Sorry to cross-post this. Just realized I put the original post in the 996 group.


The feel of the clutch pedal just changed drastically. The clutch is easier to push in and engages closer to the floor. The pedal is much lighter and softer as it engages. There is also a slight vibration as the clutch moves through the midportion of its travel.

The clutch used to be firm and engaged from about 1/2 to 3/4 away from the floor. Now it feels like a Honda Civic. No problems getting in an out of gear. Does not seem to slip.

2006 997S with 25K miles 6 speed manual. No major mods.
2 track days and lots of spirited driving, however, I am not hard on clutches- believe it or not- got 225K miles on my Toyota 4Runner on the original clutch.

Wondering if the clutch "self adjusted" or if something broke or is about to break. Not too sure about asking the dealership just yet. They love to suggest expensive repairs.

Thanks in advance!

 

Mine was a broken pressure plate.

I bought a used 06 c2s, so I don't know whether the previous owner put undue stress on it or whether it was a fluke, but Porsche replaced the entire clutch.

I had the same sensation, then that night, gears would barely engage with tons of slip. It was so late, I was able to get all the way to the dealership without shifting it but a few times. You should get it checked out asap.

Good luck.

 

I drive the same model and year as well. I've noticed a few times early this year that clutch would slip very briefly. I thought that was odd with less than 30K miles on the car. Didn't notice the pedal feel change probably because it was gradual over time. The car is on a lease so I was doubting whether to take in for service. Anyway, I did take it in after all. They test drove it and confirmed the slip. The technician told me that he thought the clutch was too stiff and engaging too high from floor. They said it wouldn't be covered under warranty but they offered free labor if I paid for the part. So I took their offer. Later that day they called and told me that the whole thing would be covered under warranty because what they found was that the clutch was worn unevenly because of a bad pressure plate. Ended up with a brand new clutch. I can't tell the night and day difference in the way the drive changed when I got it back. I say have it looked at you may have a similar problem.

 

The 997 clutch self-adjusts. Sudden change in pedal feel is not normal. It should be checked. Was the brake/clutch fluid changed every 2 years as recommended? if tracked more often?

 

Thanks for the replies.

The brake fluid has not been changed recently. I did have more brake fade than usual on my last track day so the fluid needs to be flushed and replaced with high quality fluid.

I'm not sure how that would change the feel of the clutch so suddenly unless the level is low. I checked the level 2 months ago but I will re-check it. Thanks.

The clutch does not seem to slip at all so I'm hoping it is not catastrophic. If it is major and not under warranty I'm wondering if I should upgrade the clutch.

This may not be relevant: when I bought the car used at 16K miles I pressed the clutch down to the floor really hard. I guess I was used to a truck clutch. It clicked each time I used it that first day. It never happened again so I forgot about it. Wondering if clutch assist spring may have something to do with this? Sounds like when those things break the clutch gets heavier, though.

 

Final Update:

The diagnosis was: a worn out clutch.

The scary part (read "stupid") was that I took it to the dealership first. All they really seemed interested in was making sure I was willing to pay the bill. Prior to disassembly the mechanic said he was pretty sure the flywheel was damaged which would bring the total repair cost up to $3100. When I asked him if it seemed unusual that a car with 25K miles would have this problem he said that he saw this "all the time".

When I asked if it was possible that there could have been a defect in the flywheel that could have caused it to fail so soon he said that he had "Never seen a manufacturing defect in a Porsche."

Hmmmm.

I told them not to touch it and had it shipped to Fifth Gear Automotive in Lewisville, TX. They put in a new clutch kit. The flywheel was not damaged (of course.) The clutch is fixed and feels great- all for less than half the price that the stealership wanted.

The guys at Fifth Gear did an awesome job and didn't try to BS me. They also did an alignment, adding some negative camber to help track performance and tire wear.

Good job. Don't ask my why I took it to the dealership first.

 

So if the clutch doesn't slip there is still a chance that it may be bad?

Did Fifth Gear Automotive diagnose your clutch as 100% worn out?

 

Good question, I am curious about the answer as well.

 

It really didn't ever slip that much. It began to vibrate more when engaging it after driving it to the dealership.

I will ask the mechanic exactly what bits where worn out and post his response.

Thanks again for everyone who posted.

 

This is the reply from my mechanic:

The clutch failure was due the disc failing (material breaking down and coming off the center). Porsche clutch disc are thin by design for weight and do not last long with any track use. You caught it early enough to prevent damage to the flywheel, but had kept driving it you most definitely would have damaged it.

 

Your Situation is almost identical to mine. Mine clutch pedal feel changed drastically on fathers day while on a drive in the mountains. 06 997S w/ 31k miles. Took it to the dealer and was told the clutch was gone and also a hydraulic slave was failing as well. Slave covered under warranty. Clutch cost me $1825.

The thing is, I bought my car with 26k on it and now that I have a new clutch... I'm like damn... that's what it's supposed to feel like?
Mine must have been on it's last leg from the time I bought it. I had convinced myself that the little vibrations and jerky starts were because of my technique.
I can now feel confident that the PO didn't know how to drive a clutch very well.

As a piece of mind exercise, I asked my local PCA for an experienced member to do a ride along with me and critique my clutch work. I've always gotten many miles out of clutches but this is my first real sportscar.

A local DE instructor went out with me and said there was no way I burned up a clutch based on how he saw me driving. He said I could work on some things and gave me some pointers but nothing I was doing would cause a clutch to fail so quickly.