Hey guys,

I have 37,000 miles on my 06 ss/sc. I've been running stage 2 for over 30k miles along with exhaust, ingalls torque damp, and an intake. Recently, I've had a couple of problems that I think may be related to my clutch. When I launch the car really hard (bring it up to near redline) in first gear, I lose all of my clutch's grabbing power when I shift into second. As soon as the rpms drop down, everything is back to normal. Anyone know what's up with this? Is it a sign that my clutch is starting to go, or is this related to that annoying rev limiter? Now if i dont launch it as hard (shift out of first at like 6000 rpm), I have no problems and I'm able to charge through the gears and the car just takes off like it should (no clutch slippage). Anyone else have these problems? Advice?

 

are your tires spinning when u shift?

 

Can you smell the clutch burning??

 

No, my tires arent spinning when i shift

Yeah I can smell it burning. It only happens when it hits the redline. At all other times, the clutch is solid with absolutely no slipping. I don't get it.

 

clutch disc is starting to wear.
once you shift to second after redline in first,
the torque is great enough to break the clutch loose.
thuss causing the clutch to slip.

the famous question "what burns when your tires don't"?
"your clutch"

If you can smell your clutch burns when you do that, its a sign that
maybe you shouldn't anymore.

I have a similar problem.

 

there are actually many threads about this problem, mine started doing this at 5,000 miles. people say there a few reasions for this, one is people don't know how to drive, whatever, other people say this car needs to be drivin a certin way, again what ever, however my dealer told me that the stock clutch isn't strong enough for this engine. this is why they redesigned the car with a turbo or something. anyways there is a sticky thread under the transmission forum that tells you how to drive your cobalt different. i have been trying it but with only a little success. it says to drive it a special way for about 100 miles or so, well i did that and while my problem isn't as bad, it still exists.

 

whatever

 

you are launching in first gear at the rev limiter?? then sure as hell your tires are spinning.. and if they are spinning when you shift into 2nd... SLIP.

 

Well I tried something else today. I launched from a dead stop, brought it up to 6k in 1st gear (tires started to spin once above 4k) and slapped it into second. When I hit second, the tires spun like crazy. I then went through 3rd and 4th with perfect pull and absolutely no slip. I'm starting to think that it has to do with the clutch getting too hot above 6K rpm and then slipping, as opposed to slipping from wear. If it were wear, it would show symptoms of slipping at lower rpms as well. I've heard that this clutch does not behave well if it gets hot. I'd really be surprised if this clutch was toast at 37K. I've been driving stick for about 13 years now and my previous 2 cars (both Z24's) went 100K before the clutch was done. So even though I drive my cars really hard sometimes, my clutches have lasted more than 37K. I'm guessing that this is a heat issue or its somehow related to that damn rev limiter.

 

theres a how-to on this. it would make your problem go away

 

If your clutch is slipping on a hard shift at high rpm, it is because A - you have glazed the friction surface at some point and B - the high rpm shift puts you at the peak of the torque curve in second gear. Heat is a factor, but the heat is not caused by revving the engine above 6000 rpm, it is cause by slippage. The hotter the friction material in the clutch gets, the more the coefficient of friction goes down and the easier it will slip. If you would like to keep driving your car the way you drive it, the only solution is a new clutch. If you want more miles out of that clutch, the only way to get it is to modify your driving style. Your clutch friction surface has been compromised and will never be the same.

 

I understand what you're saying, but that is not what's happening with my car. I can bring it right up to redline in first and second gears and it does not slip. This problem only happens when i hit second gear after getting to redline. I really can't believe that with 37K, this thing is slipping. Like I said, i had 2 Z24's that I got over 100K out of the clutch and I drove those exactly the same. But anyway, if the clutch does go with this low of mileage, I guess I'll join the masses of people switching to german or asian.

 

I have the same problem and I had the same problem when I bought the car new 07 ss sc. I now have over 25k on and I can't absolutely not tolerate it any more. Took it to the deal 3 times now no results, your driving the car wrong; I've tired lots of driving styles and found that 3k shift works better, but when you let off on the gas to cross rail road tracks then apply a little gas the car should not jerk or surge so bad to actually cause the wheels to churp. Yeah i don't think there is a problem; it happens too much. Weak trans or clutch for the high torque. It just sucks that I have driven manuals pretty much since I was 19 and had this car over a year and still have not found its sweet spot. Probly got a lemon out of the 07 batch. Other than that its a great car.

 

if it were your clutch slipping then you would have no problem at all getting to redline. If the clutch slips your are basically neutral revving it in a way. If it were slipping then you would be bouncing off rev limiter too easily rather then having a problem reaching it.

 

u didn't get a lemon cause i too own a 07 ss/sc and i have the same problem but with only 5,000 miles on mine! i have tryed the 3K shift thing and while the problem has gotten just a little better, it's still not gone, i cant do a wot run between 1st and 2nd or between 2nd and 3rd. while it doesnt slip nearly as much, it still slips alot!

 

^EXACTLY what happened to me, at the EXACT same mileage!

Flooring it within any given gear without shifting, all ok.

SHIFT under hard acceleration (1/2, 2/3), major slipping.

For me, the dealer found a leaking slave cylinder. Dealer installed an entire new clutch under warranty and all is ok.

Go talk to your dealer's Service Manager/Shop Foreman ....

Clutches rarely go all at once (i.e., "catastrophic failure"). Little by little, they start slipping.

When they do, they will show that slip at it's greatest area of functional stress. Engaging/Disengaging the clutch under hard acceleration will bring that out any deficiencies before it will show anywhere else.

Your clutch needs repair/replacement. As to what is actually causing it to fail, it has to be disassembled to know for sure.

Could be the disc is actually worn out, or the pressure plate has weakened, or like in my car, the slave cylinder was leaking. Problem is (with all the labor involved in removing a clutch to diagnose it) you might as well replace the entire unit at that point.

 

You know, my clutch USED to slip until I drove it correctly.

Now, I can spin 1st all the way to redline and POWERSHIFT to 2nd, and keep spinning.

 

im jealous, cause i am supposedly driving it right now according to that post and i still cant do that!

 

Don't get jealous, get fixed.

 

i would but i am a mechanic and i know the shortcuts some of them take so i would rather do it myself, also i am throwing a stage 5 kit on during the winter months so i will need to upgrade my clutch anyways.

 

You should tell us the secret plz! lol, well I just thought I would have figured it out about now, but no luck no matter how many combinations I tried; and I am not going to have a car that I have to WOT all the time to get good shifts, the cops here would go NUTS!!

I am willing to get a petition going for people having the same problems with their 07's . Might have to have a recall in order.

 

I will sign ur petiton, let me know when u get it started!

 

I have a question?? I've been having the same problem about the clutch slipping after launch. Can anybody tell me if the car would hold a clutchmasters stage 4 6puck clutch??? I'm dying to eliminate that problem and I'm thinking that a new clutch is the way to go/.

 

I always read about SS/SC owners always needing new clutches. I have 46k on my 2.4SS's stock clutch, still going strong.

Good luck though.

 

is there anybody that can answer my question?? would it hold it?