I just bought a 97 Corvette, and I took it in to a dealer to get the oil changed. When I picked it up, the clutch pedal was soft. After driving it for a bit, it seemed to firm up a little. I checked the clutch reservoir and added a litle to bring it up to the mark. Now it is always soft. It doesnt seem to effect the drivability of the car at all, but it has me nervous. I have babied this thing since I got it (2 weeks ago). Most of my driving has been on the highway and interstate. Whenever I am in town, 95% of my shifts are the 1-4 variety (ie low rpm). When I take off, I run it up to about 2k and push the clutch, I slowly release it about the time the tach reads 800-1000. Nice and smooth... I rarely hear any noticable noise, and the car runs great.
The one thing that really bothers me is that if I am in 4th at around 30mph under a small load (probably 1000-1200rpm), the car seems to kind of lurch. You can't hear the engine rev or see the tach needle move too much, but it is noticable. What does all of this sound like to you guys? What are some tests I can do for the clutch? I did a search, and found one that said to go 50mph in 6th and floor it, if the car bogs, it is good. If the engine revs up but the car doesnt accelerate, its going bye bye. I always thought that if the clutch was going out, when you pushed the pedal the rpms would kind of hang before they drop. Mine does not...am I wrong?
Thanks in advance for your help

 

do you notice it when the car is in gear (any gear, check them all) if your shifter stick moves when you get on the gas or off the gas does it move , like it is not staying in gear good. if it is moving (noticably with your hand on it) your clutch is slipping and messing up your gears.
this happened to me at 41500 miles in my 00 SS. (i got it with 36000) I had to get a whole new transmission ($7000) luckily I had an extended warranty so i didn't have to pay a dime except for the centerforce clutch (awesome clutch)

So i guess what i am trying to say is get your clutch check out and buy a new one (if needed)

hope that all makes sense and helps

 

That doesnt happen to mine, The shifter moves very easily through the gears and the shifter stays put when it is in gear. There is a little vibration in the shifter, but I would think that is to be expected. Anyone else?

 

The car lurches in 4th cause at 30 mph it really wants to be in 3rd. These cars like F-bodies are picky about what gear they are in, and sometimes need full throtle help to pull them out of the hole. That has more to due with the way your gears are turning, and how they are no happy in 4th gear doing 30 mph.

As for the clutch pedal getting softer, i bet the dealership tool your car out for a tire melting bang shifting good time. You need to stay with a car of that calibur when its getting any serivce or work what so ever. Thats the techs favorite thing, "road testing" cars and beating on them good.

Now if you stomp on the gas going 30 mph in 4th gear aside from the inital shaking of the car going to slow in 4th if the tach shoots up, then your clutch is starting to go.

 

the "test drive" was my first thought too. I actually worked for a dealership for a while, and to be perfectly honest, customers cars werent abused. When I was there, only the "true" mechanics were even allowed to drive vettes. When someone would come in for an oil change, a service advisor would pull it onto the hoist. They wouldnt let the high school or less experienced workers drive them through the car wash.

 

FBird95 is probably right. You are at too low of RPMs for that gear. You are probably feeling the engine firing impulses through the trans. If you bring it up to 2000 - 2500 RPMs do you still feel the lurching? If not then all is ok. The engine will lug under low RPMs and light throttle and lurch like that.

 

I know people at dealerships near where i live, and i have seen and heard stories, thats why i suggested a "test drive". Right after the 03 collectors edition trans am came out, i witnessed it going on a coffee run, needless to say it was sideways across the high way in front of the dearship. The salesman i actually bought my car from, part of his job is to "test" used cars when they come in, and take them overnight to evaluate them, I have seen 99' vettes go home with him, and i'm sure there was a little tire melting going on before the car came back.

 

Sure ya did.

 

that is kind of what I thought the lurching was, any idea about the pedal losing tension?

 

In defense of most of the techs out there, every car is not beat the crap out of in a test drive. If you want to make sure the car is done right, try to talk to a technician. Find someone you trust and have them work on it. There is a lot of BS work that comes into the shop that i don't get paid to waste my time on. But if i have talked to the customer, it becomes a more of a personal job, if that makes sense. Find a tech you can talk to and trust.

 

what exactly are you trying to say here. That i didnt see it at all? Actually the Pontiac dealership by my house, Coley Pontiac Buick, GMC, had two of them. They were not actually on a one per Pontiac dealership as people thought. Dealerships were to be given on and i belive up to 2 more could be ordered by the dealership.

Each day the collectors editon went out by the road with the top down, and later got moved to back by the building, most of the time it was stored in the garage.

If you want i'll even send you pictures of it, at the dealership, from a rare night in which it was test driven right before the lot closed, and no lot attendant was there to put it in the garage.

 

bsmith, sorry to get off topic here. The pedal tension. I have only seen a new clutch setup loose pedal pressure over after it is broken in, or right before the clutch dies, Unless your slave is leaking, than it can loose pressure fast. This is why i suggested a hard drive on the car. I took out an ordinary Mustang GT, (Go ahead agent_51, tell me this isnt true either) from a lot next to this Pontiac lot, i went to high school with the guy who owns the lots daughter, and clutch pedal softened up dramatically from when we first left the lot till we got back. Thats why i suggested a test ride in your vette. The pedal doesnt just lossen up all of the suden.

 

Fbird95, thanks for your input. (and everyone else) I think the other guy is referring to where you said an '03 Collectors edition. Everyone probably knew that you meant to type '02, but he took it upon himself to be a smart a** about it. I wouldnt let it bother you too much...

 

yeah bsmith, your right, i didnt even catch that typo, i guess he just wanted an extra post, going around correcting peoples typos wont get you very far on the board, or very liked, especially in being how he didnt even tell me what i screwed up.

Well good luck with the problem.