something is Slipping....!

[alpineraven]

I discovered this slipping thing last Saturday after staying overnight at the mountain, and was driving slightly uphill all the sudden it slips, the revs & speed jumps just feels like you're riding on the clutch, pulled over checked out couldn't smell anything... I thought oh yeah water on the clutch, got back in car, drove off - felt like normal no more slipping at all.

Tonight coming home from Ballarat, cruising on western hwy at around 115-120 kmh - no worries, pulled over in Caroline Springs to get some fuel, drove off no worries, I was speeding doing 100 in 80zone, I had this shudder feeling. (possible because I have worn shockers in rear, but why didn't do it on western hwy from ballarat!?).. then approached the lights, drove off.. whoa.. its slipping again!! revs are up there, if you reach 4000rpm approx it kicks in then you're able to catch up to speed..... when I steer around the corner, I could feel some sort of rough vibration feels like no power steering fluid (in my experience) it felt rough/grinding... arrived home, opened up the bonnet, I *could not* smell clutch burning smell.. I remember the last person who sold me the liberty replaced the clutch 1000 kms before I bought it, that was 55,000kms ago till today's date, so I don't think its slipping clutch.. It is obviously gearbox problem......... I am really stunned what has gone wrong... AWD system is complicated to me... Something is slipping.. sussed that its the gearbox?

Its off from EJ22 AWD Liberty single range gearbox.

what is your input?

Cheers
AP

[Brat4by4]

It's your clutch. You are not necessarily going to smell it. It's just gone.

[scuzzy]

Yeah you could be to the point to where the rivets in the material are providing more contact surface than the actual clutch material, which will explain the vibrations.

When you let it go to the point that it slips constantly, you could end up requiring a new flywheel, depends on how bad the flywheel is grooved.

[alpineraven]

Hmm could be the clutch? how could the clutch be gone after driving 55,000 kms since new?

Someone said to me just now - might be wrong - Wouldn't it be the centre differential in AWD system gearbox? How will you know if its centre diff that has gone??
Cheers
AP

[Brat4by4]

Your car would spin its front tires from a take-off. But a center diff would never let the rpms climb without the car speed climbing.

Only the clutch can do that. It couples the engine and transmission. If one moves without the other, then it is the clutch that is letting them slip.

A clutch can go in 550 kms if you drive it bad enough... Do you have a habit of keeping your foot on the clutch pedal?