The clutch is one of the most important elements of your vehicle's normal driving operation.

Your engine is what causes your wheels to spin, but what happens when your vehicle needs to stop? The engine shouldn't stop running but the wheels need to. It's the clutch that permits this to happen. The clutch allows the transfer of power between the wheels and the engine to be interrupted while a gear is being changed or while the car is stationary and the engine continues to run.

Some vehicles will have a clutch that operates hydraulically - when you press the clutch pedal the clutch fluid moves the pressure from the pedal through to the clutch and disengages the power transmission. A leak in the clutch system can cause all kinds of problems in your vehicle - so it is very important to monitor it regularly.

At Jackmans Garage we check your clutch fluid, hydraulic system or clutch cables for you in the course of our free 65 Point Vehicle Inspection Report - which you can request as part of every car service. If we find a problem or leak in your clutch we will include this in our written report or let you know directly if we feel it needs immediate attention.

• A Burnt 'toast' or 'burning rubber' smell in your car, or smoke from under vehicle
• Vehicle seems to be slipping out of gear for no reason
• There is jerky or sticky gear operation when changing gears
• Your clutch is not disengaging fully, or your clutch is sticking or shuddering

If your clutch is showing any of the symptoms above - it can mean any number of faults. Clutch problems are difficult to diagnose by symptoms alone because depending on the vehicle and type of engine, many different issues can cause the same symptoms, .

The best way to deal with clutch shuddering, slipping or noise is call us at Jackmans Garage today. We can perform Clutch service and repairs on most makes and models right here in our Moonah workshop.