I drive a 1997 Civic EX with a manual transmission. My clutch pedals feel like it is engaging further from the floor than normal. When accelerating from first or second gear, the car screeches softly. I think the noise is from the tires.

I recently took the car to the mechanic for scheduled maintenance and asked him to check out the problem. He found no problem with the clutch. Strangely, the pedal felt fine for about two weeks after the visit, but has now reverted to the odd engagement point.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what might be going on?

 

low fluid levels?

 

it may be that your clutch might be a little worn? i cant really tell by the way you described it so i gave you my best answer.

 

Definitely sounds like a worn clutch. Happened on my cousins 1980 Mustang just recently, same symptoms.

You can get a Clutch Masters FX100 clutch for about $300 from http://www.importperformanceparts.net/ -- If you have nitrous you may want to go for the $500 FX200 or better.

 

from the way he posted im guessing his car is mostly stock. im suggesting a new stock clutch. if he isnt going to put down any big numbers he might as well save money and buy a OEM clutch and he wont sacrifice his daily driveability.

 

Good point. Maybe I should have considered the fact that he isn't into modding. Check your yellow pages under "Auto Salvage" and call around to see if anyone has a clutch for a '97 Civic, preferably from an EX. Cheaper than going to the dealership and getting raped. Could probably use a clutch from a '96 to '00.

 

:werd: on that one. dealers charge crazy amounts of money, especially for a clutch job.

 

Yeah, and it's fairly simple to remove and replace a clutch on your own if you have a basic tool box. But you may want to refer to a Haynes manual.

 

if you arent mechanically inclined then i wouldnt recommend doing it yourself. you will also need a torque wrench, not many people have one of those. but yes a haynes manual is a good source.

 

My cousin, the same one who owns the '80 Mustang did the job himself. Or at least he spent 4 hours trying until he called an experienced mechanic friend over to do it for him. If only he referred to a Haynes manual first, he could have done it right by himself.

Yeah, I agree though, don't do it unless you have some mechanical experience and the proper tools.