Feeling A Loss of Power? 3 Signs of A Worn Clutch Plate.

Driver Master Chen recently encountered a problem while driving his heavy truck on long distances. The power transmission was noticeably weak, especially when the truck was fully loaded and climbing slopes. The engine made a loud roaring sound, but the vehicle speed was extremely slow, like a turtle, giving a sense of powerlessness. This issue might not necessarily be with the engine itself. It is more likely that the clutch plate, the core transmission component responsible for power connection, has aged. Due to the long-term wear and tear of the clutch plate, the transmission efficiency has significantly decreased. If your heavy truck also experiences similar problems, it is recommended to first check if it has any of the following three signs of wear on the clutch plate.

Sign 1: Road test to diagnose if the clutch plate is slipping: The power feedback of the heavy truck

Road testing of heavy-duty trucks is a direct method for assessing the condition of clutch plates. The test should be conducted on an open and safe road, preferably at medium speed, sudden acceleration, or high speed. When the accelerator pedal is deeply depressed, the engine speed indicator needle rises rapidly, but the speed of the heavy-duty truck does not increase significantly. There is a feeling of power loss, and the power cannot be directly transmitted to the wheels. At the same time, there is a significant shaking or lack of power in the vehicle body. This is probably a sign of slipping clutch plates.

Sign 2: The clutch pedal is loose, at an abnormal height, and feels very light. This is an intuitive indicator of worn clutch plates.

Over time, the clutch plate wears out and becomes thinner, causing a gap at the front end of the heavy truck's pedal. The pedal stroke of the heavy truck becomes longer, making it feel as if there is no response when you step on the pedal all the way down. The rebound force is much weaker than before, and the feedback is very weak. At this point, you need to press harder to get a little feedback. This is what veteran drivers often refer to as a different feeling in the foot. The thinner clutch plate forces the spring diaphragm inside the clutch pressure plate to increase its deformation amplitude, allowing for a greater release and maintaining the normal separation gap. Especially in congested driving or situations requiring frequent gear changes, this feeling makes each start and stop feel very strenuous, and the interference with driving control becomes more prominent.

Sign 3: A burnt smell wafts into the vehicle: An alert indicating the danger of overheating of the clutch plate in the heavy truck.

This smell is often detectable in the driver's cabin after a heavy truck has made a half-hill start, climbed with heavy loads, or driven in a semi-clutch mode for a long time. It gives off a burnt smell. This is a clear warning sign of high risk: it indicates that the clutch plate has reached an abnormal high temperature due to excessive slippage, and the friction plate is in a state of ablation. Once such an odor is detected, the high-load operation of the clutch plate must be immediately stopped and the driver must get out of the vehicle as soon as possible for inspection. Because this usually means that the clutch plate has reached a very severe stage of wear, which may cause the clutch assembly to fail at any time, and even affect surrounding components such as the flywheel, resulting in greater losses.

SUMMARIZE

Any of these signals must not be ignored. Any minor problem left unchecked will gradually escalate into a major issue, leading to greater cost consumption. For instance, if you are aware that the clutch plate has a problem but still persist in your way, sooner or later it will affect the "fish in the pond" - the pressure plate, flywheel, and bearings. When the truck completely stops working, you will face a large amount of repair costs.

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