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10-04-2012, 01:06 PM | #1 |
Drives: 09 3dr LB MT Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Posts: 681
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possible clutch gone bad?
I searched the forum trying to figure out what's going on with my car. But I'm not exactly sure what I read fits my issues. So here goes:
I last fueled on Saturday, with about 1/8-1/4 tank remaining. The car sat in the driveway after coming home from fueling on Saturday until Monday morning when I went to work. It was a rainy morning and I was running my defroster (like I have on many many many other mornings in the 3+ years I've owned this car). It ran fine for the first 10 miles or so. Leaving from a stoplight, 1st gear felt fine, but 2nd, 3rd, and 4th each revv'ed the RPMs really high (high 3k into low 4k range), and the car was very slow going. There was a slight hill, but I was on the flat before the hill even started when I left the traffic light. By the time I got to the top of that small hill, there was a definite burning smell evident (like burnt rubber, what I've come to associate with the clutch on other occassions of hill starts and high revvs). I did pull over and let the car sit for a moment while I tried to figure out what to do (mind you, this was about 5:20am). I did continue to work, and it happened a few more times. On the way home, it initially did it, but once I had the windows cleared of fog, I turned the defroster off and it was fine. Since then it has been intermitent as to when it will act like this, whether the defrost is on or not. My initial thoughts were that I had a bad batch of gas (not the most reputable gas station, being that it's a grocery store chain gas station, but when you have $0.90 off per gallon of gas, you get what you can get sometimes). My next thought was perhaps the sparkplugs need replacing (almost 92k and havn't been replaced yet). I was then thinking maybe it was the defrost being on. So I experimented with that idea and determined that is not the direct cause, but perhaps a contributing factor. So now I'm thinking that perhaps my clutch is going. What it felt like is if the clutch was at least partial engaged while attempting acceleration. However, the clutch was already let out and it was doing this. So.... Bad clutch? Thoughts?
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2009 3dr LB MT Meteorite Metalic. Car bought 8/7/09. Now over 89k miles of trouble free driving, other than user error!! |
10-04-2012, 01:53 PM | #2 |
Drives: 2009 Yaris Sedan 5-Speed Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 16
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If you are rev'n above 3k consistently while shifting you are being hard on the clutch. It isn't a sports car. It can handle it without issue, but doing it repeatedly will cause the smell. I have done it.
On another note, these are Variable-Valve-Timing (VVT) engines, so the gain to rev high isn't like it was before VVT. My old Tercel use to get faster if I rev'd up to redline, but the Yaris isn't quite the same. I do on occasion go to redline, but that is simply because I need both hands on the wheel for the moment during speed runs. |
10-04-2012, 02:11 PM | #3 |
Drives: 2009 Base Hatch 2 Dr Auto Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: nj
Posts: 4,790
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Your clutch is bad if the engine and transmission vibrate a lot when letting the clutch up. Almost no matter how smooth you try to be, there will be vibration.
Another bad clutch symptom is motoring along in gear and when you punch the gas pedal, the engine revs up but the car doesnt go any faster. The defroster doesnt have anything to do with how well or bad the clutch works. That burnt smell is another sign your clutch isnt what is should be. Good luck and tell us what happens!
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10-04-2012, 02:38 PM | #4 | ||
Drives: 09 3dr LB MT Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Posts: 681
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Quote:
I think you might have misunderstood what I was saying. My normal shift point is around 2k to 2500. What has been happening is that I would attempt to shift normally, and drive normally thereafter **not high revvs**, but the engine would rev higher than normal with the car barely moving. Almost as if the clutch is engaged without me touching the pedal. I guess another way to put it is that the car lost its "pep". Quote:
As far as any vibrations, I have not experienced that.
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2009 3dr LB MT Meteorite Metalic. Car bought 8/7/09. Now over 89k miles of trouble free driving, other than user error!! |
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10-04-2012, 03:51 PM | #5 |
Drives: 2009 Yaris Sedan 5-Speed Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 16
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Ah. I was confused and misunderstood.
I will say out off all manual transmissions I have owned. The clutch in the Yaris gives me the most grief. I feel I have to rev the engine more than needed to ensure it won't die. That combine with the friction point being tiny with not a lot of feedback. |
10-04-2012, 04:05 PM | #6 |
Drives: '08 LB MT Bayou Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,671
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Sadly this does sound like the clutch is slipping and needs replacement.
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10-04-2012, 08:39 PM | #7 |
Drives: 09 3dr LB MT Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Posts: 681
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Suggestions on a good replacement clutch that's not overly expensive? Hubby was thinking of replacing it with a TRD clutch kit.
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2009 3dr LB MT Meteorite Metalic. Car bought 8/7/09. Now over 89k miles of trouble free driving, other than user error!! |
10-05-2012, 07:08 AM | #8 | |
Drives: 2009 Base Hatch 2 Dr Auto Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: nj
Posts: 4,790
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Quote:
Most of the $$$$ replacing the clutch is labor. Any clutch will probably do Im thinking although maybe someone has more knowledge of that than me. Clutches should last forever unless you are abusing it in some way.
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11-13-2012, 02:23 PM | #9 |
Drives: 09 3dr LB MT Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Posts: 681
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Update: Clutch was replaced ($1400 later between parts and labor... mostly labor). We had the TRD clutch kit installed...
WOW!!!! What a major difference in feel!! Hubby actually likes driving my car now compared to how the OEM clutch felt...
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2009 3dr LB MT Meteorite Metalic. Car bought 8/7/09. Now over 89k miles of trouble free driving, other than user error!! |
11-13-2012, 03:37 PM | #10 |
Mr. 155 and climbing
Drives: Seriously Modded 07 Sedan Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: In The Hotbox
Posts: 4,742
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ouch....so sorry that I missed this thread until now! If you don't mind me asking, what did you drop for that clutch? Did you do the full kit?
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11-13-2012, 05:16 PM | #11 | |
Drives: '08 LB MT Bayou Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,671
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Quote:
Not that I haven't adjusted to the OEM clutch, but I have this bad feeling that the finesse required to keep the engine from stalling is going to result in the clutch failing before it should. |
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11-13-2012, 05:36 PM | #12 | |
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Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canoga Park, CA
Posts: 14,859
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I'm sorry I missed it too. $1400 sounds excessive for that job.
Did you also buy a new flywheel? Did they resurface yours? Quote:
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11-13-2012, 07:09 PM | #13 | |
Mr. 155 and climbing
Drives: Seriously Modded 07 Sedan Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: In The Hotbox
Posts: 4,742
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Quote:
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Team Tiamat Racing on Facebook Youtube Channel: Team Tiamat Racing Class record holder in Land Speed @ 154.5mph for 1.5 mile and 145.5mph in the mile in the F (2.016 to 3.014 L), G (1.524 to 2.015 L), and H (1.016 to 1.523 L) classes. |
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11-13-2012, 10:04 PM | #14 |
Drives: 2('14+'07)MT 3d ,wHandCrWndws! Join Date: May 2009
Location: S.MontgomeryCnty,TX(HoustonMSA) '07=BayouBlue=300,125miles=OrigOwnr '14=ClassicSilvr=29,059miles
Posts: 4,839
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Did you have an independent shop do it, or a Toyota dealer?
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11-14-2012, 06:55 AM | #15 | ||
Drives: 09 3dr LB MT Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
Posts: 681
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Quote:
It was a 9-hour job due to having to drop the K-frame. Quote:
They resurfaced the flywheel, which had to be sent out to a seperate machine shop ($100 for that). So the breakdown is this: clutch kit assemly - $347 flywheel resurface - $100 labor - ($96 x 9hrs) - $864 total - $1311 (add tax on top of that, total was a lil under $1400) As for what made the clutch go bad, there were several factors: - first car I've ever owned that's manual - relearning to drive stick (originally learned on a '88 Wrangler about 3 years prior to buying this car, but not touching stick between the 2 occassions) - over 92,000 miles - vast majority of those miles from my commute - my commute frequently involving driving in Philadelphia traffic in the afternoons (morning drive in would be fine, but afternoons were a bear) - the route out of Philly involving a highway merge going up a hill with slow moving traffic That being said, I have since adjusted my route out of Philly for the days that I drive all the way in to avoid that highway merge section. I know see more traffic lights, but I am usually able to time the lights so that I'm only slowing down rather than stopping at most of them. I'm also a lot better at driving stick than I was when I bought the car. I think that covers just about all of the questions...
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2009 3dr LB MT Meteorite Metalic. Car bought 8/7/09. Now over 89k miles of trouble free driving, other than user error!! |
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11-14-2012, 10:22 AM | #16 |
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Drives: 07 Yaris Turbo Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canoga Park, CA
Posts: 14,859
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^ A reasonable set of factors. 92,000 miles isn't horrible at all given those conditions. I bet you're a lot happier driving now that it's fixed.
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Micro Image forums, online store and shop are now closed. It was a great eight year run, but it was time to focus on other things. I'm still selling parts on eBay under micro*image seller ID and customers can still make requests for anything specific. |
11-14-2012, 10:50 AM | #17 |
Drives: 2009 Base Hatch 2 Dr Auto Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: nj
Posts: 4,790
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Clutch should last forever regardless of driving conditions if you are doing it right in my experience.
But then again nobodies perfect!
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11-14-2012, 11:12 PM | #18 | |
Drives: 2('14+'07)MT 3d ,wHandCrWndws! Join Date: May 2009
Location: S.MontgomeryCnty,TX(HoustonMSA) '07=BayouBlue=300,125miles=OrigOwnr '14=ClassicSilvr=29,059miles
Posts: 4,839
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