Western Port Automotive Services

Your local mechanic, backed by Repco.

Grinding gears? - It could be your clutch fluid

Do you drive an Automatic vehicle? Then you might not even know there is a clutch in your vehicle. But without it, the gears in your car will not change. Western Port Automotive Services in Hastings know all about repairing and servicing these systems including clutches, cables and fluids. Learn more below.

What is a clutch?

The clutch is one of the most important elements of your vehicles driving operation. Your engine is what causes your wheels to spin, but what happens when your car needs to stop? The engine shouldn't stop spinning but the wheels need to. It's the clutch that allows this to happen. The clutch allows the transfer of power from the engine to the wheels to be interrupted while a gear is being changed or while the car is stationary and the engine continues to run.

What is clutch fluid?

Some vehicles have hydraulic clutches - when you press the clutch pedal, the clutch fluid moves the pressure from the pedal through to the clutch and disengages the power transmission. Leaking clutch fluid can cause all kinds of problem in your vehicle so it is very important to monitor it regularly. At Western Port Automotive Services in Hastings we check your clutch fluid, hydraulic system or clutch cables for you in the course of our free 65 Point Vehicle Inspection - which you can request as part of every car service.

What signs to look for if your clutch is not performing

You should have your clutch looked at if:

You notice a burnt ‘toast' or ‘burning rubber' smell in your car, or smoke from under vehicle
Your vehicle is slipping out of gear for no reason
There is jerky or sticky gear operation
Your clutch is not disengaging fully, or your clutch is sticking or shuddering

If your clutch is showing any of the problems above - it could mean any number of faults. Clutch problems are difficult to diagnose by symptoms alone because many issues cause the same symptoms, depending on the vehicle and type of engine. The best way to deal with clutch shuddering, slipping or noise is contact us at Western Port Automotive Services today.

We can perform clutch service and repairs on most makes and models right here in our Hastings workshop.