chris.lorine

Please have mercy on me, I am new to owning a 911.

I purchased a used 2009 997.2 with 22,500 miles last Feb. after recently selling my BMW 530 (also manual transmission) on which I put 173K miles on the original clutch. I am confident that I can drive a manual transmission properly.

Just brought my car in for an Oil service ($380) where they changed oil and flushed and changed brake fluid. The told me that my car's clutch needs to be replaced. They stated "Clutch is slipping and releasing high." Their estimate for replacement was $2054 + tax.

The car currently has 26,853 miles on it. Most of the miles I have put on the car have been highway miles. Is it possible the dealership is scamming me? How can I tell. The Porsche clutch is different than the BMW clutch but seems to function just fine.

I look to the combined knowledge of this forum for guidance.

Gonzo911

I assume it was the local Porsche dealership in Scottsdale. They are ridiculous. Take it over to Beck's European in the Airpark and have those guys look at it for you. My first visit in a 996 to that dealer resulted in a $5700 quote. Got everything fixed at Beck's for $800.

BTW...the 911 clutch does release high. Unless you punch it and start noticing high RPM's with minimal acceleration, you are fine.

Comanche_699

Couple things - one if you're in a higher gear and you get on the throttle, but the car doesn't take off "like a porsche should" then maybe it's getting tired.

If you shift down, say from 4th to 3rd and the revs don't jump up right away, that's another clue.

Also you can pull over and stop, pull up the hand brake and grab 2nd or 3rd gear. Let the clutch out. If it doesn't stall right quick, you've got a candidate for a new clutch on your hands.

3point8

I had mechanics say this to me but they were just unfamiliar with the release of the clutch and how stiff it is naturally. 26k is REALLY early for a clutch replacement unless the previous owner just rode it 24/7. did you have a ppi done? if it's not slipping it's probably fine.

chris.lorine

It was Porsche North Scottsdale. I will take your advice about Beck's Airpark. I don't notice any rev anomalies or shifting issues.

I went to the dealer because my car is still under warranty. Thanks for the input.

chris.lorine

I will try this this weekend. I don't think there is anything wrong but this is a good quick test. I've been driving a stick all my life and have NEVER had to replace a clutch under 100K miles

Rotmilky

I just replaced my clutch a few months back (at ~75K on the car). I had mine in to a local indy to take a look at a CEL problem. He drove it and mentioned to me that the clutch was stiff. Apparently, according to the mechanic (and I've seen threads on this board to back up the assertion, although I can't find them at the moment), as the porsche clutch wears, it gets stiffer and stiffer until it reaches the point of failure. Mine was stiff enough that anyone who drove the car instantly complained about how stiff it was. I didn't notice cause I drove it all the time.

When I tore into the clutch, I found there wasn't much clutch left...but I also found that the slave cylinder was also going bad. So, I can't necessarily say just how much stiffness was the clutch wear and how much was the slave. But, if the clutch feels stiffer than your other cars, it might be time to consider it. Still under 30K miles would be surprising for a clutch to go kaput.

dalancroft

Coincidentally I just posted a new thread regarding the same issue. 30K miles, car was CPO when purchased late last year with 19K miles, wife's DD that is generally driven gently by her and NEVER tracked (by us at least), 80% freeway miles averaging 70 mph. Rhymes with witch, as they say.

chris.lorine

Update, Went out this morning and tried all the suggestions listed here:
Parking brake on hard, put cart in 3rd gear, Car stalled right quick!
Was on highway and downshifted, revs jumped as expected.
Accelerated hard on highway and revs matched acceleration.

I will hold off on getting clutch repair and I will certainly not bring it to the local Porsche Dealer for repairs other than Warranty. I just wish they were respectable since I get a free loaner when I bring it in.

thank you all for your sage advice and suggestions, Really.

Comanche_699

That's great news. Now you've got a couple extra grand for mods.

mattyf

Clutch is self adjusting. Releasing high is complete scheiße.