The clutch does not slip in any of the high gears and it launches fine from 2000 rpm...no slip. but during normal engagement, the car shakes pretty bad..any ideas what I might have broken?

[Spec B]

^^ This just cured itself the next day..I think I just overheated the clutch..never ever doing that again.

[whitetiger]

+1 the stock clutch cannot take the heat of a hard slip launch. it WILL glaze over and slip, as it was designed to do. just let it cool down and it will be good again.

[hutru01]

+1 the stock clutch cannot take the heat of a hard slip launch. it WILL glaze over and slip, as it was designed to do. just let it cool down and it will be good again.

 

The same thing is going on with my car. I have 9500 miles. Its at Subaru as we speak. The shake isn't going away though.

[Spec B]

+1 the stock clutch cannot take the heat of a hard slip launch. it WILL glaze over and slip, as it was designed to do. just let it cool down and it will be good again.

 

Ahh...Thanks! I feel a lot better now!

[hutru01]

So apparently, there is nothing wrong with my clutch. This clutch is just wierd. Nothing like honda's I have owned in the past. Its just so sensitive.

[Spec B]

^^ are you getting the chatter still???

 

Mine went completely away the very next day...after the clutch cooled down.

[hutru01]

Only if i let off the clutch too fast. My service rep said that the 06 clutches are a little wierd. ??? It works fine as long as I rev and let the clutch out slow.

[Stewy612]

mine will start making the whole car shutter really badly if im in like ATL stop and go traffic for hours at a time...but it always fixes itself in the morning

[hutru01]

mine will start making the whole car shutter really badly if im in like ATL stop and go traffic for hours at a time...but it always fixes itself in the morning

 

ditto

 

My car does that in the morning as well on the way to work. I am constantly changing from 1st to 2nd. (I should just get an automatic beater)

 

MT is the worst in traffic.

[Vimy101]

ditto

 

My car does that in the morning as well on the way to work. I am constantly changing from 1st to 2nd. (I should just get an automatic beater)

 

MT is the worst in traffic.

 

You have to figure out how to deal with traffic. Once you have the car moving, you don't need to drop back into first gear unless you come to an almost complete stop. Don't chase the bumper in front of you but look ahead a number of cars to see what they are doing. No sense accelerating when you can see that you're going to be stepping on the brakes right away anyway so pace yourself. Additionally, you can change gears without using the clutch by matching revs.

[Guest]

^ exactly. All the MT transmission in traffic haters simply don't know how to drive one smartly. Or are super lazy.

[hutru01]

You have to figure out how to deal with traffic. Once you have the car moving, you don't need to drop back into first gear unless you come to an almost complete stop. Don't chase the bumper in front of you but look ahead a number of cars to see what they are doing. No sense accelerating when you can see that you're going to be stepping on the brakes right away anyway so pace yourself. Additionally, you can change gears without using the clutch by matching revs.

 

So if I am rolling, just keep in second gear, but give more gas? Is that what you are saying?

[hutru01]

You have to figure out how to deal with traffic. Once you have the car moving, you don't need to drop back into first gear unless you come to an almost complete stop. Don't chase the bumper in front of you but look ahead a number of cars to see what they are doing. No sense accelerating when you can see that you're going to be stepping on the brakes right away anyway so pace yourself. Additionally, you can change gears without using the clutch by matching revs.

 

So if I am rolling, just keep in second gear, but give more gas? Is that what you are saying?

[Guest]

So if I am rolling, just keep in second gear, but give more gas? Is that what you are saying?

 

Absolutely. I almost never downshift to 1st gear. The car has enough torque to pull from complete stop in 2nd gear if necessary (easily, actually I bet it would pull in 3rd, never tried).

 

Try coasting in 2nd or 1st gear without gas the car rolls nicely at even speed. I use it traffic jam situations sometimes (usually on 2 lane roads, when noone would cut in front of me) - that makes the flow smooth - 2-3 car lengths gap is created but often I never come to stop for extended period of time! Less stop and go delays = smooths flow = everyone moves faster = I don't shift.

 

Of course, pay attention - e.g. speed up to the car in front of you when you approach an intersection - you don't want to slow down people behind you when they want to make turn.

 

But as vimy said - look ahead, anticipate what cars in front of the car you're following do.

[AWD_Rules3830]

how many times do you think our clutches could take this heat up cool downs?

[Guest]

how many times do you think our clutches could take this heat up cool downs?

 

?

[AWD_Rules3830]

Absolutely. I almost never downshift to 1st gear. The car has enough torque to pull from complete stop in 2nd gear if necessary (easily, actually I bet it would pull in 3rd, never tried).

 

Try coasting in 2nd or 1st gear without gas the car rolls nicely at even speed. I use it traffic jam situations sometimes (usually on 2 lane roads, when noone would cut in front of me) - that makes the flow smooth - 2-3 car lengths gap is created but often I never come to stop for extended period of time! Less stop and go delays = smooths flow = everyone moves faster = I don't shift.

 

Of course, pay attention to intersection, i.e speed up the car in front of you when you approach an intersection - you don't want to slow down people behind you when they want to make turn.

 

But as vimy said - look ahead, anticipate what cars in front of the car you're following do.

 

I have saved in 3rd gear when i forgot to put in first a couple times, starting it in second is alot harder than 1st.

[AWD_Rules3830]

?

 

Hard launches that cause the clutch the glaze over.

[hutru01]

how many times do you think our clutches could take this heat up cool downs?

 

I used to have a 1993 BMW 325i, I never had problems with the clutch doing what this LGT clutch does. That clutch lasted for 130K miles. (For some reason I don't see this clutch lasting for that long)

[AWD_Rules3830]

I used to have a 1993 BMW 325i, I never had problems with the clutch doing what this LGT clutch does. That clutch lasted for 130K miles. (For some reason I don't see this clutch lasting for that long)

 

This clutch is weird, its soft but has a very defined contact point lol. Quirky subaru.

[hutru01]

This clutch is weird, its soft but has a very defined contact point lol. Quirky subaru.

 

But is it understood that in traffic if you are running in 1st gear too much, it will start to shutter a little? I just don't want to feel like I am the only one here.

[Vimy101]

So if I am rolling, just keep in second gear, but give more gas? Is that what you are saying?

 

Look down the road and time it out. You don't want to lug the engine by giving it too much gas. Just coax/power coast along with a light touch on the throttle. The name of the game as I play it is to never have to step on the brakes. Chasing the bumper directly in front of you is a waste of the car's kinetic energy when you have to step on the brakes to kill the velocity you just built up. I like to time it so that I'm coasting in gear right up to the car in front as he accelerates away. That way I'm barely touching the throttle and touching the brakes as little as possible. My mpg is often over 25 in rush hour situations.

 

There is one time when this doesn't work too well and that's when you encounter construction delays where the traffic is moving extremely slowly. In a scenario like that, the overall traffic flow is slower than idle speed in first gear. Not too much you can do then except ride the clutch.

[hutru01]

Look down the road and time it out. You don't want to lug the engine by giving it too much gas. Just coax/power coast along with a light touch on the throttle. The name of the game as I play it is to never have to step on the brakes. Chasing the bumper directly in front of you is a waste of the car's kinetic energy when you have to step on the brakes to kill the velocity you just built up. I like to time it so that I'm coasting in gear right up to the car in front as he accelerates away. That way I'm barely touching the throttle and touching the brakes as little as possible. My mpg is often over 25 in rush hour situations.

 

There is one time when this doesn't work too well and that's when you encounter construction delays where the traffic is moving extremely slowly.

 

In a scenario like that, the overall traffic flow is slower than idle speed in first gear. Not too much you can do then except ride the clutch.

 

^^^^^

 

This is precisely what I am referring to. If you don't know about Route 66 and the 495 beltway in the morning, its hard for anyone to understand how people drive here. We have the 2nd worst traffic on the east coast (behind New York).

[hutru01]

Look down the road and time it out. You don't want to lug the engine by giving it too much gas. Just coax/power coast along with a light touch on the throttle. The name of the game as I play it is to never have to step on the brakes. Chasing the bumper directly in front of you is a waste of the car's kinetic energy when you have to step on the brakes to kill the velocity you just built up. I like to time it so that I'm coasting in gear right up to the car in front as he accelerates away. That way I'm barely touching the throttle and touching the brakes as little as possible. My mpg is often over 25 in rush hour situations.

 

There is one time when this doesn't work too well and that's when you encounter construction delays where the traffic is moving extremely slowly.

 

 

 

^^^^^

 

This is precisely what I am referring to. If you don't know about Route 66 and the 495 beltway in the morning, its hard for anyone to understand how people drive here. We have the 2nd worst traffic on the east coast (behind New York).

 

It takes me an hour to drive 15 miles. (15 mph average?; um yeh its like that)