What are the symptoms of a wet clutch disc?
3 Answers
The symptoms of a wet clutch disc in a car include clutch disc adhesion, difficulty in shifting gears while driving, inability to engage gears, and gear collision noises inside the transmission. Below is an introduction to the car clutch: 1. Function: The clutch is part of the car's transmission system, installed between the engine and the transmission. Its role is to connect or disconnect the engine from the transmission. When the driver presses the clutch pedal, the clutch disengages; when the pedal is released, the clutch engages. 2. Components: The clutch pressure plate is fixed to the engine flywheel, with the clutch disc located between the flywheel and the pressure plate. The clutch disc has a spline in the center that secures a driveshaft, which serves as the transmission's power input shaft. The clutch disc is a wear-and-tear component that requires regular replacement. As the vehicle's mileage increases, the clutch disc will gradually wear out. 3. Replacement: To replace the clutch disc, the connection between the engine and the transmission must be disconnected, and the entire transmission must be removed from the vehicle. Only then can the clutch disc be replaced.
After driving through a deep puddle in the rain last time, I noticed something wrong with the clutch. The pedal feels noticeably lighter when pressed, as soft as stepping on cotton, but the car struggles to start when released. When shifting gears, you can hear the gears clashing loudly, which is quite unsettling. The tachometer shows the RPM rising, but the car doesn't move—it just roars without going anywhere, completely different from normal. Starting on a slope is even scarier; when releasing the clutch, you can smell a burning odor. Don't force it to drive in this condition. If water has rusted the clutch plates inside, you might end up needing to replace the entire clutch kit, and the repair costs will be painful.
For us in the transportation business, nothing is more troublesome than clutch issues. If water gets into the clutch plates, the most obvious symptom is a sticky and weak clutch pedal with a hollow feeling underfoot. During gear shifts, the synchronizer constantly resists, and the whole vehicle lurches forward when engaging a gear, as if kicked. This is especially noticeable when the engine is cold—the gearshift lever becomes extremely heavy, like stuck in mud. The key indicator is the mismatch between engine RPM and vehicle speed, with the engine roaring while the car moves sluggishly. If these symptoms appear after driving through water on rainy days, it's almost certainly a waterlogged clutch. Don't wait until it completely fails—find a repair spot immediately before getting stranded and being hounded by cargo owners.
