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Engine Disconnect Clutch

The clutch a hybrid uses to drop its engine off the driveline entirely. In many hybrid layouts it sits between the engine and the electric motor: open, the car drives purely electrically with the engine stopped; closed, the engine joins in to drive and to charge. Every transition between electric and engine drive passes through it, slipping deliberately during each blend so the join is seamless.

Its faults show at the seams: shudder or a thump exactly when the engine joins or leaves, electric-only running that has quietly stopped, or an engine that idles at stops it used to sleep through. Stuck open removes engine drive; stuck closed defeats electric drive — opposite failures with opposite symptoms, through one part.

It is a real friction clutch with a real actuator, and it suffers most from slipping under high torque — hard acceleration at the exact moment of engine join is its hardest duty.

Also known as: k0 clutch, kzero clutch, engine clutch, separation clutch, disconnect clutch

Referenced by 22 codes

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Codes involving this component (22)

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