[LA718]

I’ve driven manuals the majority of my life and have never once had any issue with rapid clutch wear.

Yesterday was driving 2018 boxster in stop and go traffic up hill, and after about 5 min in traffic, noticed the burning clutch smell. As I was maneuvering to the side of the road, heavy smoke started coming out side air intakes, and almost no resistance on clutch pedal. No problems whatsoever prior to that time. About 40 min later, while waiting for tow truck, started engine again, but did not move car, more smoke. When tow truck arrived about 30 min later, started engine again, no smoke and slightly more better resistance on clutch pedal.

Had car towed to dealer last night, this morning dealer called and said clutch seemed perfectly fine when he moved from parking area into service area. Calls back an hour later to say it needs a total clutch replacement and possibly flywheel, due to wear and tear, no warranty coverage at all.

I don’t drive the car abusively, and it’s only seen 6k miles in about 10 months. I find this to be absurd. Any other experiences with such rapid and sudden clutch failure?

 

[RGM718]

I can only give you one personal example but a Cayman R that I bought as a CPO with 5,800 miles on it. The clutch was burned out and totally replaced including flywheel as part of prepping it for CPO. I then drove that same car as a DD for 2+ years in Birmingham Alabama summer and winter with 0 issues. Only thing that the dealer speculated was that the hill hold feature had thrown the original owner off and he was unduly slipping the clutch almost working against the feature itself. For what it is worth............

 

[Semitone]

It is absurd.

Nobody that knows how to drive a manual gets 6000 miles out of a clutch. My wife and I have driven manuals exclusively for over twenty years. I expect to get at least 60,000 from a clutch. Sometimes we get over 100K. Unless you are tracking the car and having issues 6000 miles just says something was wrong with the car or wrong with your driving. The choice is yours.

Time to throw a fit, IMO.

( I am assuming you bought the car new. If used, all bets are off regarding prior drivers.)

 

[Viffermike]

I’ve driven manuals the majority of my life and have never once had any issue with rapid clutch wear.

Yesterday was driving 2018 boxster in stop and go traffic up hill, and after about 5 min in traffic, noticed the burning clutch smell. As I was maneuvering to the side of the road, heavy smoke started coming out side air intakes, and almost no resistance on clutch pedal. No problems whatsoever prior to that time. About 40 min later, while waiting for tow truck, started engine again, but did not move car, more smoke. When tow truck arrived about 30 min later, started engine again, no smoke and slightly more better resistance on clutch pedal.

Had car towed to dealer last night, this morning dealer called and said clutch seemed perfectly fine when he moved from parking area into service area. Calls back an hour later to say it needs a total clutch replacement and possibly flywheel, due to wear and tear, no warranty coverage at all.

I don’t drive the car abusively, and it’s only seen 6k miles in about 10 months. I find this to be absurd. Any other experiences with such rapid and sudden clutch failure?

First off: Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to see that it took an issue such as this for you to join.

We need some background on the car and on your driving habits before we can give you sound advice here. I say that because @Semitone is dead on: no clutch on a passenger vehicle, no matter what the car, will only last 6k miles if used properly -- even if it's used vigorously.

If the dealership is denying warranty service on it, it has to have a really good reason that it needs to share with you, and that you need to share with us. If that reason 'smells' (pun intended), then you need to get a second opinion at a second dealership -- of which you should have a choice if, per your screen name, you're in SoCal.

Let me reiterate: No clutch should fail after 6k miles, much less cause damage to a related component (flywheel). Please tell us if you bought the car new or used and be up front about the reasoning the dealership gave you, as well as your driving habits as it relates to the manual gearbox.

 

[LA718]

I got the car new in Oct 2017. Its a daily driver with normal spirited driving on occasion, but not abused in the slightest.

I initially had the car towed to a dealer I've not dealt with before, because it was about 2 miles from where the incident occurred, while my dealer was about 30 miles away. Big mistake. Based on their attitude, I had the car taken to the dealer where I got it last night, and they are now evaluating. My service rep said that he drove the car from where it was dropped off into the service area this morning with no problem whatsoever (same as described by service rep at the first dealer when he drove it cold yesterday morning). Clearly there is not a complete clutch failure, as it has twice been driven without issue when cold. They are doing the tear down today to diagnose ... fingers crossed for a warrantied issue!

I am supposed to get more info tomorrow.

 

[Viffermike]

I got the car new in Oct 2017. Its a daily driver with normal spirited driving on occasion, but not abused in the slightest.

I initially had the car towed to a dealer I've not dealt with before, because it was about 2 miles from where the incident occurred, while my dealer was about 30 miles away. Big mistake. Based on their attitude, I had the car taken to the dealer where I got it last night, and they are now evaluating. My service rep said that he drove the car from where it was dropped off into the service area this morning with no problem whatsoever (same as described by service rep at the first dealer when he drove it cold yesterday morning). Clearly there is not a complete clutch failure, as it has twice been driven without issue when cold. They are doing the tear down today to diagnose ... fingers crossed for a warrantied issue!

I am supposed to get more info tomorrow.

This is all good news. Fingers crossed on this end as well that the dealer from which you bought the car feels it has a vested-enough interest to 'go to bat' for your issue. Keep us updated, and again: welcome!

 

[LA718]

Dealer completed tear down and, as per message from service rep: "The technician got it apart and it does look to be burned with hot spots. There is nothing broken. The repair is not a warrantable repair it is from overheating the clutch." I've gone back and forth with him after this, and he has reached out to Porsche to see if they will do anything ...

I have a theory ... Leading up to the incident, I had driven roughly 12 miles without any issue whatsoever. Car was perfectly fine. For reference, the inclined road where I was driving was the entrance to Dodger Stadium. For those unfamiliar, it is a long, steep incline, where traffic is bumper to bumper, and literally stop, go, stop, go (not stop, wait, go).

I drove approximately 500 yards on the incline over the course of maybe 5 minutes before observing the first signs of a problem, at which point I immediately proceeded to pull over onto the shoulder. During the 500 yards, I'd drive forward a very short distance (never out of 1st gear) until reaching the car in front of me, at which point I'd have to engage the clutch and apply the brake, coming to a complete stop on a steep grade, the hill "hold" would engage. I was never stopped for more than a second or two, so it wasn't as if i was sitting and riding the clutch for an extended period. Under the traffic conditions, the car in front of me would begin to move forward within a second or two of me coming to a complete stop. As you all know, the "hold" takes a moment to engage, and a moment to disengage - its not instantaneous. So, as I stopped and the hold started to engage, traffic started to move, and I then sought to drive forward. There is the moment of a little extra effort to disengage the hold, then traffic stopped again, hold engaged and, again, as the hold engaged, traffic began to move, and I sought to proceed.

Basically, the hold was going thru engage-disengage-engage-disengage repeatedly. That little bit of extra effort it takes to disengage the hold is a non issue when, for example, you come to a stop sign on a hill, wait your turn, and then proceed. However, under these circumstances - literally bumper to bumper stop and go traffic on a very steep incline - the hold feature begins to engage and, before or as soon as it actually engages, traffic is moving again, it takes the moment to disengage, I move forward, then reach the car in front of me, and the process is repeated. The hold feature is not "smart" so it cannot adapt to this situation, resulting in strain / heating ...

Thoughts?

 

[Uz718]

Sorry to hear of the troubles.

My 2c - there is simply no way that one steep incline of 500 yards could amount to enough damage to wear out a clutch designed to last as near as damnit 100,000 miles. No way.

Contact Porsche HQ and create a massive, massive fuss about this. These are supposed to be over-engineered cars and can't survive getting up a hill without the clutch giving out!?

If absolute worst case and you have to replace the clutch, i'm sure you could find a competant Porsche orientated indy who could do the same work for you at 2/3 the cost of the dealer, but that would be after going to war with Porsche imo.

 

[RGM718]

In the instance I cited regarding the Cayman R CPO........the original owner had never driven a standard! It was theorized that he slipped the clutch all the time based on a test drive they took with him when he was ready to trade. And, they saw he actually really struggled with the hill hold function......

 

[Porsche2018]

I don’t drive the car abusively, and it’s only seen 6k miles in about 10 months. I find this to be absurd.

It is absurd and I have to believe Porsche will come through. BTW there were 3 reported 2018 GT3s with engine failure that I am aware of so far.......Absurd indeed.

 

[LA718]

Progress!!!!

My service rep called this afternoon with the first bit of good news I’ve heard thus far. Porsche is willing to supply all parts at no cost, and dealer is taking $500 off the $2100-ish labor estimate. Based on my complaints about the issues with the first dealer, Porsche sent me a $500 credit. At the end of the day, I have to part with about $1100, which is a **** of a lot easier to come to terms with than $5k.

This does not resolve the issue of what went wrong/why, but I guess I just won’t drive to dodger stadium anymore!

 

[Certified718]

The only way you could burn a clutch out that fast is running way over the power and torque the clutch can handle, no way should a stock car be shredding clutches like that, even if it was driven like you stole it.


Hopefully you get it all sorted fella.

 

[Porsche2018]

I had a manual 1998 Honda Accord that I put 308,224 miles on the original clutch before it needed to be changed.......and I was disappointed. Gotta love those Hondas......

 

[GregW]

<snip>This does not resolve the issue of what went wrong/why, but I guess I just won’t drive to dodger stadium anymore!

There are a number of youtube videos on DCTs, and that "uphill creep" is certainly on the "don't do" list of most of them.

I'd be doing some intensive research to avoid any possible repetition.

 

[ZuffenHouseRules]

There are a number of youtube videos on DCTs, and that "uphill creep" is certainly on the "don't do" list of most of them.

But this is a manual, not DCT/PDK... Porsche manuals have 'dual-mass flywheel' but not the same as 'dual clutch'. Still uphill creep seems like a potential strain if it involves the clutch slipping.

So here's my question: you can feel the clutch slipping, right? Is there some scenario where clutch slipping goes undetected? I would have said no based on lifetime of manuals, but then I've never had one handling near this amount of torque before.....

I have a quite steep driveway and that was the biggest challenge going from my 987S to 718S. Now I can bring the car to a stop, paused before the opening garage door, with no brake just by feathering the clutch (which does involve some minimal slipping -- but I did this for 12 years with the 987 on one clutch) or preferably now with hill-holding auto-braking (which involves little/no slipping when dis-engaging). But the clutch is an engineering solution designed to slip (a little) to smooth out power transfer -- only when excessive is slipping a problem.

btw I witnessed a line of Lambo Diablos exiting a car show at Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, only road out has a short steep ramp leading up to a stop sign. One after another they raised clouds of smoke whilst burning out expensive clutches. But that's a LOT of torque.

 

[Steve110]

I’ve driven manuals the majority of my life and have never once had any issue with rapid clutch wear.

Yesterday was driving 2018 boxster in stop and go traffic up hill, and after about 5 min in traffic, noticed the burning clutch smell. As I was maneuvering to the side of the road, heavy smoke started coming out side air intakes, and almost no resistance on clutch pedal. No problems whatsoever prior to that time. About 40 min later, while waiting for tow truck, started engine again, but did not move car, more smoke. When tow truck arrived about 30 min later, started engine again, no smoke and slightly more better resistance on clutch pedal.

Had car towed to dealer last night, this morning dealer called and said clutch seemed perfectly fine when he moved from parking area into service area. Calls back an hour later to say it needs a total clutch replacement and possibly flywheel, due to wear and tear, no warranty coverage at all.

I don’t drive the car abusively, and it’s only seen 6k miles in about 10 months. I find this to be absurd. Any other experiences with such rapid and sudden clutch failure?

 

[Steve110]

I just had my clutch and flywheel go on a 2019 Boxster with only 19,000 miles. Cost to repair: $4,500. The dealershop was sympathetic and gave me a discount but I'll be suing Porsche for the balance.

 

[JazzCatGab]

I just had my clutch and flywheel go on a 2019 Boxster with only 19,000 miles. Cost to repair: $4,500. The dealershop was sympathetic and gave me a discount but I'll be suing Porsche for the balance.

Before you sue, it would be helpful for your case to see if you can get the dealership (or a dealership) to print out any diagnostic reports that pertain to over-revs or other engine/trans operating measurements over time. They seem to be able to record so much, I don't know what, other than over-revs, is available. If you bought it with only a few miles, or ordered the build, and haven't let anyone else drive it, you should know exactly what the reporting will show. You don't want any surprises. Good luck and hope you have a good resolution.

 

[Yuro]

It is absurd.

Nobody that knows how to drive a manual gets 6000 miles out of a clutch. My wife and I have driven manuals exclusively for over twenty years. I expect to get at least 60,000 from a clutch. Sometimes we get over 100K. Unless you are tracking the car and having issues 6000 miles just says something was wrong with the car or wrong with your driving. The choice is yours.

Time to throw a fit, IMO.

( I am assuming you bought the car new. If used, all bets are off regarding prior drivers.)

Actually, I've gone 100,000+ WHILE tracking my cars...not every weekend, but certainly half dozen or more times per year. If you drive properly, track days aren't hard on the clutch. However...hold-shots and basically racing off every stop-sign is very hard on clutches. Other really bad things for clutches are: holding the car on a hill with the clutch, Driving with one foot on the clutch and probably some bad habits I don't even know about.

 

[Yuro]

To the OP:

I would not be surprised to find that the problem you saw was started by a leaking clutch slave cylinder or main seal...fluid leaking on the clutch. So much smoke & a limp pedal? Sounds like something else is going on besides just a worn clutch.