Clutch Slipping at high RPMs after oil change
 

Hello,

I know this may seem weird, and mechanically may be irrelevant, but ever since I put my car on ramps to do a regularly scheduled oil change, the clutch began to slip at higher RPMs.

This happens in every gear. But, I'd have to accelerate pretty fast for it to slip. Driving the car normally, using very minimal boost, I can drive it at 4.5, 5k RPMs with no problem. It's the fast acceleration that causes the engine to rev up while the car goes no where.

Brake/Clutch fluid is topped off. May need to be changed, but I don't think that's the issue.

I just think it's strange this happened immediately after an oil change. I mentioned I did it with ramps because of the angle it was changed I was thinking maybe - Is it possible at all that there's a inoperable seal that caused oil to leak in the transmission and on to the clutch? I'm just really hoping the clutch isn't on it's way out.

It drives just fine if you drive it normally with a light foot. I have to drive it to the airport which is 2 hours away tomorrow all highway. You think I'll be good?

I don't know what else to do. Looks like I'll be taking it to the dealership for a diagnostic when I get back.

2010 Cobalt SS Turbo
71K Miles

even if the main seal was bad it would be pretty hard for the oil to reach the other side of the flywheel. Id recommend being easy on it until youre ready to change the clutch.

So there's nothing else that could be the issue? Definitely bad clutch and very bad timing/coincidence with the oil change?

Well oil change seems irrelevant to the issue, it might just be a coincidence and it was time for the clutch to give up

I've had a clutch go on me before and it didn't act like this. I don't smell the clutch burning, getting it in gear is just fine, still has good take off from 1k rpm up until about 3.5k rpm is when it begins to slip and that's only if you're giving it a lot of boost. Driving it with a little bit of a lighter foot you wouldn't even notice.

I may just be in denial because i really don't wanna throw so much money at this. I don't drive it crazy, makes no sense why the clutch would be going at 71K. But I guess that's the average life span from what I read... should've got an automatic. :lol:

You mentioned ramps. Depending on how you drove up the ramps, it's possible you may have glazed the clutch. Repeated slipping would have made it worse by now, but try and baby it around for a bit and start saving for a clutch just in case.

How bad did you slip it to get up the ramps? Could be glazed.

Shift at 3k for 500 miles and report back. Don't lug it in 5th and don't slip it any more.

Ive heard that this can bring a clutch back from the dead.

It's how I drove my SS S/C with the stock clutch for 80,000 miles. First manual car + stage kit + custom tune + throttle hang + lots of traffic jams (hours at a time of stop and go) = glaze city.

This is basically the situation I'm in. I knew how to drive stick before this car, but it's my first car I own that's a stick. I live on a military post and most of my driving time (not miles) is done in stop and go traffic.

So far it hasn't slipped while driving it with a bit of a lighter foot. I'm assuming "bringing it back from the dead" was a joke. "Glazing" a clutch is pretty much irreversible, right? Looks like that's what I'm dealing with. :r:

Ive brought back a "slipping" clutch before. It was glaze just do as everyone said and baby it for good bit of miles. Read a little on the interwebs about how to treat the car to deglaze the clutch.

I just had to instinctively give it a little more gas than I should've due to a car illegally pulling out on the side of me. Now I feel like I really messed it up. It's way worse.. I scheduled an appointment with the dealership Monday to get a diagnostic. This is gonna hurt the bank big time... I wish I had the time and the tools to do it myself.
I'll continue to research deglazing the clutch and practicing it this weekend.

I'm at 125k miles on the stock clutch. It was my first manual trans car, I beat on it daily, almost daily nls, drag and autocross events and never once have I noticed the clutch slip.

What are you guys doing to your cars?

They work better when you use them how you want them to work all the time. If you baby the car 99% of the time, the clutch material isn't ready for abuse. If it's normally heat cycled, aggressive driving won't be a problem. You can't get around torque levels and mechanical limits, but proper driving technique can make a stock clutch do amazing things. I ran my stock LSJ clutch on a car with nitrous and lots of mods for 3 years, always made it work and it never had an easy day in it's life. I also changed clutches for people with less work at less mileage.

I glazed my clutch at 20k accidentally taking off in third stuck in traffic. Clutch felt like crap bad burn smell. It wasn't slipping mind you just engagement was way to far into the release. Read on hear our clutches like being let out fairly quickly and with a bit of throttle. Started doing this and the clutch came back to life. Been on the stock clutch gms1 for 140k kms or 90kish miles

I just don't see this clutch coming back to life. It just feels like it's getting worse. I'll ride it out for a bit. I got quoted at the dealership $1,100 for clutch replacement. Insane... They told me the clutch should be good for a little while longer.

Anyways, I'm gonna attempt to replace the clutch myself. I've done a clutch before, so I know the basics. We have an automotive shop here on post (army base) with a lift, air tools, the whole nine yards. I just gotta rent it out for a couple days. Does anyone have a link to a decent guide on how to replace the clutch on my model? Would definitely be helpful.
I looked for a video but couldn't find one. Thinking about just putting together my own how-to. Although, not everybody has access to a lift.

$1,100 is about right for a clutch replacement on this car, it's not a quick process by any means. There is one floating around here for the F35 transmission, just whatever you do get a new flywheel do not try to resurface it there is not enough tolerance.

Also don't go to the dealer for a clutch replacement.

On a car this old the only work dealers should do is electrical diagnostic and mechanical diagnostics.

Find a trusted private shop.

I called a local shop and they offered to do it for 550 not including parts. Dealer wants like $375 for the kit. I told them I can get it at Rock Auto for cheaper and he told me it wouldn't have a warranty if I went that route because the only way to get a warranty through them is to purchase the master cylinder also. I might just go with the dealer's price. At least it'll be OEM quality and covered. Any recommendations on where to purchase a kit?

I've been experimenting with different driving habits because I figured F it if it's getting replaced. I usually shift at lower RPMs and thats when I notice it slipping bad. When I shift at high RPMs like 4.5 or 5 K the clutch is fine. I can be in second gear at 3K rpms and gun it and it accelerates fine. Is this a good technique to "reverse" this glaze ?

if you were local I'd do it for pizza and beer

Haha if only the local shop would charge that. Us infantryman live on that diet.
I decided against doing it myself only cause I don't much free time anymore plus I don't wanna start disassembling things only to realize I have no clue what I'm doing half way through.

honestly that shop that said 550 isn't too bad. It does involve completely dropping the engine cradle. I can get the trans out in under 2 hours by myself with no lift. Total clutch job for a shop will prob be 6-7 hours.

Just buy the clutch and components here and there when you can afford them and just baby the car until you have time/funds to take it to get replaced.

And thats assuming there isn't any issues with the subframe bolts and that pesky rust

This. My first time getting it out of my sedan wasn't fun but now that its been out multiple times and everything is anti-seized its cake walk.

When I replaced my CABs I ended up having to drop the entire subframe because the bolt was rusted into the CAB sleeve, the nut itself broke free after some nutcracker. But the bolt on one side was locked into the CAB sleeve, complete whore. Mine are covered in anti-seize so when I have to replace the clutch it will come out easy