Clutch Diagnostic Tool
Not sure what your clutch is telling you? Answer a few quick questions below. The checker walks the same diagnostic logic we use in the shop, one question at a time, and points you at the likely cause and the repair that fixes it.
It’s the interactive twin of The Clutch Diagnostic Chart, the poster that has hung in our lobby since our Clutch Doctors days. Prefer to see all five symptom columns at once? Read the chart. If you’d rather be asked, start below.
Whatever the checker points at, the next step is the same one we’d take in the shop: confirm it. Start with a clutch diagnosis: every job begins with a Digital Vehicle Inspection, so you see photographs of what we found on your own vehicle. We’ve specialized in clutches in Beaverton since 1995, as the original Clutch Doctors, and our technicians are ASE-certified. Call 503-626-4810.
MotorCar Doctors Auto Repair, 13203 SW Canyon Rd, Ste C, Beaverton, Oregon 97005 · 503-626-4810 · Mon–Fri: 8:00am to 5:00pm
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell what’s wrong with my clutch?
Start with the symptom. Almost every clutch complaint is one of five: noise, slipping, chatter, hard to shift, or a hard pedal. The checker on this page asks one question at a time and points you to the likely cause.
How do you test a clutch for slipping?
We put the car in third gear with the parking brake on and let the clutch out. A healthy clutch would stall the engine. We don’t actually stall it, but we can tell when it would.
How do you check whether a clutch is releasing?
Push the clutch in, wait 30 seconds, then select reverse. If it grinds, the clutch isn’t fully releasing. The wait lets the transmission coast to a stop, and reverse is used because it isn’t synchronized.
Is the checker’s result a diagnosis?
It points you toward the likely cause. The next step is to confirm it with a clutch diagnosis, which starts with a Digital Vehicle Inspection so you see photos of what we found on your own car.
Are clutch adjustments free?
Yes. Clutch adjustments are free, and we check the clutch before any work begins.