1st Gen R53 Cooper S clutch testing procedures (I thought this might be helpful to others)

JCC · Aug 17, 2010

By Kyle from Pro Tuning Performance:

Below are two simple ways to test whether or not your clutch is slipping. Let me know if you have any other questions.

1. From a stop, ease the clutch out in first gear. Get the car moving and hold the engine at approximately 3000 RPM in first gear with the clutch completely out. Next, quickly press the accelerator to the floor and hold it all the way to the redline. If the car pulls normally, then you are all good. If you notice that the engine RPMs increase but the car does not seem to be accelerating (and the tires are not spinning) then that most likely means that the clutch is slipping.

2. On the highway (preferably on a slight incline), put the car in one of the highest gears (5th or 6th) and maintain an engine RPM of approximately 3000 RPM with the clutch completely out. Watch the engine RPM and once again, quickly push the accelerator to the floor. If the engine RPM jumps up a few hundred RPM but the car does not accelerate, this can be a sign of a slipping clutch. Most of the time you will see the RPMs jump from around 3000 to 3500 almost immediately, then drop back down to 3000 at which point the car will begin to accelerate. The extent to which the RPMs jump will give you an idea of how badly the clutch is slipping. If you see a jump of 400-500 RPM, thats means the clutch is just beginning to slip. If you see any more than 500 RPM, then the clutch is probably pretty close to failing completely.

Of course, if there is no RPM jump and the car just accelerates normally, then your clutch is likely holding just fine.

These two test can determine if the clutch is worn, but will not always show if you have a warped pressure plate and/or flywheel (which will result in rough/uneven clutch engagement). However, there are other things that can result in rough clutch engagement.
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lotsie · Aug 17, 2010

If you smell burning clutch while doing either of these test, then what:confused5::confused5: And if the car rolls to a stop, is that bad Then the dealer tells you the clutch is destroyed, that can't be good, except they have nothing to examine:lol:

Mark

JCC · Aug 17, 2010

Got me there. I mentioned on another forum that I was potentially having clutch issues and he PM'd this info to me. I asked him if it was okay to post on that forum and elsewhere so I posted up on a few different forums hoping it would be helpful.

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1st Gen R53 Cooper S clutch testing procedures (I thought this might be helpful to others)

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