How long does the clutch last?
It's a fact of life that a car's clutch almost certainly wears out before your car does. This is because, even with normal use, they will be subject to quite a bit of wear and tear from constant shifting as you shift…
It's a fact of life that a car's clutch almost certainly wears out before your car does. This is because, even with normal use, they will be subject to quite a bit of wear and tear from the constant shifting as you change gears on your vehicle. So, how long will your clutch last in a manual transmission?
The thing is, it's almost impossible to tell because there are so many variables. You've probably heard people say that their clutch wears out in less than 30,000 miles. You can also talk to people who will tell you that their car clutch is still working fine after 100,000 miles.
What causes premature clutch failure?
As we said, there are many variables. You may be surprised to know that even your geographic location can affect the lifespan of your masonry. If you live in a hot climate, your transmission fluid will heat up and put a lot of stress on your clutch components. If you live in a mountainous area, gravity will take its toll on the manual transmission and the clutch will wear out faster.
One thing is for sure, the less you demand from your clutch, the longer it will last. So if you like pretending your last name is Andretti and you just love grabbing the shifter and changing gears in your car, you shouldn't expect your clutch to last long.
Clutch Failure Prevention
Usually the worst enemy of a car clutch is the driver. Of course, no one deliberately tries to damage the clutch, but people often do it unintentionally, in most cases using the clutch when it is not necessary. If you are standing at a traffic light and intend to stand there for more than ten seconds, do not use the clutch to hold the car in place. Disengage the gear, depress the brake pedal and leave the transmission in neutral.
More importantly, don't use the clutch to control speed. You can, of course, modulate the pedal between full depression and full release, but it's very hard on the clutch. In addition, this requires gas and brake pedals. You don't want to leave the clutch in the middle any longer than necessary. It's called "riding the clutch" and it's not good.
If you follow these few simple tips, you can reasonably expect to have at least 50,000 miles on your clutch. Some drivers even drove up to 175,000 miles before experiencing a car clutch failure. All it takes is a little common sense and proper driving technique.
