QUESTION about clutch on LS3... - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

IROCanSS · 10-02-2009, 10:29 AM

A little background on my car. It just turned 2500 miles. It is an LS3 and for the first 1000 miles I was pretty much by the book. Over 5000 RPM a time or two but really pretty easy on it. After talking to Darin, I started being more aggressive, changed the oil at 1500 and the car runs like a champ! Still haven't done the fuse pull. Most people don't notice much change on the LS3.

At about 2000 miles, I did one MONSTER burnout in it but that's all. I have never used the launch control and am pretty easy on the car most of the time, no hard off the line starts or power shifts. I picked my car up in August and have only drive it on nice warm, sunny days.

Bear with me, this is going somewhere I swear...

Two weeks ago I had to have some warranty paint work so I took it to the dealer and got it back a few days later. It was cold (low 50s) and rainy the day I picked it up and as soon as I got in it (the car was cold) and started to drive away it seemed like I was having a hard time driving... like a stick shift rookie, which I am not. I had a C5 manual and C6 manual so I am used to this type of vehicle setup. So I am in a wet, recently sealed asphalt lot and the wheels cut hard to avoid hitting a wall and I am having a hell of a time getting the clutch to engage smoothly. It was chattering really bad. By chatter I mean engage and then disengage... quickly and repeatedly. Nothing strange with the engine. It is all left foot related. I basically have to be off the accellerator and slowly let the clutch out to engage without it occuring (imagine the difficulty on an incline). If I try to give it gas, it feels like it wants to grab, then won't, then wants to grab, then wont. I figured it was just from my position with the wheels turned, the wet lot and me trying not to spin the wheels. It was chattering to the point my passenger commented on it by asking if I was still getting used to it. Well it kept doing that, chattering I call it, on the next few starts. I had to baby it so much, nearly no gas to get it to engage smoothly. Happened about 4 or 5 times but by the time I got home (50 miles) everything was fine. No chatter at all. I contested it to wet road and what not, maybe I really was having a hard time with it. Put the car away for fairer weather.

The next time I drove the car was yesterday (Thursday), I took it to work. Start on my way to work, it was 41 degrees out, and same thing. I was having a hard time engaging smoothly into first with out babying it. Did it about 4 or 5 starts from stopped. All other gears engaged no sweat and the car drove great. By the time I got to work... no problems. I even let a coworker drive the car who has never driven one but drives stick everyday (6 speed Acura TSX). He had no problem at all. No chattering, nothing. Then the car was fine the rest of the day. No issues. I am dumbfounded?!

I never noticed this on either Corvette but hell I never really drove them when it was cold either so don't really remember. Could the clutch be something that just doesn't like cold temps and needs to "warm up" a little or do you suspect there is some thing wrong with it that I should have looked at? Like I said, the car has basically been babied, no slipping the clutch, only one burn out, no launch control or power shifts... what gives? I suspect if I take it to the dealer, they are going to say I beat the snot out of it and now I am having clutch issues. I also know the LS3/M6 drive line is "noisy" and "herky jerky" but mine seems rather noisy and the chattering at cold starts is odd to me. But again I say, the car runs like a champ. I even ran it hard yesterday through the gears, shifting near red line. No problems.

Blueclyde · 10-03-2009, 07:57 AM

Is there any smell coming from the car when this occurs (like something is on the clutch plate or disc)? It almost sounds like it is wet. I wonder if something is leaking... I've never experienced anything like this.

IROCanSS · 10-03-2009, 07:59 AM

No and I am an idiot. Cars fine. Checked the clutch/brake fluid, clean and full. It was operator error. I have driven the car several times since then, in the cold and its been fine. I guess 5:30am + stick shift + me = FAIL!

Thanks anyhow!

Scott@Bjorn3D · 10-03-2009, 08:05 AM

Back from my Gen 4 days when I parked my car outside when it was cold condenstation would form on the clutch plate. It was a pain to start out it the car like you are describing. What I started doing on cold days was start the car and let it sit for about 4-5 minutes before going and all was fine.

Tech told me it was condensation and it happens alot on cars left outside in the cold.

IROCanSS · 10-03-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott@Bjorn3D

Back from my Gen 4 days when I parked my car outside when it was cold condenstation would form on the clutch plate. It was a pain to start out it the car like you are describing. What I started doing on cold days was start the car and let it sit for about 4-5 minutes before going and all was fine.

Tech told me it was condensation and it happens alot on cars left outside in the cold.

Well, that could totally be it. First time it had been parked out in the cold rain at the dealer

. Second time it was in the garage but it had rained for like a week straight and was so humid you could see it in the air. I am guessing thats it b/c it has been fine the past few times and its been dry.

Thanks a lot. That makes total sense.

JerseyMonte · 11-04-2009, 08:38 AM

I found your post concerning this problem in search,
mine does exactly the same thing you described.
An interesting point is that it didn't start doing it
until the weather got colder. When I pull out of the drive way on a slight incline it seems fine, go
about 3 miles it shudders drive about another
2 miles everything is ok.It seems like the condensation
described enters the clutch plate/flywheel area
after the clutch is disengaged the first time, and when the engine
is up to operating temp it drys it out
I have only 1100 miles on it now I sure hope that is all this problem is
We have had a lot of rain in the northeast this past month and the
and the resulting dampness.
I finally finished my garage and will keep the car out of the weather.
Even in the winter, the sun heats up the garage even on the coldest
days

10-02-2009, 10:29 AM	#1
IROCanSS Account Suspended Drives: 89 IROC 350 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Back roads, southern Ohio Posts: 12,504 View My Garage	QUESTION about clutch on LS3... A little background on my car. It just turned 2500 miles. It is an LS3 and for the first 1000 miles I was pretty much by the book. Over 5000 RPM a time or two but really pretty easy on it. After talking to Darin, I started being more aggressive, changed the oil at 1500 and the car runs like a champ! Still haven't done the fuse pull. Most people don't notice much change on the LS3. At about 2000 miles, I did one MONSTER burnout in it but that's all. I have never used the launch control and am pretty easy on the car most of the time, no hard off the line starts or power shifts. I picked my car up in August and have only drive it on nice warm, sunny days. Bear with me, this is going somewhere I swear... Two weeks ago I had to have some warranty paint work so I took it to the dealer and got it back a few days later. It was cold (low 50s) and rainy the day I picked it up and as soon as I got in it (the car was cold) and started to drive away it seemed like I was having a hard time driving... like a stick shift rookie, which I am not. I had a C5 manual and C6 manual so I am used to this type of vehicle setup. So I am in a wet, recently sealed asphalt lot and the wheels cut hard to avoid hitting a wall and I am having a hell of a time getting the clutch to engage smoothly. It was chattering really bad. By chatter I mean engage and then disengage... quickly and repeatedly. Nothing strange with the engine. It is all left foot related. I basically have to be off the accellerator and slowly let the clutch out to engage without it occuring (imagine the difficulty on an incline). If I try to give it gas, it feels like it wants to grab, then won't, then wants to grab, then wont. I figured it was just from my position with the wheels turned, the wet lot and me trying not to spin the wheels. It was chattering to the point my passenger commented on it by asking if I was still getting used to it. Well it kept doing that, chattering I call it, on the next few starts. I had to baby it so much, nearly no gas to get it to engage smoothly. Happened about 4 or 5 times but by the time I got home (50 miles) everything was fine. No chatter at all. I contested it to wet road and what not, maybe I really was having a hard time with it. Put the car away for fairer weather. The next time I drove the car was yesterday (Thursday), I took it to work. Start on my way to work, it was 41 degrees out, and same thing. I was having a hard time engaging smoothly into first with out babying it. Did it about 4 or 5 starts from stopped. All other gears engaged no sweat and the car drove great. By the time I got to work... no problems. I even let a coworker drive the car who has never driven one but drives stick everyday (6 speed Acura TSX). He had no problem at all. No chattering, nothing. Then the car was fine the rest of the day. No issues. I am dumbfounded?! I never noticed this on either Corvette but hell I never really drove them when it was cold either so don't really remember. Could the clutch be something that just doesn't like cold temps and needs to "warm up" a little or do you suspect there is some thing wrong with it that I should have looked at? Like I said, the car has basically been babied, no slipping the clutch, only one burn out, no launch control or power shifts... what gives? I suspect if I take it to the dealer, they are going to say I beat the snot out of it and now I am having clutch issues. I also know the LS3/M6 drive line is "noisy" and "herky jerky" but mine seems rather noisy and the chattering at cold starts is odd to me. But again I say, the car runs like a champ. I even ran it hard yesterday through the gears, shifting near red line. No problems.

11-04-2009, 08:38 AM	#6
JerseyMonte Drives: 1972 Z28 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southern New Jersey Posts: 355	Shudder I found your post concerning this problem in search, mine does exactly the same thing you described. An interesting point is that it didn't start doing it until the weather got colder. When I pull out of the drive way on a slight incline it seems fine, go about 3 miles it shudders drive about another 2 miles everything is ok.It seems like the condensation described enters the clutch plate/flywheel area after the clutch is disengaged the first time, and when the engine is up to operating temp it drys it out I have only 1100 miles on it now I sure hope that is all this problem is We have had a lot of rain in the northeast this past month and the and the resulting dampness. I finally finished my garage and will keep the car out of the weather. Even in the winter, the sun heats up the garage even on the coldest days

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10-03-2009, 07:57 AM	#2
Blueclyde Drives: 2023 ZLE Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Detroit Posts: 1,717	Is there any smell coming from the car when this occurs (like something is on the clutch plate or disc)? It almost sounds like it is wet. I wonder if something is leaking... I've never experienced anything like this.

10-03-2009, 07:59 AM	#3
IROCanSS Account Suspended Drives: 89 IROC 350 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Back roads, southern Ohio Posts: 12,504 View My Garage	No and I am an idiot. Cars fine. Checked the clutch/brake fluid, clean and full. It was operator error. I have driven the car several times since then, in the cold and its been fine. I guess 5:30am + stick shift + me = FAIL! Thanks anyhow!

10-03-2009, 08:05 AM	#4
Scott@Bjorn3D Drives: Kami, 2013 2SS LS3 Luvin Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Eufaula, Alabama Posts: 6,427	Back from my Gen 4 days when I parked my car outside when it was cold condenstation would form on the clutch plate. It was a pain to start out it the car like you are describing. What I started doing on cold days was start the car and let it sit for about 4-5 minutes before going and all was fine. Tech told me it was condensation and it happens alot on cars left outside in the cold.