Initially I had difficulty shifting gears so I had my master clutch cylinder replaced. Soon after I was losing power after driving my car longer distances-over 20 minutes. I thought my clutch was going but my mechanic bled the clutch, and my car had power again. So my mechanic told me that I had air leaking into the clutch system. They couldn't determine where, nothing was obvious to them. So they changed the slave cylinder thinking it could the culprit. However my car is still doing it! After driving for more than 20 minutes, I lose power, not just on hills, and in all gears. It sounds as though it's slipping. After my car sits over night, it drives fine the next day for the first little while, when it's cold. My clutch fluid is full so I don't think I'm losing fluid.
Its a 1995 Honda Civic with 230,000km on it and it's never had a clutch put in it because it was mostly hwy driven. Should I just ask my mechanic to change the clutch anyway, since I am probably overdue? Help! [sm=dontgetit.gif]

 

thats really odd. i think its more than time for a clutch, but i dont like telling people to throw parts at a problem. but its losing power? or the clutch is slipping? i dont get it. if its actually losing power, the clutch shouldnt have anything to do with it.

 

I think it probably feels as though he is loosing power because the clutch is slipping. He pushes the gas, car doesn't go forward as fast. When you try to accelerate while in gear, does the engine rev higher but you don't go forward?

 

Well, I've run into a problem like this before, but it was with an Accord, not a Civic, so I don't know how much relevance it will bear here. Those hydraulic clutches are a REAL pain in the *** to bleed right (not just a simple, "pump it up and hold it" kinda deal), so if you had any air in the line, it could be causing this... If I remember right, there's a bleeder line front and center, and you have to create vacuum and suck fluid UP into the system (that might not be completely right; I might go check the ol' manual).

But once again, all that was on an Accord, so I don't know if it'll be of any use.

 

no, the civic clutch bleeders work just like a brake bleeder. well, doing it manually anyway, i dont know about those auto bleeder things. but its just two people, and one works the valve, and one works the pedal.

 

Yeah, that's what I figured...

 

i was walking into autozone one day, and i stopped to help these girls put new wiper blades on their Jetta, (in the rain, it would have been fun to just watch, but i felt bad.) and so on the way in, this guy with a 5th gen sedan stopped me and asked where the clutch fluid goes. i pointed it out, and then started walking in when i thought about it and went back and asked him how low it was. well, it was empty. so i told him to wait, and i went and bought the 8mm wrench i needed, and came back out and helped him bleed it, as he was clueless. it was funny, cause i grew up in a small town where everyone did stuff like that for other people, and this guy just couldnt believe i went out of my way to help him. he thought i worked at autozone. i was just like " no, but i have almost the same car, so i had to help." and i pointed to mine. then he thanked me a couple times, and i left.

it is realy that easy to bleed the clutch, but if the fluid level isnt dropping, thats not the problem, air has to get in somewhere, adn the resevoir is the only place ive ever seen it get in.

 

It SOUNDS like the clutch is getting hot and slipping, much like a torque converter on an automatic when it gets tired. But ultimately, you have to rule out the air in the system thing before it comes to diagnosing a worn clutch plate. Does the pedal FEEL any different in resistance? If it does, that would indicate an air/bleeding problem. If not, it may point more towards time to get the wallet out and buy the round thingy that lets the motor thingy turn the trans thing and the round black things on the front of your car.

 

A steering wheel??

(Just playin'...)

 

how can you tell when the clutch is about to go