2002 Kia Rio Clutch woes & advice sought

2002 Kia Rio - owned new, five speed manual tranny. I've owned sticks for nearly a couple of decades and favor them, even more so when getting a subcompact car with small engine. Though most of my driving is open road, sometimes subject to inner city traffic jams.

Bought a Rio for a long distance commuter car. The last 6 miles of my commute was stop and go, inch by inch. Previous 70 miles of this trip was done at expressway speeds about 80++ mph.

Problem crops up - this thing is SLIPPING a little on a hard throttle, especially in 5th, about 1900 rpms and climbing, driving something like 45 mph trying to increase speed. It's not severe and I'm able to 'step around' the problem.

Then I get (military active duty) transferred out of town in Mississippi (from Florida) where due to the nature of the work on this temporary transfer I depend on the car for a LOT of service. Hey, that thing of accelerating while at the end of the freeway ramp merge and clutch slipping is rearing it's ugly head. In fifth and doing 70, say, and wanting to simply accelerate up to 85? No can do unless you nurse that accelerator to increase speed, Tonto! Now the car is up to EIGHT THOUSAND MILES. (Previously problem shows at FIVE THOUSAND).

Pull into New Orleans (eastside) Kia Dealer to see what can be done. "Yep, it's slipping" and service intake clerk remarks "Wow, I didn't KNOW they made them with manual transmissions". Said it was a WEAR ITEM and dissmissed me and said further that it couldn't be adjusted.

Came home to Florida and now with 19,000 miles. Mechanic goes on test drive with me, saying I seem to know how to operate the manual transmission properly and yes, it does slip when you dog the engine. Service manager in Kia St. Augustine says "The whole clutch must be replaced, there is NO adjustments".

Uh, I ain't shelling out 500 clams for a clutch that new. I adjust the linkages and come up with a nice fix. 20,000 miles later the same problem. I adjust by letting the nut out by the clutch level on the tranny (on the clutch cable-end). Usually that will do it. Intermittently, the stinking thing will still slip. Sometimes I can go up a mountain on the freeway and not have it slip, with proper accerlation technique I learned myself.

Other vehicles I let the tension out of the clutch by a thumbwheel on the firewall where the clutch cable comes through.

Ideas? Now I'm up to 95,000 miles on the 100k factory warranty.

Incidentially, there is little black thick grease spots in my driveway. One spot a day or two. This is not coming from motor oil drain plug or engine pan. Seems to come from between engine and tranny.

Thoughts - suggestions????????

Ron

Reply to
Ron
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there is not really a pressure plate adjustment like the old VW's had. I would say if you got 95k out of the clutch it doesn't owe you anything at this point. most likely you have a main seal leak that has allowed some oil to get on the clutch plate causing the slipping. in order for Kia to fix the oil leak, they have to drop the tranny and crack the case. maybe you can work a compromise with them, you pay for the clutch, throw out and plate, and they the labor to install since they have to drop it anyway and change the main shaft seals which are behind the clutch assembly.

Reply to
helix

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