Astro

How can you tell if the clutch is starting to go ? Just turned 77K on my 99 and I haven't had any issues, but lately it seems like it's less stiff or requires less effort than in the past.

Hurdigurdiman

From what I have read, the clutch pedal gets stiffer to depress when the clutch needs to be replaced. Not sure is that is true as I have never had a clutch go on me that needed to be replaced. I would imagine that the clutch bites at a much higher level when it needs to be changed. I suggest you get the car in a high gear and listen to the engine revs on depressing the gas pedal. If the revs go any higher but the car does not go faster then the clutch is slipping. I have the same year car with 78000 on the clock. Not sure if it has the original clutch but would think so as I got the car with 45000 on the clock. When was the last time the clutch fluid was changed? A bit of a pain in the **** to do but I did mine a couple of thousand miles ago. Not for any particular reason only preventative maintenance. That may help the situation.

charlieaf92

When the clutch in my FD went, it happened very quickly. I first noticed it when under load in higher gears (accelerating on the highway in 5th). It went downhill very fast from there and was un-driveable shortly after. I'm not sure if this is normal, but its the only time I've had a clutch wear out.

Astro

Perfect, thank you for the response. It's going in for an oil change shortly anyway, and they usually come back with a "list" of items to consider fixing/replacing, so I'm sure they'll let me know.

Oil_Slickrick

Hurdigurdiman has hit the nail on the head well at least in our case. As I could find no history for mine that the clutch had ever been changed we took the decision to change it. In driving It seemed a heavy clutch I was sure it had slipped a couple of times under load and the engine was on 96k Miles so I changed the gearbox oil but got the garage to change the clutch. They confirmed it was worn out and the new clutch & oil is such a transformation now so light in operation.

O_Sr

pesuazo

In my case, the clutch started to feel "softer" on the return (release). One day it just became really soft, and it would slip under sudden acceleration.
Upon removal, it was worn out, and some of the springs (fingers) had broken in the pressure plate.

5CHN3LL

My clutch started slipping at ~55K miles and progressed rapidly (6-8 weeks, maybe) from an occasional slip to consistently slipping in 4th, 5th, 6th gears at highway speeds.

phil996cab99

Tranny fluid?

RSQ911

I have a 99, had the original clutch, and it made to just under a 100k miles. Like others said, my pedal suddenly became soft, which I thought might be a slave or master cylinder. But, after a hundred miles or so, began to slip. Clutch was down to almost rivets and the pressure plate had bent fingers.

When I first got the car, I had the G-box detent put in, and Swepco fluid.

Dennis C

I had a similar experience in my 996 C4S. My original clutch lasted for roughly 120K miles. As it failed, it began to feel heavier, and then started to slip as I engaged second gear and third gear. The time from the first noticeable slip until the car was un-drivable was about one week.

AA717driver

This. Mine had 80k on it and I noticed the slipping in the higher gears first. 4-5th became apparent quickly. The clutch was stiff for a while before the slippage started.

TC