Jarhead

I just purchased a Certified Pre-Owned 2010 IS250 with less than 20k on the odometer.

The first car I ever purchased, in 1968, and every car since (save one) have been manual transmissions.

I have _never_ driven a car with such a smooth, buttery clutch as this Lexus has. I asked the mechanic who did my state inspection and who therefore briefly drove the car, and he suspected that it had a double clutch and that's what accounted for its smoothness.

He also said that when it finally has to be replaced, I will be looking at a significant bill for the job.

Anyone care to comment on his speculation that it has a double clutch and that a replacement will be very expensive?

Thanks from a new forum member.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Double clutching is a term used for a driving/shifting technique, not the clutch itself. In fact, there's no thing as a double clutch...if anything, it would be called a twin disk (for which the Lexus DOES NOT have or have need of).

Double clutching is depressing the clutch pedal for BOTH to release the current gear and the initiate the new gear. Twice the work, for which is total not necessary on modern manual transmissions with synchros. The previous owner might been an older person used to double clutching from a LONG time ago.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Oh, also the clutch replacement won't be any more expensive than say any other RWD vehicle. Standard procedure really.

lateapex

I think he means dual clutch:

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

^Oh, but does the 2IS have such a thing? How about a dual mass flywheel. LOL!

lateapex

Nope!!

Jeff Lange

iTrader: (1)

He is probably referring to a dual-mass flywheel, which the 2IS does have, and is not intended to be machined. If you do need to replace the flywheel when replacing the clutch, it is quite expensive.

Jeff

Jarhead

Thanks to all for the feedback and info on this topic. It would seem most likely that the guy, an older gent BTW, was probably referring to the dual-mass flywheel.

While on the subject of clutches, I noticed that, with IS250 at a normal operating temperature and from a standstill, if I gently let out the clutch without touching the gas pedal, the car will move forward and not stall. I just can't remember being able to do that with any manual transmissions I owned in the past. Is this normal???

Thanks once more.

Jeff Lange

iTrader: (1)

Yes it's normal, and most cars will let you do that, provided you pull out the clutch slow enough.

Jeff

Jarhead

Thanks very much, Jeff.