I’ve done a lot of reading and I’m not sure I have a consensus on this issue. If you chip your car, do you NEED to get a new clutch? It seems there are stories of guys who burn their clutches semi soon after chipping, and some people do it pre-emptively, but are there guys here who have chipped a DD and didn’t swap the clutch?

 

No, if all you do is change the ECU the stock clutch will hold. How long depends on how you drive. A few drop clutch starts or clutch burning starts or shifts will greatly shorten the life of the stock clutch.

 

No, a light tune with an extra 60 to 100 bhp 80 to 90 ft/lbs torque will not kill a standard clutch. However your left foot could.........!
Frank

 

how many miles are on your clutch now?

 

Like other said, no. Depends how good your left foot is. I'm convinced I can go 200k + miles with 1 clutch with my modifications. No problem.

 

I'm still on my factory clutch on my M3 at 125k miles, so I'm actually pretty good to cars (from a clutch perspective anyway )

I'm looking to buy a fun car that I can keep for a long time and turn my M3 into a track car. I'm shocked at how great a value a 996 TT is, so I think I will officially begin my search in a few months.

I just like knowing as much as possible so I don't pull the trigger on a lemon.

 

So what's the deal with the threads where guys are saying that 5th/6th can't clamp down that torque?

It's one thing to do a $1200 tune, but it's another entirely if you gotta slap a 3k clutch job in there too.

 

2Muchtime has asked the question to answer yours.
If your clutch is on its way out with a standard tune, but you just dont know it yet, then when you add another 70 to 90 ft/lbs torque its goint to let go. You need to know the history of your car and the way its been treated.
Frank

 

Stock car with a flash is no problem original clutch IF your clutch is still good. If the clutch is on it's last legs a simple flash will require a new clutch.

 

I flashed my ECU 3 years ago when I got the car and have tracked it ever since. Never had a clutch problem. However, I never do burnouts or dump the clutch.

 

I bought a 10k mile car (05 s) had it flashed after a couple thousand miles. My car already had the europipe, I did the divertors and f hose. I started noticeing clutch issues not from the take off but in the 4th and fifth gear. I would be on the hiway and punch it and the revs would shoot up, I didn't know what it was until the 6speed faithfull told me my clutch was slipping. I didn't have any issuses before the flash. I only have slipping under full throttle. Not to thrilled at putting in a clutch at what is now a 20k mile car. That's my story for ya!

 

I had 24K on my car when I did a flash. Clutch was slipping 2 days later.

 

I bought my car with a flash. I ended up modding my car almost immediately and decided to replace my clutch at that time. I thought my clutch was fine but upon removal discovered it was significantly worn. This was with about 13,000 miles on the car with the original clutch. That said, if your clutch is in good condition I don't think a simple flash will or should kill your clutch but it won't last as long as one in a completely stock car. I think the Walnut was running a stock clutch in his 18g car for some time.

 

Crappy drivers ? The previous owner of my car, she lived in San Francisco . It had 20k miles when I acquired it and I learned to drive manual in the 996tt. At 66k miles, my transmission was in for 2nd gear pop out. The clutch i was told had roughtly 70% of its life. Thats with a tune from 20k miles. Given that I now know manual i'm sure 200k miles on a new clutch will be no problem for me. Any less and I will be dissapointed in myself.