Need a new clutch

[GMFan]

My Saturn has suddenly started slipping, especially when I lay down the throttle. If I put it in 3rd gear, let out the clutch, let it get to about 2000rpms and then accelerate moderately hard, the RPMs will start to jump and the car starts shuddering.

I am going to give my mechanic a call tomorrow and set up an appointment. I honestly didn't expect the clutch to go this early. I've had the car for 10,000 miles and I am always careful with the clutch, but the previous owner did a lot of city driving. It probably took it's toll.

Car is a 2001 Saturn SL1 w/ 97,500 miles for those who have signatures blocked.

Is 100k miles out of a clutch decent? I heard Saturn clutches are pretty beefy, so much so that usually the bending forks wear out before the clutch even looks worn.

 

[Drew99GT]

I dunno - I have 150,000 miles on the original clutch of my 94 Corolla. But I'm beyond anal about clutch slippage.

Previous owner probably raped it.

 

[Bulli]

my car had 120k on its original clutch and still didnt slip but it was engaging weird.

My frineds bmw's clutch went out at 85k

 

[brianl703]

My old 1995 Ford Contour is still on the road with the original clutch. Last time I checked it had 205k on it, now it's probably got 210k.

 

[The Critic]

Ask on SaturnFans.com.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Ask on SaturnFans.com.


That's cold.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Ask on SaturnFans.com.


That's cold.

That was the best advice I could give him.

 

[The_Jeff]

Saturn worsened the s-car clutch in 2000. My wife's car got a preventative clutch 40k ago when I had the transmission out and it just went out again. The clutch that went out was a Sachs from ebay. Now a LUK is in there, they are OE, I hope it lasts longer.

She's not hard on clutches; in fact none of our stick shift cars have ever needed one on my/our watch.

Apparantly they went to a so called self-adjusting design (though the older ones did it too) with different flywheel taper. Butter smooth but margarine slippery. Sorry bad pun.

You can theoretically go to a 91-99 flywheel and older, cheaper, grippier clutch kit.

 

[GMFan]

eljefino, if that's the case it would make sense. Over at Saturnfans people race their cars or beat on them and they're clutches are original with way over 100k miles on them.

My brother did clutch drops on his 93 Saturn SL2 and he gave the car away with the stock clutch with 145k miles when it wouldn't pass emissions.

 

[mechtech2]

100k is not unreasonable to have to replace a clutch, especially if it was tough city stop and go miles .
You don't know how the previous owner drove, and that is a huge factor.