AUTO TECH- EVERYTHING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IN CARS: THE CLUTCH TRICK:MAKE YOUR CLUTCH LAST A LIFETIME!

Did You know that the clutch plate of your vehicle can run for a lifetime(not literally though!)? Lets Find Out:

What is a clutch?

Clutch is basically a mechanical device which is used to transfer the power from the engine's shaft to the wheel. It is a very important part of the transmission system of a vehicle. Not only manual transmission systems have a clutch but even automatic transmission systems have a clutch(it's just not physically visible to us though).But, we clutch's overall life isn't in our hands in an automatic transmission system unlike a manual one where the life of our clutch plate depends mostly on our driving style and a few other factors.

Working of a clutch:

Video Credit: Simon Raisbeck

The above video explains the working of a clutch

In order to put a car to complete stop without killing the engine, the wheels need to be disconnected from the engine somehow. The clutch allows us to smoothly engage a spinning engine to a non-spinning transmission by controlling the slippage between them.

This design allows you to disengage the wheels from the engine in order to change gear, allowing drivers to have a great amount of control over the speed of their car.

How to know your clutch has a problem?

Here are a few symptoms which can help you diagnose the problem and save your clutch before it gets completely worn out:

Poor Performance: The vehicle no longer responds to your inputs as it used to do.
Noise: The clutch plate or gear may make some growling noise when in neutral or while changing gears
Gear shifting not smooth: Gear gets stuck while changing
Unable to change gears: This is the last stage and after this you may need a replacement.

Now that we have discussed about the problems, let's discuss how not to get these problems, or, atleast, delay them for as long as possible.

Making your clutch last long

Did you know that your clutch can last for over 2,50,000 kms! It all depends on the way you use it. A few changes to your driving style can save you a lot of money. Wearing of clutch can also damage other related parts and the repair bills may come out to be very very expensive.

This applies to every vehicle having a manual transmission.

If you observe keenly, you will find out that most of the riders on motorcycles keep their clutch half-engaged most of the time, which is not a good practice. you must not keep your clutch lever/pedal half pressed, it drastically reduces the lifespan of the clutch.

If you ride/drive like this, your clutch may need repairs/replacement within 20-30,000 kms only. Don’t go round corners or slow down for traffic lights with the clutch semi-depressed.

Listing things you should do in order to get the most out of your clutch plate in points: