Notices
Evo Engine / Turbo / Drivetrain Everything from engine management to the best clutch and flywheel.

Clutch dilema...help!!!

Old Dec 24, 2004 | 08:38 AM
  #1  
nchirico's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Clutch dilema...help!!!

The clutch on my 03 just went out with a little over 11k on it. This sucks. But what sucks more is that it isnt covered under warranty because it was "abused." It will cost 1500 about to replace it with the stock one and retain my factory warranty. i was looking around and thinking of doing a exedy single or rnr clutch which is around the same price, only thing is, i loose the warranty. Would it be worth it, or is the warranty still a good thing to have at only 11k? how many miles are the exedys and rnr and act's getting, talking about the 1500 dollar ones not the 2.5 or 3 grand ones. What exactly does the warranty cover and is it worth it to have or is teh clutch the only major issue assuming everything else is well maintained?
Reply
Old Dec 24, 2004 | 08:44 AM
  #2  
90GSX-03EVO's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (27)
 
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,217
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
Originally Posted by nchirico
But what sucks more is that it isnt covered under warranty because it was "abused."

On the Evo, when has it ever been implied that the clutch ia covered under warranty under any circumstances ourside of 12,000 miles or 12 months, whichever came first.


Not trying to bash on you, just wondering if your dealership is trying to say that abuse is the reason they won't cover it. In reality, they have no obligation at all to have to cover it.
Reply
Old Dec 24, 2004 | 08:48 AM
  #3  
nchirico's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
I havnt hit 12k or 12 months and i assumed if i abused the clutch it would have been gone miles ago, i personally dont think i do b/c i have never smelt it nor have i ever felt it even slip, it just went one day. I know they dont cover clutches very well but in general clutch aside is the warranty worth it, if i went with an exedy or sumthing, it would obviously be void.
Reply
Old Dec 24, 2004 | 08:53 AM
  #4  
93civEJ1's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,857
Likes: 0
From: TN
who cares about the warranty, theres not one to begin with when you take it off that car lot. Just do something better man, who cares either way they already said you are gonna be the one paying for it? Why go stock if keeping a warranty makes you pay anyway?
Reply
Old Dec 24, 2004 | 09:02 AM
  #5  
nchirico's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Alright then whats the best setup i can get for about 1500 dollars that i can drive on fairly hard and get decent mileage out of at least 30k or so. I will need clutch disk, throw out bearing, and flywheel.
Reply
Old Dec 24, 2004 | 09:19 AM
  #6  
Evoisdream's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (27)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,719
Likes: 1
From: Colorado
Originally Posted by 93civEJ1
who cares about the warranty, theres not one to begin with when you take it off that car lot. Just do something better man, who cares either way they already said you are gonna be the one paying for it? Why go stock if keeping a warranty makes you pay anyway?
was gonna say the same thing ovisly warrenty isnt thier if you cant get a new clutch at 11k and y would u want another clutch thats only gonna last 11K more screw oem $hit get something better havent got into clutches yet or else i would good luck
Reply
Old Dec 25, 2004 | 07:24 AM
  #7  
90GSX-03EVO's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (27)
 
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,217
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
Originally Posted by nchirico
I havnt hit 12k or 12 months and i assumed if i abused the clutch it would have been gone miles ago, i personally dont think i do b/c i have never smelt it nor have i ever felt it even slip, it just went one day. I know they dont cover clutches very well but in general clutch aside is the warranty worth it, if i went with an exedy or sumthing, it would obviously be void.
A 2003 with only 11,000 miles on it. I assumed you bought the car back in 2003 and therefore it is well over 12 months old by now.

If you're going to add a bit more power to the car, then I would go with something like the ACT clutch package. It uses the OEM disk which is plenty strong for most and a bit higher clamping force. They can be bought for a very reasonable price on here. Labor on almost any clutch kit you get for these cars is going to be outrageous, so I think that if you are looking at saving money, you should get a friend in the area that has done the install before and tackle it yourself.

I've ran an Evo to 26,000 miles before on the stock clutch with no problems. The car was totaled before the clutch started showing any signs of wear. My current car has just over 4,000 miles on it, but I suspect the clutch will last just as long as the other one, if not longer. On both cars, I had power adders just after the 1,000 mile clutch break in period.

The stock clutch seems to work great for some and horrible for others. I think driving style can be attributed to a lot of this. The problem seems to be a bit too random to be able to pin down on any other particular modification / build date / variable. I'm not saying that if your clutch fails then youa re a horrible driver. I'm just saying that your driving style might not "match" the style needed for the stock clutch. These cars are pretty bullet-proof as far as the drivetrain is concerned. I wouldn't worry too much about adding an aftermarket single disk clutch unless you really start beating on the car (clutch drops, shock loading the tranny instead of speed matching downshifts, riding the clutch on a takeoff instead of a quick release, high RPM slips, etc.).
Reply
Old Dec 25, 2004 | 03:33 PM
  #8  
nchirico's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
thanx guys i bought the car 2 weeks ago and the factory warranty was still suppose to be honored. if i bought it 2 weeks ago is the 12 month 12k mile thing still good? I think the other guy might have had it more than 12 months but not too sure.
Reply
Old Dec 25, 2004 | 04:02 PM
  #9  
sleet's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (9)
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,197
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Lauderdale
Who cares about the warranty, they aren't going to fix your clutch...what makes you think they are going to fix anything else? lol
Reply
Old Dec 25, 2004 | 04:22 PM
  #10  
90GSX-03EVO's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (27)
 
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,217
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
Originally Posted by nchirico
thanx guys i bought the car 2 weeks ago and the factory warranty was still suppose to be honored. if i bought it 2 weeks ago is the 12 month 12k mile thing still good? I think the other guy might have had it more than 12 months but not too sure.

If you bought it used, then the warranty was "activated" when the car was first sold. If the original sale date was within 12 months of the day you took it in for repair of the clutch, then it still falls under the "12,000 mile / 12 month warranty" on the clutch. That might be why they said it was abused, to keep from having to pony up and replace it on their dime. Of course, it wouldn't truely be their dime, since they would be reimbursed by MMNA, but still......

I'd talk to them and explain that you know that the car MIGHT have been abused, but how can they tell that you abused it or the previous owner. If they sold you a used car that still have a 100% active warranty, then it might be negotiable. Let them know that you know they are reimbursed for all warranty-able work from their "boss", MMNA. Work something out with them on a "buddy-buddy" level. Give them the impression somewhere along the way that you are looking for a reasonable shop to do all of your scheduled maintenance, and that their decision to leave you high-and-dry on a car that you have only owned for 2 weeks will ruin that relationship in a hurry.
Reply
Old Dec 25, 2004 | 04:22 PM
  #11  
Greyfox5's Avatar
Evolving Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 329
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas
true, they wont fix ur clutch, if you asked the service dept they will tell you that ur clutch is not under warranty, its considered a "wear and tear" item. As for the warrenty ur only going to keep it as long as u dont do any type of modifications and if that's the case then why did u even get an evo?
Reply
Old Dec 25, 2004 | 04:51 PM
  #12  
90GSX-03EVO's Avatar
Evolved Member
iTrader: (27)
 
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,217
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
Originally Posted by Greyfox5
....if you asked the service dept they will tell you that ur clutch is not under warranty, its considered a "wear and tear" item.
Not true. There is a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty on the clutch.


Page 25 of the 2003 Lancer Evolution Warranty and Maintenance Manual:
Attached Thumbnails Clutch dilema...help!!!-clutch-warranty.jpg  
Reply
Old Dec 25, 2004 | 05:24 PM
  #13  
Dustan78's Avatar
Newbie
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
just go with the act hd streed disk....you can get one forlike 500 shipped to your door.the labor is going to be the pricey part...but trust me its worth it.i just replaced mine with the act and im loving it
Reply


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:19 AM.