[Mrk]

Hello Everyone!!
I am surprised that there isn't a thread about any clutch issues. I never post anything because someone usually already posted about whatever concern I have at the time, but this time I cant find anything about this problem.
I have a 2018 RS with 7000 miles on it. I bought it new. I had the head gasket recall done months ago. I don't have any mods except some carbon fiber black vinyl. I have never used launch mode. I only tried drift mode twice when I first bought the car didn't want to hurt anything so I never got it to peel out.

I almost always drive alone but the last 3 weeks in a row I have my 2 boys in the car with me on Sunday afternoon. We get out of church and everyone in the congregation leave together at the same time. Right at the first intersection, my boys see their friends next to us at the stop light and my boys say race dad!!! I rev up the RPMs and dump the clutch. The clutch us fully out, it grabs like normal but then a second later the clutch starts to slip. The RPMs go up too fast, I then slightly let off the throttle and shift to 2nd and dump the clutch again. Again it catches for a second then slips and the RPS race higher. I then just stop and continue driving as normal. All week long the clutch works fine and does not slip. Sunday rolls around again, I do the same thing the next 2 Sunday afternoons with my boys and both times the clutch slips again. I'm confused. Is it slipping or is something else causing the RPS to race up? I don't smell any clutch burning. Is it slipping because I bring the RPMs up before I dump the clutch? On all my past cars I have been able to raise the RPMs before dumping the clutch to launch or drift but this RS is slipping. Any help or advice?

 

[XRJoe]

Are you using launch control when you do this? How high in the revs are you dumping the clutch at? Did you do clutch dumps on other AWD cars?

 

[saabturbo]

Hello Everyone!!
I am surprised that there isn't a thread about any clutch issues. I never post anything because someone usually already posted about whatever concern I have at the time, but this time I cant find anything about this problem.
I have a 2018 RS with 7000 miles on it. I bought it new. I had the head gasket recall done months ago. I don't have any mods except some carbon fiber black vinyl. I have never used launch mode. I only tried drift mode twice when I first bought the car didn't want to hurt anything so I never got it to peel out.

I almost always drive alone but the last 3 weeks in a row I have my 2 boys in the car with me on Sunday afternoon. We get out of church and everyone in the congregation leave together at the same time. Right at the first intersection, my boys see their friends next to us at the stop light and my boys say race dad!!! I rev up the RPMs and dump the clutch. The clutch us fully out, it grabs like normal but then a second later the clutch starts to slip. The RPMs go up too fast, I then slightly let off the throttle and shift to 2nd and dump the clutch again. Again it catches for a second then slips and the RPS race higher. I then just stop and continue driving as normal. All week long the clutch works fine and does not slip. Sunday rolls around again, I do the same thing the next 2 Sunday afternoons with my boys and both times the clutch slips again. I'm confused. Is it slipping or is something else causing the RPS to race up? I don't smell any clutch burning. Is it slipping because I bring the RPMs up before I dump the clutch? On all my past cars I have been able to raise the RPMs before dumping the clutch to launch or drift but this RS is slipping. Any help or advice?

2018 RS don't required head gasket recall. What you are describing do sound like slipping clutch (overheat maybe), consider using the launch control next time. Keep an eye on the rev limiter.

 

[320icar]

Guys with 400whp who do nothing but beat on their cars haven’t had issues with the oem clutch. Since you had to make your own thread about it, that kind of shows how isolated of a problem this is. Most likely driving style TBH

 

[Mrk]

I have never used launch control because it takes to long to get into the settings when the traffic light is about to turn green. Each time I have tried this, I tap on the throttle bouncing RPMs around 2500-3000 then dump the clutch and floor the throttle. This is my 1st AWD. In my past experience with RWD and FWD doing a launch like this will spin the wheels, not spin the clutch disk. (or pull a wheelie in the case of my LS sand rail). I need to try it again with Launch control and maybe try and film the RPM and speedo gauge. It sure feels like the wheels are gripping and the clutch is slipping but I could be wrong.

 

[EnfinityX]

How fast are you coming off the clutch? With launch control on for example, the procedure is to side step the clutch. Perhaps you're not dumping fast enough and overheating the clutch.

 

[Mrk]

How fast are you coming off the clutch? With launch control on for example, the procedure is to side step the clutch. Perhaps you're not dumping fast enough and overheating the clutch.

Im not sidestepping the peddle but I am dropping peddle as fast as possible. No delay or feathering the clutch at all. I was afraid to try it again for fear of further hurting the clutch but with all your recommendations and no one else having issues, Ill try it again and try to get it on film.

I doubt this idea, but I guess it could even be that the wheels are spinning and I just couldn't hear or feel the wheels peeling out. Ill test with the windows open to make sure its not just spinning the wheels.

 

[NitroBlueFTW]

Something smells funny.

I mean, does it reek of clutch?

 

[Mrk]

2018 RS don't required head gasket recall. What you are describing do sound like slipping clutch (overheat maybe), consider using the launch control next time. Keep an eye on the rev limiter.

I bought it in 2018 but your right it is a 2017. My mistake.
I thought that when you set the launch control the rev limiter is controlled by the computer for the launch and actually uses a lower limit than normal. Are you saying when I test it with launch control that I should not floor it at the rev limit then dump the clutch?

 

[Mrk]

Something smells funny.

I mean, does it reek of clutch?

No. But I had my windows closed and kept driving along at fast speeds. Ill test it again and report. Its good to hear that no one else had any issues like this.

 

[Rathion]

Can you replicate the issue and record it? It sounds like clutch slippage, but if it was, it'd smell like crazy.

 

[thirdgen89gta]

Guys with 400whp who do nothing but beat on their cars haven’t had issues with the oem clutch. Since you had to make your own thread about it, that kind of shows how isolated of a problem this is. Most likely driving style TBH

My first RS couldn't launch control without the clutch slipping. And boy could I smell the clutch for days when I tried it out.

When the engine came out because it hydro locked due to head-gasket problems I had them replace the clutch. Except the clutch looked 100% fine. So I don't know what caused it. Maybe a sticking slave cylinder? I never had any problems normally. I could get on it as hard as I wanted as long as I didn't drop the clutch.

 

[320icar]

My first RS couldn't launch control without the clutch slipping. And boy could I smell the clutch for days when I tried it out.

When the engine came out because it hydro locked due to head-gasket problems I had them replace the clutch. Except the clutch looked 100% fine. So I don't know what caused it. Maybe a sticking slave cylinder? I never had any problems normally. I could get on it as hard as I wanted as long as I didn't drop the clutch.

Yeah one of my buddies is a ford tech. They had an RS there for other warranty work (broken drivers seat IIRC) and they had to also replace the clutch. Huge amount of chatter on the friction plate and a lot of heat scoring. Vehicle was stock. They replaced it under warranty though (guy admits it was his first manual car, but swears it wasn’t him). Dealership just swallowed the cost.

Even myself, last winter I went skiing with the same ford tech. There was an accident on the mountain pass to the slopes. Was an hour and a half of gridlock driving up a 10% grade. By the time we got tot the top my clutch was smoking. Nothing we could do in the situation sadly, but after that I’ve done 30k km and 6 track weekends and had no issues

 

[ProfessorFate]

Are you saying when I test it with launch control that I should not floor it at the rev limit then dump the clutch?

Select 'Launch control', clutch fully depressed, Accelerator fully depressed. Revs will go up until the limiter comes on at about 5000 - 5200 rpm. Dump the clutch as hard as you can. Do not baby it, that's how you burn out an RS clutch.
If you still think it's slipping, get a second opinion (drive along) from someone else familiar with manual transmissions. If they agree with you, it could be a number of things, main bearing seal, clutch splines hanging up, disc or pressure plate problems, even slave and master cylinder problems (a few forum members have had this problem). All should still be under warranty. You may have to take the service advisor for a test drive to prove it.

 

[Paolo]

I'd say with the boys in the back the front end becomes slightly tipped up.

This results in less grip up front and the rear activates. Even though this takes a few milliseconds, the rdu takes longer and hence you get clutch slip due to traction anomalies and the nannies activating.

I've tried to dump clutch the RS but it feels weird compared to my old 99 sti which sadly i sold a few years ago. Bad decision.

Hence, i tend to cruise more like an old fart in the RS nowadays.

 

[opera_bob]

AFAIK there are no HG recalls for 2018 RS's.

When you launch your car, drop the clutch. Do not feather the clutch. I feathered it once on launch control and will never do that again, all I smelled was clutch for 2 hours after.

 

[saabturbo]

I bought it in 2018 but your right it is a 2017. My mistake.
I thought that when you set the launch control the rev limiter is controlled by the computer for the launch and actually uses a lower limit than normal. Are you saying when I test it with launch control that I should not floor it at the rev limit then dump the clutch?

Select 'Launch control', clutch fully depressed, Accelerator fully depressed. Revs will go up until the limiter comes on at about 5000 - 5200 rpm. Dump the clutch as hard as you can. Do not baby it, that's how you burn out an RS clutch.
If you still think it's slipping, get a second opinion (drive along) from someone else familiar with manual transmissions. If they agree with you, it could be a number of things, main bearing seal, clutch splines hanging up, disc or pressure plate problems, even slave and master cylinder problems (a few forum members have had this problem). All should still be under warranty. You may have to take the service advisor for a test drive to prove it.

^^yes, this. Since you bought it new, take the opportunity to go to the FPRS. You will learn the dynamic of this car very well there.

 

[pdxgeek]

like its been mentioned a couple times. drop the clutch (side step is best). I watched the same car take a ton of abuse at AA for hours. There wasnt really clutch smell until the people who didnt dump the clutch.

 

[MikeT]

All I ever do is spin all 4 tires. I'm hitting 432whp on the stock clutch with no slip to my knowledge

 

[Tongue Twinster]

Have you disengaged the external inertial dampener?

*sorry* I just had to do it

like its been mentioned a couple times. drop the clutch (side step is best). I watched the same car take a ton of abuse at AA for hours. There wasnt really clutch smell until the people who didnt dump the clutch.

That is why most people are rebuilding their Transmissions and change clutches because 'side step is best'.