My '03 started acting really weird today when the boost kicked in. Instead of the RPMs climbing steadily (and rapidly) they would jump up a couple hundred, then settle back down and work like normal. What in the world could this be?

It is (and has always been) completely stock, and has around 16k miles -

Any suggestions / help is appreciated!

 

Clutch is slipping.

 

x2

 

Yup.

 

Look at the end of the Post. My problem went away

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...se#post1340156

 

His problem sounds more like it is going on when the car is in gear, the clutch is let out, and then he has started his accelleration (he said when the boost kicked in). Not DURING the gear change.

I seriously think this guy's clutch is going out.

As for that other problem... Snoop, have you noticed that the factory tachometer is a couple of hundred RPM's behind when the car is "free revving"? If you get on the clutch a hair bit too early and still have any throttle pressure at all, you will see an RPM "spike". It does happen moreso in cold weather, which is strange and might be linked to the denser air requiring even less throttle pressure to induce it. You can even simulate this by sitting still with the car's clutch pressed in (not clutch out-in neutral) and blip the throttle a couple of times. Notice that the engine speed "sound" and the visual RPM indication don't fully jive up? It looks to me like the RPM's are just misinterpreted a bit on the factory tachometer, which is a common problem. It doesn't play that big of a role when you are in gear and driving, because you won't raise your RPM nearly as quickly as you would when the engine is free spinning. Also, the RPM count is sent through the ECU, so there are electronic calculations that go in to play, which takes time (although it's all in microseconds) to be processed and then displayed through the instrument cluster.

 

Appreciate the feedback about the clutch. Would the problem be prevalent when first getting the car going - b/c in first it appears everything is engaging fine -

Also (I hate to ask b/c I'm afraid on the answer) is the clutch covered under the 3 year 36k mile warranty?

If not, what are some good clutch options (I'm in Ohio, probably 3 hours from Buschur)

Thanks. BTW - this is the first non-Honda I have ever owned (some previous cars being a '93 VTEC prelude & 94 Integra GSR) and the clutch going this soon is completely unacceptable!

 

1. I have owned a couple of other Mitsubishi all-wheel-drive/turbocharged cars, and when the OEM clutch starts to go, it acts just like that. It won't slip in first gear, or from taking off from a dead stop. The slippage first becomes notcable when you are going...say 50 mph in 5th gear and you floor it. Right around 3500 RPM, it will pick up to about 3700 to 4000 RPM, then "hover" there as the car SLOWLY picks up speed, then it will get back in sync and finish accellerating all the way to redline. When the clutch first starts to go, this is what you will see. It will only get worse over time.

2. The clutch is a wearable item. In your owner's manual it states that it is covered for 12 months/12,000 miles, but this is all on a case-by-case basis. You can take the car in to have them inspect it for improper clutch wear, and they MIGHT cover it under warranty, but if you have ever revved the car up and dropped the clutch so you can see how fast you can launch the car, they will see that damage on the flywheel - good luck getting any warranty work done after they discover evidence the car was "race driven". I'm not trying to scare you or anything, this is just how Mitsu works.

3. Buschur Racing is a great shop. They stock the Exedy clutch/flywheel package, which should be more than enough clutch for anything you decide to do to the car. It will cost you around $1400 before install, but it will be worth it, especially if you are doing launches. I'd give them a call and ask for their advice on this, if you decide to go the non-OEM route.

4. You can't compare the Evo to a VTEC'ed Honda, dude. Your driving style might have been a factor in this and you don't even realize it. On a FWD car, you can release the clutch a lot faster and not have to worry because 1.) there's less power to be transfered, and 2.) the power that is transfered is only going to two wheels, which can spin a lot easier, taking the shock load off of the drivetrain. I've owned 2 different all wheel drive Eclipse GSX's and 2 Evo's and the first time I ever felt the OEM clutch start to go out in any of them was around the 75,000 mile mark.

 

You're absolutley right - I guess I was just inferring that I put 80K+ miles on the Prelude before I had to do anything with the clutch, and 16k for the EVO is unbelievable.

If I go non-OEM on a clutch, do you know if this voids a ton of other warranties on the Engine / Drivetrain?

Looks like I'll be calling Buschur & Passen (though I think they changed their name) here in Columbus to explore my options.

Again - thanks for all the help -

 

With this car, especially, you're going to catch a ton of flack from the dealership if you go afterlarket with anything. The stock clutch will handle the stock power, you just have to "learn" how to modulate it properly. I know it sounds strange, and I'm not trying to say you don't know how to drive, but this car's clutch engagement is a bit different due to the high power/all wheel drive/sticky tires.

 

Try Quantum Racing in Marysville. It's much closer to you than Buschur and you can get your Evo dynoed while you are there. Quantum installed my ACT clutch 7000 miles ago (along with tons of other upgrades) and I have had no issues.

Go to the website for directions and phone#. Ask for Bryon. That's my Evo on the dyno on the home page.
www.quantum-racing.com

 

Yay! I'm not the only one! lol.

Yeh, for some reason, my first and second gear is ok. It's a bit sluggish engaging on the neutral to first gear.

Your clutch is slipping and i don't know any other reason why your RPM should be skipping like that.

By the way, when these clutch starts to go, they go fast.

Mine used to slip at 3000rpm to 4000rpm, but now it's slipping from 2000 rpm and I haven't been driving since it first slipped. I drove it for only about 5 minutes under boost, under 3000 rpm.

Get your clutch replaced!