[KiaKiller]

I am working on my sisters 2010 Kia Soul. It has gone through 3 clutches in about a year and a half. The go out faster each time. The slave cylinder appears to be working, but I rarely work on manuals (I was not the one to install the clutches) so you have any thoughts with the slave cylinder I am willing to look.

Has anybody had a similar experience or any thoughts regarding the cause?

Thanks in advance.

 

[SoNic67]

Did you adjust the free play of the throw bearing?
If yes, maybe tell your sister that the clutch pedal is not a foot rest. Press it quickly and complete, release slowly till it "catches", and then put the left foot away.

 

[Soul.Master.007]

~The LAW IS~ A Clutch is ether "IN' or "OUT" or "ITS WEARING OUT"... She is trying to make it drive like a automatic transmission...<:-(( Vary possible the Flywheel is so roasted, it need to be refaced...

Note: Girl Kid didn't get the first "LAW"...!!!...??? I took out the Standard Shift, and put in a Automatic... Problem Solved...<)

 

[GeoSoul]

~The LAW IS~ A Clutch is ether "IN' or "OUT" or "ITS WEARING OUT"... She is trying to make it drive like a automatic transmission...<:-(( Vary possible the Flywheel is so roasted, it need to be refaced...

Note: Girl Kid didn't get the first "LAW"...!!!...??? I took out the Standard Shift, and put in a Automatic... Problem Solved...<)

It sounds like more of an operator error. I have a friend that went through clutches on her Corolla. Watching her drive I noticed she always kept her left foot on the clutch pedal, riding it.

Like Soul.master says if it's not fully disengaged, you're wearing it out.

 

[Joefromga]

Have your clutch shop make you a ceramic clutch and she won't wear it out.

 

[KiaKiller]

I know she is not riding the clutch, so that can be ruled out. I just chatted with my Dad who is currently looking into it and he mentioned that the new clutch seems to be constantly slipping. If you depress the clutch pedal at all (even just an inch) it disengages.

We were not aware the throw out bearing was adjustable. How is that done?

We will also look into the ceramic clutch for the next replacement. But there is an underlying problem that needs to be resolved.

Thanks for all the input so far.

 

[SportsterDoc]

This may be of some help:

Kia Soul: Troubleshooting - Clutch System - Kia Soul 2014-2019 PS Service Manual

Has engine oil got onto the clutch plate?

 

[SoNic67]

The play of the fork is adjustable. On cable systems the adjustment is at the pedal side, on hydraulic is more complicated, it's a stopper bolt somewhere. You should definitely have a pedal free play of 6 ~ 13 mm (0.2362 ~ 0.5118 in.)
On the clutch, 'T/M SIDE' marked surface should face the transmission.

Test for the new clutch:
Drive the car to the lowest speed that you can in the forth gear. Suddenly floor the gas pedal. If the rpm's raise immediately, your clutch is slipping. If the engine wants to stall or knock, then the cluch it's OK.

This clip is from the 2012 manual, I don't have a 2010 one but I think it's the same transmission:

 

[Neanderthal]

As everyone else has stated, it's either operator error or clutch adjustment. I've had lots of stick shifts, I don't recall ever replacing a clutch in any of them.

 

[plymouthcranbrook]

Not to throw a wrench in but many years ago i had a Plymouth Reliant K that I bought new. This car did as yours and went through 3 clutches in 15,000 miles. Chrysler refused to pay for the last one and said My Wife did not know how to drive a clutch. I noticed that the front tires were wearing funny a few months later and took it in for an alignment. The Shop that did the alignment told me that the front suspension was damaged and it was not possible to get everything correctly aligned. I got rid of the car as soon as possible after that. I can only speculate that the car was damaged in shipping or ? and the dealer just decided to sell it and hope for the best. I took a bit of a bath and Chrysler lost a customer for life. So I suggest that you make sure everything is aligned under the car as well as the other suggestions made

 

[garix]

Are the 3 replacements all from the same parts source?

 

[Slammed]

I have 130000 on my 2010 stock clutch and it’s fine. Sounds like operator or something in the install issue

 

[KiaKiller]

I want to thank you all for your input. We dug into this weekend and found the issue.

When we went to work on the car everything was working as it should, took it for a test drive with no problems. After driving a while longer (around 20min up and down hills) it started acting up again, the car was almost unusable. It turn out that when the car got hot the slave cylinder would get stuck. After replacing and bleeding the slave cylinder there are not any more problems and the clutch is much firmer than it used to be. My sister complains that it is harder to push, but it does work better.

Thanks again for all your help! Hopefully this will help someone else out later.

 

[Buzz]

Thank you for posting the outcome as this will help someone in the future! :victorious:

 

[The Sradiator]

An adjustable clutch fork is indeed news to me as well.
Any hydraulic clutch set up (car or motorcycle) I have seen is self adjusting with no provision for anything other than lever/pedal distance from floor/handle bar to lever/pedal.