Clutch Slipping at 69,000

Was waiting in traffic for about an hour the other night on way across GW Bridge and clutch got real soft and had to be let up all the way to get into first and then I it slipped into it and I had to rev the engine to move after about a 45 minute bumper to bumper deal. After I got on the bridge and back to speed all was fine and the car drove fine without any problems shifting today. I"m thinking the clutch may be on its way out which does not bode well for me (69,000 miles - I drive like your grandmother). Hyundai told me they'd replace it without even looking at it for $1,000. I told them I"d crawl backwards first and have a place willing to do it for about $500. Can't afford to do it for a couple weeks. Is it adviseable to drive even short distancees, laundry supermarket until I get it fixed? Any adivce - similar fun times? Thanks. :smokin:

PS - 2000 Accent L

Is it adviseable to drive even short distancees, laundry supermarket until I get it fixed? Any adivce - similar fun times? Thanks. :smokin:

Currently, you could probably get by with just a clutch, p/p, and t/out bearing with a flywheel resurface. If you drive it too long with the clutch going out, it'll probably heat the flywheel up too much and then you will have to replace the flywheel. Ones for the Accent aren't expensive, but it is an added expense if you are already hurting. I'd park it until you are ready to fix it.

Was waiting in traffic for about an hour the other night on way across GW Bridge and clutch got real soft and had to be let up all the way to get into first and then I it slipped into it and I had to rev the engine to move after about a 45 minute bumper to bumper deal. After I got on the bridge and back to speed all was fine and the car drove fine without any problems shifting today. I"m thinking the clutch may be on its way out which does not bode well for me (69,000 miles - I drive like your grandmother). Hyundai told me they'd replace it without even looking at it for $1,000. I told them I"d crawl backwards first and have a place willing to do it for about $500. Can't afford to do it for a couple weeks. Is it adviseable to drive even short distancees, laundry supermarket until I get it fixed? Any adivce - similar fun times? Thanks. :smokin:
try to flush the hydraulics in there first.....Accents tend to have a very small reservoir of fluid and they get hot quick and sometimes that brake fluid breaks down.....I would recommend that first..before you spend some major bucks on it.....hey..if it needs a clutch..no harm done as the fluid needs to be flushed anyway....

Thanks. I'll look into it. It is a small reservoir and I've never changed the fluid nor knew it needed to be changed on a stick. Moral of this story is next time I get the automatic and replace the tranny fluid and shell out the bucks over time as opposed to getting reamed all at once. Thanks.

Better to replace all three components as labour cost will be the same all thru

Will be doing just that in about 2 weeks when I can scrape and I do mean scrape up the cash for this. Just makes me ponder that $263 million piece of orbital junk that crashed yesterday to the taxpayers dime. Then we're at war with the world and now all our rights are taken away and your life is an open book to anyone with $25 and an ISP. And I'm supposed to raise a family in this "Worker's Paradise." Let's hear it for $3 a gallon. At least it's only a clutch and not my two cousins on their way to Fallujah. I don't know about y'all but I'm ready to vote for Zippy the Pinhead this go-round. Peace and thanks for the replies. :smokin:

Update - My mechanic couldn't get it to slip and said clutch is working okay. Lee Myles told me the opposite and said that it needed new clutch from riding around block. Hyundai told me $1000 to replace without even bringing it there after I described problem. My mechanic said that the clutch may have in fact overheated a bit in the traffic jam I was in but the damage was not bad and that that can happen and that while it is not helpful to the clutch it wears it like a brake and basically the clutch is working fine so I'm going to drive it and see what happens. I trust this mechanic. He could sell me a lot of shit but just replaced wires and told me to get a new K&N. He didn't carry it and figured I didn't need him to install it. Car passed inspection. Brakes are all right. Any ideas. I believe in preventative medicine but I think I've done my homework here. If I could get another 10 or 20 out of the clutch that would be great. Anyway - anyone have one heat up in a 2 hour bumper to bumper and get a bit soft and you have to let up all the way to engage? Any ideas? Thanks all.

i dont think it will last much longer, but you can drive it untill it gives out on you, it wont hurt anything. just make sure to carry a cell phone around with you.

Got cell and Blackberry - You're probably right but I figure the fly wheel deal isn't expensive and I'll just hang on to the money for now. With my luck I'll get it fixed and then get creamed the next day. I was in bumper to bumper waiting for about a half hour to get on the 3rd Ave Bridge into Manhattan this AM. No problems at all. Another 2 hour traffic jam and I just pull the car over and wait I guess or get a map from my blackberry and plan a different route. Thanks all.