New '06 xA manuall car < 500 miles.

I notice that occasionally that when the clutch is cold (first start of the day)
and I go up a hill from stop, the clutch will shudder slightly from Neutral to 1st gear.
(I think it's clutch shudder... wheel seems to hop... car jerks slightly).\

Is clutch shudder the same as clutch chatter?

It never occurs when flat or going down hill, only the first couple shift from Neutral to 1st
going up hilll.

Reving it a bit and slowly letting out the clutch (using the handbrake on the hill)
seems to work until the clutch gets warmed up (usually 3 - 4 stop signs when I can
shift from Neutral to 1st gets the clutch/transmission warm and acts buttery smooth.

Anyone experience this?

 

Several people have reported the shudder. Mine did it very slightly a half-dozen times. It seems to be normal as it goes away within 1000 miles, probably part of the break-in process.

 

mine did the same thing until around 1500 miles. No problems since then

 

I'm at just over 80K and mine shudders almost every morning when I leave for work.

 

So does my Mazda truck clutch at 150K, only in the morning when first cold. I had the import shop check it out, it did not shudder for them, and I was told unless/until the clutch slips, there is nothing wrong. Shuddering may be an early & late clutch life phenomenon. At 80K, the xB clutch may be near its end.

 

I hope not. Most of those are highway miles. The clutch has only slipped once and that was when it was still relatively cold. It slipped in 3 gears though. Maybe my car was having a good horsepower day.

 

Shuddering is not the same as slipping. Shuddering occurs as the clutch engages, and often occurs with our xB clutches when new. Slipping occurs with the clutch engaged and under full power, and lets the rpms rise with no increase in mph, and is associated with old clutches.
Slipping under full throttle in top gear can mean the clutch is bad. That has happened to me on a couple of bikes and a car. However, my present 1969 bike did slip once a couple of years ago after holding 80 mph for a few miles, I ordered spare clutch parts, but it has not slipped since. So if you are lucky maybe your slipping will disappear for awhile longer.
What would be your choice of replacement clutch?

 

Thanks for the explanation but I was just mentioning that I wasn't having any slipping problems which are common to worn clutches.

I have no idea what I'll get when that time comes. OEM will definitely be out of the question. I'll look for something more heavy duty with more of an initial grab. I don't like how the clutch engages mostly at the end of the release. I had a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R that had the same type release and it always gave me problems when I wanted to start quickly.

 

I took the first quote to mean you did have a worn clutch that was slipping under high power. Sorry.

 

I can see why you would get that impression. I didn't use the correct structure to get my intended meaning across. I should be the one apologizing. I am sorry for misleading you.

 

Mine chattered some at first, but at 2200 miles, it seems to have worn in, with no chatter apparent at any time...

I think the whole clutch issue is due to the fact that xB's are based on an economy car platform, from the Echo, and not on a performance car platform at all.

If you want a performance clutch, you'll have to pay for one, that's all... If you start driving it like true performance iron, then the problems will just move on down the line, to the CV joints. and the transmission...

It is what it is- yeh, it's cute, and the engine is willing, if not overpowering, but it's really an economy car...

 

I have just had the shuddering start around 70k miles on my 2004 Scion xB. Most of these are highway miles. I do drive the car hard on occasion, but not abusively and i'm extremely gentle on the clutch, even under hard driving (I rev match upshifts and downshifts) - in any other car i've owned, I would expect the clutch to last 150k-200k miles the way I have driven. I have never felt the clutch slip, it is still strong and feels new except for the shudder when cold.

Anyone have the dealer check this out? I have the 100k mile bumper to bumper warranty...of course they wouldn't warranty the clutch if it was bad because of wear, but has anyone addressed this at the dealer to see if they will check this out under warranty?

 

I drive like you, and the clutch in my 1991 Mazda truck does the same thing at 150K miles. It only does it when first used on cold mornings. When it first happened last winter, the shop tested the clutch and said it was strong. It was fine all summer even towing a boat. Now it is doing it again this winter on cold mornings. So I don't think it means much.

 

good news, thanks for the info.

 

Mine shudders or clunks. I only have 7500 miles on it. I changed the lube to synthetic hoping it would help. It made a slight improvement. It goes away after the car is warmed up.

Will this go away or will it get worse?
What should I do?

 

Mine shudders or clunks. I only have 7500 miles on it. I changed the lube to synthetic hoping it would help. It made a slight improvement. It goes away after the car is warmed up.

Will this go away or will it get worse?
What should I do?

 

Same here 2500miles

shudders and clunks on clutch release or when engaging clutch

I took it to ammco because I have a friend there. said it could be a number of things
but didnt do anything since its under warranty.

clutch pedal high engagement point
motor or tranny mounts loose
cv or u joints
clutch, throwout bearing, or fork(tacomas having this problem on tundrasolutions.com
air in lines = bleed system
master or slave cylinders
and other possible things

Maybe its isolated to only certain build dates or transmissions since some have it and others dont

 

I just had my clutch replaced under warranty. I have about 400 miles on the new clutch and I've noticed the shuddering. I only have 1500 miles left on my warranty. Guess I should keep a close eye on it.