Another Clutch Fire

[InvertedAerialX]

My wife has a manual 2018 JLR. I have known about the clutch issues and have considered a Centerforce or Luck as a replacement. The dealership made an adjustment when they performed the last recall and it is better, but it still worries me since it was not replaced.
I have told her about the issues but she did not fully understand it until this weekend when I showed her a picture of one that exploded. Now she may be on board for a new clutch.
And she has always driven a manual and has done very well with them, her CRV had 220k miles on the original clutch. The WRX only made it to 80k, but that was probably more my fault than hers.

My WRX made it to 100k, and i was not easy on it. Subaru manual transmissions are AMAZING!!!

OP, so happy everyone is okay!

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[JTDay]

When/if I have to replace my clutch, I won't feel so bad spending the money on an aftermarket option. My last OEM clutch held 120 extra lb.ft. of torque over stock and lasted 175k miles. I have zero interest in defending the JL/JT clutch; I think it's a POS.

 

[Hootbro]

In a case like this, a probable clutch fire the next day after clutch work, does the insurance company try to go after the dealership to recover costs?

I have yet to see anybody from the various clutch fires and the Wrangler 4XE and Etorque 3.6 fires collect anything from the dealership or FCA. No matter how close the dots connect for cause and effect between working having been done and vehicle fire soon after, FCA and the dealerships wash their hands of any fires and tell you it is an insurance claim.

Had the transmission physically dropped and nothing else, yeah they would have handled it as a warranty work. Something about fires makes them not want to lay claim to any wrong doing and accept liability.

 

[Blade1668]

Glad that no people or dogs hurt or worse. I keep thinking how glad I am that I went with automatic transmission in my JT. The manual transmission in LJ was a questionable by many. The 6 speed was dogged by many back in the day as weak link, now FCA has put a sub par clutch in JL's & JT's I'd be installing aftermarket clutch if I had got M.T. The manual transmission JT I test drove didn't impress me, I thought it was to light feeling and was going out already. That was new on dealership lot.

 

[93civej1]

is this still an issue on 22's and on? i am sort of eyeing a 22 manual. Kinda.

 

[NachoRuby]

is this still an issue on 22's and on? i am sort of eyeing a 22 manual. Kinda.

The jury would still be out on that. In theory, the '21s and on would have been fixed before they left the factory, so no dealership to screw up the hydraulic line installation and bleed procedure, and the software fix for limiting slip is already in place.

It really has been a while since a clutch fire was reported, probably back when the recall was in full swing, like August 2020. By the time I bought mine, in April 2021, the recall was already in place on new vehicles. Mine is a February 2021 build.

This is the first, at least on here, in a while. That makes me think this is fixed, but the fix was just a software update to limit torque when slippage is detected, along with updated clutch lines and sleeves.

I feel pretty confident that things are in order now, on the new ones. But many will disagree. My build is post recall, but I don't have a problem with the stock clutch.

 

[BUZZHEAD]

Glad she and the dogs were able to get out unharmed.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’ve been following this clutch issue for a couple years, there’s been at least 2 Recalls to address a clutch that’s not strong enough to hold the torque generated. FCAs answer in both recalls has been an ecu reflash (reducing torque generated to equal clutch capacity?) instead of replacing the clutch with one with a proper torque rating.

I’ve been a heavy haul lowboy truck driver (200,000+lb loads)
for over 30 years. Around 1997 the company I was working for at the time built a new truck from a W900 Kenworth glider kit. We used the then new 550 hp Cat engine that developed 1850 ft torque but put the same clutch used behind the 425 Cat that developed 1450 ft torque. As you can imagine it didn’t turn out well. I could walk through that clutch with an empty trailer let alone with a load. Our answer to that problem was not to detune torque output to to equal clutch capacity. We replaced the clutch with one rated to handle the torque, never had a problem after.

I understand FCAs reluctance to replacing all those affected 2018-2020 JL & JT clutches but isn’t reducing torque output really just a bandaid trick to cover over the real problem to avoid the expense of a true fix? If it weren’t for the sharp eyed driver who alerted her to the emergency developing under her feet this could have turned out very differently and they could have a problem much larger than replacing a few thousand clutches.

Absolutely agree.
I've seen issues where people swap engines, do a performance build, and put back the same clutch used to make it easy for mom to drive it.
I've seen flywheels get hot and explode...........

Even just doing the engine swap I did on one of my cars - not a huge increase in torque or HP, I went with a better clutch. It's adding to linkage wear but oh, well.

The recall for these clutches isn't ONLY a flash - there's a test they are to run as well. Maybe you have read the bulletin. They are supposed to do a test to detect or look for a clutch issue at the same time. Otherwise you could have a clutch already glazed, slipping, and all you do is flash it and it's going to fail.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The jury would still be out on that. In theory, the '21s and on would have been fixed before they left the factory, so no dealership to screw up the hydraulic line installation and bleed procedure, and the software fix for limiting slip is already in place.

It really has been a while since a clutch fire was reported, probably back when the recall was in full swing, like August 2020. By the time I bought mine, in April 2021, the recall was already in place on new vehicles. Mine is a February 2021 build.

This is the first, at least on here, in a while. That makes me think this is fixed, but the fix was just a software update to limit torque when slippage is detected, along with updated clutch lines and sleeves.

I feel pretty confident that things are in order now, on the new ones. But many will disagree. My build is post recall, but I don't have a problem with the stock clutch.

There are no recalls for 2022...... no way they'd keep building fire traps 2 years after a recall - and recalls are supposed to be applied to unsold vehicles based on VIN anyway.

 

[NachoRuby]

There are no recalls for 2022...... no way they'd keep building fire traps 2 years after a recall - and recalls are supposed to be applied to unsold vehicles based on VIN anyway.

Yes, mine was applied based on vin, it was was a February 2021 build, but it was fixed before it was even delivered to the dealership. I got it in Apil 2021, and it had only been on the lot a few days. I think the issue is fixed now, or the NHTSA would be all over it, and they'd have stopped selling them. We're about to buy another one (2 door JL).

 

[redriderjf87]

It's a shame they half @ssed something so simple as a hydraulic clutch / flywheel. Not that I would let that push me into an auto when at least the aftermarket will address it.

 

[NachoRuby]

It's a shame they half @ssed something so simple as a hydraulic clutch / flywheel. Not that I would let that push me into an auto when at least the aftermarket will address it.

Agreed. I hate to say it, but it would actually push me into a Bronco first.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's a shame they half @ssed something so simple as a hydraulic clutch / flywheel. Not that I would let that push me into an auto when at least the aftermarket will address it.

Hydraulic clutch has nothing to do with it. It's replacing linkage, that's all. They have been used for over 40 years. Hydraulics don't determine clutch strength. Think of brakes...
It's the disk and pressure plate to blame.

 

[redriderjf87]

Hydraulic clutch has nothing to do with it. It's replacing linkage, that's all. They have been used for over 40 years. Hydraulics don't determine clutch strength. Think of brakes...
It's the disk and pressure plate to blame.

Agreed, wasn't talking about just the strength. Also not saying the hydraulics are directly the design fault.

 

[Akgladiator]

Yes, mine was applied based on vin, it was was a February 2021 build, but it was fixed before it was even delivered to the dealership. I got it in Apil 2021, and it had only been on the lot a few days. I think the issue is fixed now, or the NHTSA would be all over it, and they'd have stopped selling them. We're about to buy another one (2 door JL).

Bronco 2dr 7 speed manual is a better deal than JL

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