Rpms rising when accelerating - 1.8 wagon

[ToyotaGang]

When accelerating at a higher gear the car revs up to 4000rpm and builds speed. It has done this since I got it. Is this normal cause some say it could be a slipping clutch. My car does not slip from standstill. Is it normal?

[NeilAvensisT]

That certainly sounds like a slipping clutch to me; best test is do about 30mph uphill in 4th or 5th, if the revs start to rise, its a slipping clutch.

[ToyotaGang]

Isn't there a chance that this could be normal? It does not get worse and does not slip from standstill. It also do build speed

[flash22]

put it in 3rd or 4th and try to pull away - if it stalls the clutch is ok, if it revs, the clutch is on its way out

[Konrad C]

From my experience with the same car, the clutch only slipped when the revs went close  4000 rpm and above, in early stages. There was not enough torque to cause clutch slip in the higher gears for a while. Then once the wear was enough, the clutch began slipping more at lower revs and higher gears. I called it right as I had the clutch replaced over 5 years ago. 

 

[TonyHSD]

If clutch is slipping it will be accompanied by nasty dental smell of melting metal or similar. You can try to sense if this is the case. 4000rpm is indeed the sign of wearing off clutch friction plate. 👍 

[Cyker]

I used a similar method to what flash describes, but another way I've diagnosed a worn clutch is to cruise around 3000-ish RPM or if you know where your engine's max torque rpm is, then suddenly floor the accelerator (Obv on an fast empy road!) - If it does that CVT thing where the revs shoot up and but the car's acceleration lags behind then the clutch is going, but if the car leaps like a rocket then it's fine.  

But TBH if you're a fairly gentle driver, you can probably run it for a while yet. I hate getting work like that done at this time of year!