I first noticed randomly that my r56 manual cooper s didnt feel like it was putting the power down when coming out of a corner hard after a gear change. Felt like the sort of power loss you get from a spinning tyre but I didnt think my tyres were spinning.

Then I read about the 3rd gear starting test for a slipping clutch.

They say to try and take off normally in 3rd and if it stalls straight away your clutch is fine but if you take off or dont stall straight away then u have a slipping clutch.

If I take off at say 2000 rpm it stalls straight away in 3rd. But if I keep the revs up at more like 3000 or 3500rpm and ride the clutch out slowly (say 4 seconds to release) then the car doesnt stall and does take off and then I get a very strong burnt clutch smell.

So does this mean my clutch is on its way out?

Any help is appreciated.

 

I haven't had to deal with a slipping clutch myself but I've heard a good test is to be at some cruising speed in low RPM, like 1500-2000. And then floor it in that gear. If the clutch is slipping you'll see the RPMs jump but not feel the expected power.

 

it will be if you keep doing that ! Flooring it at low rpm makes more sense to me. (The idea is to be at peak torque, so don't go real low rpm, but more like 2000)

 

Yeah I was thinking some of these tests people recommend trying will fry the clutch regardless.

It passes all the other tests Ive tried. Like driving in 3rd at 2000rpm then putting in the clutch reving to 4000rpm and then dumping the clutch to see if the clutch grips the engine and revs drop instantly back to 2000rpm. Which it does.

So I think its probably fine and the moments where I felt a loss of acceleration as if a tyre was spinning probably was in fact a tyre spinning. But I really couldnt hear the tyre spinning...