Has anyone had any problems with their clutches? Here lately when I let out on the clutch from first gear, I hear a medium to high pitched humming sound. It's when the clutch plate is engaging - like a metal on metal sound. I can make it vary by how much gas I give it when letting out. I can almost feel it through the steering wheel too. It's annoying.

I generally give it 1K - 1.5K RPM while letting out from a stop. I don't drag it out either. I've been driving a stick for 10 years so I hardly think I've burned the clutch out already. It's not slipping any. It only happens from a stop. It has 47K miles on it. I thought most clutches last at least 80 - 100K. I've never replaced the clutch in my truck and it has 106K on it...

 

My 2k has about 30k on it (too many k's in one sentence.) I think the clutch is in it's final stretch. I can smell it burning occasionally.
Car and driver had a 2k 5spd for a long term test. They wore it out at about 40k
Sometimes I wonder if nissan spent too much time on motor and not enough time on putting power down and stopping it afterwards.

Anyway, use it as an excuse to get an ACT cluth.
That's what I'm waiting on.

 

sounds like the throw out bearing... check the 2k2 dying squirl noise or something along there.

will

 

Thanks, I had never heard of the dying squirrel, also referred to as the airwolf howl. Sounds like that's it. I guess since the throw-out bearing is "stressed" while the clutch is disengaged, it makes since that the noise happens more often when I've had the clutch held in at idle for a little while. Guess it's time to turn up the radio!

 

I've had this problem on my car since 10K mi. I was worried just like you are, but Nissan tech said it is normal. One time I got so ****ed that I intentionally decided to burn it up. Revved the engine up to 3-4K rpms and rode the clutch. There was a smell, but the humming is gone. Now, 2yrs later and at 43K mi, no noises and ths stock clutch works fine.

 

Just had our car at the dealer for 22.5 k service. We experience the same howl starting out it 1st when the car is hot. Doesn't have it when it is cold. Had the dealer check into it, but they said they could not reproduce it. BUT...would you believe they checked and found the applicable TSB (which I knew about, but didn't mention to them) and said they would order a new clutch plate, and let us know when to bring the car back to have it installed. What a pleasant surprise, they actually believed me!

 

Just curious, how much does these problems cost to fix. I am considering buying a used maxima and would like to know the costs of any potential repairs such as this.

 

my friends 1999 SE has the same problem. Don't make a big deal out of it, the stock clutch should easily last 100K mi if you won't abuse it. The replacement is $400-450 with labor?

 

Cool, thanks.

 

Mine has 57k on it and I got the car at 37k. My guess is that it has not been replaced before, but I'm very kind to the clutch. I think that unless there is something wrong with the car, if you're replacing a clutch before 100k there is actually something wrong with the driver

I can't tell you how many people I see riding their clutches at hills trying to show off that they have a 5 speed as the car hovers back and forth. It's soooo bad for it.

 

You are so right, 100,000 mi on a clutch is not problem. My wife and I have had std. tranny cars for over 20 years. We keep cars for at least 6 to 10 years and have never replaced a clutch. When I got rid of my old '89 Civic Si, it had 135,000 miles on the original clutch and was still going strong. The clutch noise on the 2k2's appears to come out sooner if you are hard on a clutch, usually within the 1st 5000 miles, I honestly thought is was driver induced until we got it at 20k. The fact that there is a TSB, indicates Nissan knows it is a problem....

 

50,000 miles on my 2k2...and its still STRONG!