SciFrog

3 year old 2003 C4C, 19,000 miles, never tracked, driven localy and not that hard.
In 3rd or 4th gear there is occasionnaly some slippage between 4k and 5k rpm at full throttle.

Is this normal?
Any chance to get the dealer to use the factory warranty? Only 19,000 miles...

Searching this forum, it looks like cost would be up to $2,500 at the dealer but an independant could do it for under $1,5000 (like Autospot design in Huntington, LI?). Maybe an upgraded clutch is an option, but I don't race.

Last do you need to change the oil at the same time you do the job?

Thanks!

Paul Marangoni

No, not at all.

kilrgt

Paul ^ is the only person I know of that hasn't changed their clutch with his milage. I wouldn't say its normal at 19 k.Now if you had 40 k that is normal. A clutch should not slip at any time..you need a new one, 1500 sounds overpriced to me.

1999Porsche911

Without tracking, you should be getting 70,000+ miles out of your clutch with ease on any car. Many will get well over 100,000 miles. Obviously, if you do not engage the clutch properly, your mileage may be reduced. If you are slipping only occasionally, it may not be the clutch disc at all. I just replaced mine at 50,000 miles and half the material on the disc was left untouched. You could have binding of the clutch slave or the actuator arm (lever). Or you could have occasional oil on the disc. Other than the slave, you will have to have the tranny removed to look. Cost, with Porsche clutch kit should be around $1200 from an idependent and $1500 from a dealer.

Paul Marangoni

Call around for price quotes. They will differ dramatically.

SciFrog

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks like the best approach from here is just to go to the dealer making sure the clutch job isn't north of $1,500, and to try to get some warranty coverage.

Anyone on the "oil change is part of a clutch job?".

1999Porsche911

No oil change.

LVDell

Just had my clutch replaced a month ago and i have 57K on the car and track it regularly (as does my wife). 19K sounds really low to have to replace the clutch but I not out of the ordinanry. Your clutch is a wear and tear item (like brake pads) and I can't imagine ANY dealer replacing your clutch under warranty at 19K. Many have gone out well before 19K as well. All depends on your history with the clutch. You may not drive the car hard but hovering on the clutch and slow releases, etc., over time with greatly reduce the life of that bad boy.

And if you need a clutch you do NOT need to "upgrade" your clutch. The standard clutch is very good. Unless you are needing to shave weight and you track ALOT then you will be very unhappy with an upgrade.

Turbo Mike

Check and see if your RMS is leaking at all, if it is you can have Porsche replace it under warranty and while the trany is down have them install a clutch kit at the same time, you wont have to pay labor because they need to pull the trany anyway. Thats what happened with my 02 C4S with 23K on it. It cost me $465 plus tax for all that work.

nycebo

If you live in a metropolitan city (read, NYC in yours and my cases) with LOTS of stop and go traffic, then you are surely going to be changing the clutch a lot sooner than 70,000 miles. When I blew through mine in the mid 30's on my old Boxster, the service shops all said (yes, I consulted 3) that it was par for the course here in the city what with traffic lights every block, stop and go traffic every time you try and go anywhere (and forget about the Hamptons at anytime on weekends in the summer), and my own little propensity to 'pound the rock' in spirited driving on weekends in Westchester and Connecticut.

Does 19k sound low? Yes, but maybe you're just driving hard as heck in the city?

Orient Express

A new clutch friction plate is under $200, and at that mileage, the pressure plate and throwout bearing are most likely fine.

Check to see if there is any oil collecting at the bottom of the bellhousing between the engine and transmission.

If there is, then you will need to have your RMS or IMS replaced, which on your car would be a warranty item, so all of the labor in getting at the clutch plate is on Porsche.

BTW, R&R for a clutch plate can be done in under 3.5 hours, so if your mechanics labor rate is $125/hr the entire bill should not be over $800.

Porsche dealer service technicians routinely do an RMS R&R in under 4 hours so they can do a clutch in the same or less time.

I would be very surprised if the friction material on the clutch plate was below minimum specification. And it is very unlikely that oil seeping from the RMS/IMS would get on the clutch plate. I would look at the master and slave hydraulic cylinder actions to make sure that they are releasing properly. If it is that they are not releasing properly, that is a warranty item.

mdrobc1213

Replaced mine in my 99 C2 at 43k miles for slipping. Wasn't that noticeable to me at least until I took it into my independant shop and they called me while doing my 45k service to let me know. Cost me $1200 for a new clutch and labor. Drive in city traffic in Washington DC Metro area so much like New York I can imagine to some degree.

Rob

SciFrog

Car is 3 years old 19K, RMS was done at 1 year 12K. I will check if there is oil under, but there is no oil on my garage floor so I doubt it (who would have thought I wished they didn't fix the RMS properly ).

Is it worth waiting a few months to see if the RMS reappears, or will the clutch just get worse along with possible other components failure?

Orient Express

Have your Clutch master, and slave cylinder checked out first. If one of those items are not completely releasing or if the slave to throw out bearing arm adjustment is not set correctly, the pressure plate may not be completely engaging. Since the transmission has been out once, this cannot be ruled out.

I find it amazing that anyone could waste a clutch at such low miles unless they pop it at every light. Even my daughter who lives in the hollywood hills gets 100K out her clutch, and that with consistent starts and stops on inclines.

Stop and go traffic is no excuse for a clutch friction plate to be used up at such a low milage. Short of a improperly adjusted release arm, the only excuse for such a short life is poor driving technique.

SciFrog

Nice car, very close to my combo (guards red/savanna beige).

Regarding my driving, it is my second manual porsche and 5th manual car in the past 17 years, never had a clutch problem. Maybe the wife but she drives very well and drove my other cars too...

So should I wait or get it checked quickly?

Thanks