Is Clutch Checked On Service?

Author: E. Silva (aka Mr. Awesome Expert)

Many honest auto dealers and mechanics ( like Christian Brothers Automotive, the first one that came to my mind when I said ‘honest’, he he he he heh ) can do a no – cost free evaluation of all other major components of your vehicle when you take it in to get any kind of work done. And this, 9 times out of 10, does include a thorough check of the clutch and its overall components, just to ensure safety, reliability, performance, and overall lasting value. They will tell you, after the current work has been done ( and usually provide an optional services type of invoice that you can accept or reject, based on how much you are willing to spend there, and how serious of a matter you think the issue may be ) , whether or not the clutch ( and other areas, like the brake pads, steering wheel alignment, emissions and much more ) needs a repair or a replacement … or if it happens to be just fine and needs nothing at all.

Usually, though, most auto mechanics will FIND something else to try and bill ya for ( it’s just the nature of their business …. and you are their business, he he he he he heh ) . There is typically ALWAYS something wrong or that could be slightly improved with the car, which they will try to tack on to your bill. They can even tell you, in order of importance, what additional things you may need to get fixed on the car … and you can decide, from then and there, how much money you’d put down on this particular visit ( and what issues you can save up for, to go and fix later ) .

What they will usually do on your clutch is basically called a routine courtesy inspection or courtesy check ( as others often refer to it as ) , and it is very basic in nature. If they can catch something truly wrong or improvable with the clutch, on just that very basic test alone, then it tells them that the matter may be more serious in nature ( of which they will need to look into it further, and thus charge you additional hours for labor …. which involves a more thorough clutch inspection altogether ) .

However, if they really can’t catch anything requiring attention on the clutch, then it usually means it’s not worth looking at or bothering over ( at least for the time being ) . And for you, that is good news it means they checked the clutch and find no basic causes for concern with it. Usually if the clutch engages as it should, or dis – engages poorly, they will be able to tell right away.

Keep in mind that some mechanics do not check the clutch on every visit, on another note. Services and businesses vary.