If you drive your car regularly wear and tear of the clutch is unavoidable. A big factor in this can be stop-start city driving. This can wear down the clutch as it is under the most stress when changing from movement to a complete stop. You need to be aware of the signs that your clutch needs replacing.
– Pay close attention when changing gears. If you feel less resistance than usual, it could be a sign of a clutch on its way out.
– Keep an eye on the RPMs as you drive. What you need to listen and look for is high RPMs and racing engine sounds for the actual speed you are driving. If you notice the engine working harder in terms of RPM’s for 30mph than it has done before your clutch could be in trouble.
– Drive somewhere quiet. Move to a part of the road where you have plenty of space before you have to stop and gradually accelerate up to 30 mph. Then press fully down on the clutch pedal and shift into fourth gear. Let the clutch pedal out slowly while you give it plenty of gas–more than you normally do–but do not put the pedal all the way down. When you let the clutch out far enough that it engages, one or two things will happen: Your car will slow down and lurch forward, or the engine will race, the RPMs will shoot up and the car will not show any increase in speed. If the last of these two things happens, the clutch needs replacing. If the former happens, the clutch is okay.