eunsulover

I have a 2006 C2S with 25k miles. Ever since I got the car several years ago with 15k miles, the clutch was always on the heavy side. It required some serious leg muscle to push in and out. I always thought that it was normal - the way a proper sports car should be.

Then, I recently bought a 2002 C2 996 which had a brand new clutch. The clutch pedal pressure on that car was virtually nothing compared to my 2006 C2S. It was as light as the one on Honda Civic.

Now I am wondering if there is something wrong with the clutch on my 2006 C2S. I never ride the clutch and double shift / rev match. I am very careful with it. The clutch grabs gears very strong. Not sure if there is a substantial difference between the two models.

Please let me know your thoughts.

mattyf

Anecdote time: I've owned a 96 civic and a 2006 997 at the same time and the clutch forces were night and day for me. Not that the 997 was super stiff, but after driving the 997, I'd hop in the civic and slam my foot into the floor the clutch was so light on it.

As for help, I'd see if a forum member with a 997 lives close to you so you can try out their clutch feel. A nearby dealer test drive would work as well.

stefang

My clutch went at 40k. Night and day. I went back in to the mechanic to see if everything was ok after getting in the car because the clutch was so light. Pressure plate had failed.

stefang

Now having said that, it's still quite a bit heavier than my GTI, so don't compare apples to oranges. Maybe the 996 clutch IS a lot lighter.

bdiamond001

I recently replaced my clutch. The difference is night and day. I drove my car for 30k and assumed that the stiffness was normal. When I test drove a 09 Turbo and commented on how easy the clutch was compared to my car, the salesman replied that Turbo's had softer clutches. What a line that was.
The new clutch is a pleasure.

Macster

The Turbo clutch is boosted, has a hydraulic power circuit to reduce the pedal effort. Without this the clutch would be too heavy. (Some of use with a Turbo have experienced the unboosted clutch when the accumulator fails and the boost goes away when the engine is shut off. The unboosted Turbo clutch is quite heavy.)

Generally speaking a heavy clutch pedal, compared to the clutch pedal in a similar car with a known good clutch, is the sign the clutch is at least worn. From the disc wearing some mechanical advantage is lost and the clutch action becomes heavier.

By all means if your car has a heavy clutch, have it checked by a trusted tech and get his professional opinion. My info is that as long as the clutch doesn't slip, and there are no other symptoms of a bad clutch, and the pedal pressure is not intolerable, you can continue to drive the car but save your nickels and dimes cause a new clutch is in your car's future.

garyinseattle

Same story here. Went from a 987 to 997 a couple of years ago. The 997 was very firm. I thought it was just the car, since my previous 911 was also pretty firm compared to the Boxster. The clutch and pressure plate all went a short time later on the 997, and had to replace them. The 997 is now fairly light.

alanm

I had the same situation. Bought my 2008 C2 with 17k miles and the clutch was very stiff. Much more so than any other 997s that I drove. At, 32k miles, the pressure plate failed. Fortunately, it was fixed under warranty and the fix included a new clutch. So, it wasn't all bad. The difference in the new clutch and the old is night and day. Whereas my BMW clutch used to feel much lighter than the 997, it now feels much stiffer.

997_rich

I had a clutch that went 100k but when I pulled it, they plastic tip on the slave cylinder had almost worn off so it was metal slave shaft directly on metal throw-out arm. I replaced the slave when i did the clutch and the clutch was much easier to push. Perhaps that plastic tip is worn off. Easy enough to check, just pull the two bolts that hold the slave in place.

65kodey

Hmmm...I just bought a 2007 Targa 4s and that was one of the first things I noticed that the clutch pressure was very stiff. To the point that my foot cramped on the first drive.

It would seem that my clutch is about to die!

Sad because it only has 20K miles on it and its out of warranty.

What does a clutch job cost these days?

Any pictures that show the plastic?

Dadio

Because these clutches are self adjusting the increased stiffness is usually the only indication that the clutch is wearing. A little stiffness won't have any effect on clutch engagement or drivability. Excessive resistance form the pedal is an indication it's time for a new clutch. Wait too long and the fly wheel may need attention as well.

myw

i think 2500-3000k but dont quote me on that.

myw

thank you for this, i was sprinting around in my buddies 997.1 turbo and the first thing i noticed was how ridiculously light the clutch felt compared to my car. my clutch feels 'normal' imo, but the turbos clutch reminded me that of an early 2000 civic.

eunsulover

Thanks so much for all of your inputs. Shocked to hear that my car with 25K miles may need a new clutch soon! The clutch on my 993 and 996 lasted 100K+ miles. I will have it checked by my mechanic just to confirm. My car is still under warranty - in what situations will this be covered vs. normal wear & tear? This seems pre-mature.