Slipping on the job; Clutch failure?

[m3f_Extrav.Dre_53c7fb859e]

So many clutch threads, why not one more.



I noticed this a few days ago when parking on a hill...

I already knew my clutch was due fairly soon, it shows all the signs of wear, however, this freaked the **** out of me.



I had just parked in the parking lot of employment, had it in third released the clutch and put on the e-brake. All the sudden I start hearing the creaking of the brake, as it will do if the car hasn't quite settled yet. I release the brake let the car settle and put it back on, same thing. Confused, I release the brake and sort of just sat there, until I realized, I was Rolling! I opened my door to look at the ground and surly enough I was slowly rolling backwards down the hill. Holy Tamale, I'll park somewhere else.



I tried it out in my driveway just now. I can literally just push the car in gear. In 5th it might as well not be in gear but it gets harder as the gears go down, 2nd it almost wouldn’t and in 1st it held.



So is this a: I shouldn’t be driving the car until it gets replaced or will it get me around a little longer?



:help:

[m3f_Extrav.Dre_53c7fb859e]

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[m3f_understeer.com]

That's not the clutch, you're just spinning the crankshaft. If you're going to rely on the compression of the motor to keep your car from rolling down hill while you're parked, you MUST be in 1st gear. The higher the gear the easier the mechanical advantage becomes to overcome that compression.

[m3f_PurpleM3Pursuit]

its just the opposite of how the tranny is made to work.. the smaller gearing when the engine is pushing to make the car move easier.. on the other end u need bigger gears to make the car move easier.. leave it in first.. thats the only way ur going to keep her alive..

[m3f_97BLKM3COU_0f375e15e2]

OR, you could use the Parking brake?

[m3f_understeer.com]

Actually use BOTH if you're parking on hills, put it in 1st and yank up the ebrake. I wouldn't trust either one on its own.

[m3f_astan100_7ef66fbe89]

Have you tried just sticking it in 5th at like 30mph or so and flooring it?



How bad is the slippage?

[m3f_Extrav.Dre_53c7fb859e]

Originally posted by understeer.com

That's not the clutch, you're just spinning the crankshaft. If you're going to rely on the compression of the motor to keep your car from rolling down hill while you're parked, you MUST be in 1st gear. The higher the gear the easier the mechanical advantage becomes to overcome that compression.



Wow, really? It had occurred to me but I didn't think it turned over that easily. Well, that is a load off. The clutch definitely needs replacing but it isn't as catastrophic as I thought.



One other non-related question…

Usually, when a car is on jacks and in neutral you can spin a rear wheel and the other one will spin the opposite way, rather amusing if you are bored. In any case, while on jacks I tried doing this and the other wheel spun the Same direction... what the? The differential is definitely not locked because when I take sharp corners it does not “hop” but is it getting sticky? Or am I overestimating the resistance again.



Come to think of it, I think it has to be in gear for it to do that, I'm such an idiot.

[m3f_understeer.com]

Originally posted by Extrav.Dreams

Usually, when a car is on jacks and in neutral you can spin a rear wheel and the other one will spin the opposite way, rather amusing if you are bored.

That's only on open diffs, all M3s have limited slip diffs.

[m3f_Extrav.Dre_53c7fb859e]

Right... you lost me



I never took much time to look at differentials and how they work. I've only looked at the most basic, which I presume is the "open."



Thanks for all the info though.