Your clutch is an essential part of your car. While your only experience is maybe pressing down on the clutch pedal each time you want to shift up or down a gear, inside there’s a lot more going on that you don’t see.

The clutch plates inside your car are kept together by springs when you are driving. They separate when you press down on the pedal, to enable the gears within the car to be changed. This regular, repetitive action eventually wears the clutch down over time, and it will need replacing.

Five Signs That You Need A New Clutch

It's not always easy to know when they need changing. There are five signs to watch out for when it comes to your vehicle’s performance that mean you could need a clutch replacement:

• The revs keep climbing but there is little increase in vehicle speed
• Loss of acceleration as the clutch ‘slips’ or a complete loss of drive
• Difficulty changing gears
• Grinding or rattling noise when changing gears
• Engine revs climb or fall of their own accord

Brake checks are an important part of your vehicle servicing requirements, so we recommend that you have your brakes inspected periodically and not just when you have your MOT test. If you tend to use your car mainly for short journeys for instance, it is likely that you will wear the brakes down quicker than if the car is used predominantly for longer trips. It is, therefore, important that you can spot the most common tell-tale signs of when your brake pads are in need of changing or repair.

The two most common signs of brake wear are:

• A grinding noise - this usually suggests that the brake pads have reached the minimum thickness. It is advisable that you contact your local autocentre to have your brakes checked and suitably repaired.
• Pull to the left or right when braking - this normally indicates there could be a sticking on the brake disc or issues with the brake's hydraulics.