First time here looking for help with clutch slipping on my 2000 Saturn SL1. Less than 2 yrs. ago my clutch began slipping. Since I bought the car used (about 5 yrs ago) with 110,000 miles and put 35,000 more on it I just thought it was worn out. So I bought the parts and had a shop replaced the clutch pressure plate and throw out bearing. At first it was fine, but within a month it started slipping again. I took it back and replaced the hydraulic clutch cable. That was when I looked at the old clutch and it didn't look worn out. I asked them to install the new parts so they did. It may have been that it was only the cable that was bad and when they put it back with the new parts it was ok for that month. Water under the bridge! The problem is that the thing is slipping again. I know there is no manual adjustment on the clutch. Ive looked for help but most of the people that have issues say the clutch wont disengage. The hydraulic cable isn't cheap and I shouldn't need to replace it after only 2 yrs. I'm wondering if taking the slave out and just putting it back so it will adjust to the clutch could fix it. ANY IDEAS OR HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS

 

You didn't mention flywheel inspection, turning, or replacement.....
Wondering if the flywheel may be out of trueness (not flat anymore). I think this would ultimately lead to overheating and reduced friction.
Do you rev significantly before you launch, or do all out clutch dumps? NOT accusing, asking for diagnostic reasons.

I have noticed in the last year I have developed a bad habit. After driving nothing but DOHC 5spds for 26 years straight (97 SC2 265K now), I developed the habit of leaning my toe on the clutch pedal when I know I need to make an immediate aggressive high rpm short shift. Even with a completely ok clutch, I was actually partially disengaging my clutch just enough to lean past the slop zone to where the clutch starts to engage. This would lead to overheating of the friction material, and when I shifted up into the next gear, the rpms would "hang" high with my foot moderately into the throttle, and the clutch would slip UNTIL I took my foot off the gas, at which time it would plop right into gear.

But before I realized this, it would slip in 5th, then 4th and 5th, then 3rd, 4th, and 5th -- all on the same single on ramp to the highway. I was driving it more and more aggressively. Once 3rd slipped, 4th and 5 were guaranteed to have some slippage as well.

But the issue was not the clutch--it was me.

I know the 2000-2002 S cars had some problematic new design for the clutch.

I've never heard of a clutch cable; up to 99 it was just a rod from the clutch pedal to the master of the master slave combo that came prefilled and bled from the factory. The issues would then (guessing) be that the cable is stretching or the cable is getting hung up in its sheath and preventing full engagement of the clutch. But if the clutch is ever fully engaged and not slipping, I would think to rule this out

Is it possible there is some debris in there that is keeping the flywheel and pressure plate from fully engaging?

 

First off I want to thank you for your reply. As for my slipping clutch being driver error I don't believe that is the case here. My first car was a manual transmission 40 years ago. I've only ever owned 2 automatics in my life. I use the clutch for first and second gear after that I just shift by the RPMs no clutch. I know I don't ride the clutch or over rev at take off or between gears so I'm sure that it's something to do with the hydraulic clutch cable assembly. When I began driving the clutch was mechanical or a cable not hydraulic. This is the first vehicle I've owned with a hydraulic system. I checked the flywheel and it wasn't scarred or warped so I did not resurface it. There is no Grease or fluid on or around the clutch assembly. I'm going to try removing to slave cylinder and checking it for wear or breakage. I think the only other reason could be the poor quality of the pressure plate. I'm not sure which Lem kit I installed and I've heard the 2000 and later sets aren't as good as the older version. I don't think I will cut or shorten the PIN on the slave cylinder because if it is installed correctly then it's not the problem the pressure plate must be. I'm still able to accelerate in lower gears without slipping as long as I don't try to go to fast. When I'm in fourth or fifth is when it gets worse. Where I live there are a lot of steep roads and I've found that if I start going faster before I start climbing I can reach the top without slipping but I do lose speed. Taking it apart today. Wish me luck!

 

Oh FYI I had a 1984 Dodge Omni GLH that had a clutch cable the same size as the accelerator cable. Needless to say I broke one at 40000 miles. No warranty as it was considered a part that would wear out like brake pads or belts and hoses. I was so mad until I found out it was only $40 to replace it

 

Hey Jiminix, I had an 84 Chrysler Laser XE turbo that the same thing happened to. It broke around 14,000 miles and after finding out what the dealer wanted to replace it, I just bought a new one and did it myself. I think it was a design flaw in the 84's.

 

I preface this entire post with the fact that transmissions are my weakest suit, and what is described below is mostly CONJECTURE that might be valid, and is intended to promote discussion of this issue from multiple angles
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[NOT conjecture]
My experience w M/T S cars has been that when the slave cyl is compromised, the pin no longer holds the fork in an intermediate position (such that clutch pedal travel is enough to fully disengage the clutch). It, of course, collapses inward, jamming the pressure plate up against the flywheel so tightly that it takes 10 minutes, 300 clutch pedal pumps, both hands, and an iron resolve to get the shifter out of gear and the tranny in neutral.

[START CONJECTURE]
The 2000-2002 s car clutches are known as self-adjusting POS's. I haven't researched why, but I think you're probably finding out right now.

If I had to guess, the self-adjusting feature is not self-adjusting (idiotic statement but likely true). I do not know the mechanism of self-adjustment, but I'm going to guess that the slave pin is exerting too much pressure on the fork, and although it was probably slipping the whole time, it was imperceptible. With time, the clutch material would likely become glazed and the surface would, therefore, begin to lose its grip even though a ton of material still exists on the plate. Maybe a tiny reduction in the cable length would do the trick. Also, this may be a bit of irony, but shifting by rpm matching as opposed to clutching would in this scenario possibly accelerate the demise of the friction material as it would remain in constant slippage mode for the rest of the gears and also have no chance to cool down when separated from the flywheel.

Andy?
Anyone?