My clutch slips and doesnt engage until my foot is almost off the pedal

ok friends, i have an '09 taco 5 speed 4cyl 4x4 and recently when as I drive down the interstate, if I down shift into 4th my clutch acts like it's slipping. the revs will stay really high and then slump down to where they should be. Then other times i will be in 4th and press the accelerator and the rpm's will jump and if i let off the gas i feel a bump as they return to normal.

Also for the past 30k miles the clutch engagement point has moved up so far that i only have to flex my toe to change gears or move the vehicle. I've complained to the dealer since 20k while under warranty and they declared that the pedal position and a diesel sounding rattle coming from under the truck was normal. This really ticks me off since my truck is less than 2 yrs old and out of bumper to bumper warranty and Toyota won't do anything with it. Any suggestions other than picketing the dealership? Has anyone experienced these problems? and can i fix them without replacing my clutch at 52k?

btw i have been exclusively driving stick since i was 7 yrs old, so its not my ability that has compromised the clutch

 

Yeah, being in higher gear and pressing pedal is a great test to see if clutch is going. That sounds like what you describe but it could be the pedal adjustment. Try another dealer for sure as they can properly diagnose. Master or slave could also be issues with hydraulic clutches.

Edit: Check out this thread. A few have noticed premature failures with faulty clutch plates.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/73297-clutch-shot-22-000-miles.html

 

I have noticed, my pedal action seems to be on the high side - was almost going to do a thread to see if that is normal. (My old Nissan was the opposite - had to practically go through the floor, especially for reverse. Sure did engage nice & solid, though...)

I've acclimated and there's no slipping - for now. But I've got my eye on it.

OP, if you're full-on slipping, seems to me the time for half-baked diversions from the dealer has passed. If it were me, I'd give them ONE more chance to do me right (pointing out that the symptoms began well within warranty & if it is just a matter of adjustment, everybody could be happy for cheap...)

WCS, time to leave all that corporate runaround BS behind, find a good independent mechanic & never look back.

 

yeah i am about fed up with asking and begging and just bite the bullet. But i have had it at the dealer SEVERAL times about the pedal position. they told me that toyota made it so the position could not be adjusted. I don't know if this is true or not, but according to them...

 

If I'm not mistaken, that is correct. There is no adjustment on a hydrolic clutch. In the old day's if you had a conventional "spring clutch" you could adjust the pedal position somewhat. Also, check your fluid level in the resevoir. Other than that, there really isn't anything to adjust. A different clutch disc may "grab" at a different pedal height if you were to go aftermarket possibly. Hope it all works out for you

 

I want to see the 7 year old that can reach, much less push the clutch pedal.


WHat it sounds like you have (considering the noise) is a broken clutch disk. Or a hanging/mis-installed fork or bearing.

I've had similar experience with a rover. The guy didn't put the little install clip on the bearing and it jammed on the fork pushing the pressure plate about 1/2 way at all times. Slipped a lot and engaged way late. If it was hanging on the nose or something, it could be doing the same.

The broken clutch is something that was going around the tacomas. The clutch disk its self was breaking free of the center causing problems, I believe, similar to yours.

 

Your clutch assembly is toast, time to R&R....

 

I'm on my 2nd clutch assembly and had the second one adjusted twice. I liked the first clutch assembly, my truck wouldn't move when I let it out in neutral ( like it does now) and had some feel to it but I couldn't start it with out using the clutch start button. The two adjustments have been because it topped out (clutch pedel all the way out) before engaging the clutch. I hate this clutch, no feel at all, its an on and off switch.

 

A properly installed new clutch releases almost right off the floor, this last for a couple weeks usually, after about 2 months (with normal driving & wear) It'll get good release about mid way out, thats the "feel" you were talking about, & that can last a couple years or more if no real adverse driving is going on....

 

WHAT?!

 

I have a 1999 2x4 extra cab sr5 5speed 4cyl that the "half way" point lasted for eight years. now the clutch is about where my 2009 started off when i bought it. I've learned my lesson with 2nd gen taco's... V6 auto all the way

 

going auto is not a way around it.

If you're not convinced of the perfectly fineness of the toyota m6.. you MUST shop a nissan or something. Its not the car.

 

what do you mean by that? I've had toyota 5 speeds since i was 16! and all my family has had toyota 5 speeds. but with the V6 auto 4x4 getting the same fuel milage as my 5 speed 4cyl why go with the 5 speed with less power? and seemingly more problems?

 

I'd find the best independent Toyota specialist I could & go ahead and pay him to do the clutch. BCS (not-defective parts installed correctly) you'd be all good to go for 150+K. WCS (gets funky again after 25-50K) couldn't be much worse than the hosing you'd get on a trade-in.

It's hard to imagine getting the same mileage as a V6 auto 4x4, once the clutch is engaging properly. (Official spec's are 5mpg apart...)

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick323
I liked the first clutch assembly, my truck wouldn't move when I let it out in neutral ( like it does now) \.

Start it up in nuetral, no brake on, let clutch out still in neutral, truck moves forward a couple of inches then stops. I was under the impression this is normal for these trucks. I've never experienced this with any vehicle ever before.