Worn clutch?

[twaletta]

Bear with me, I've tried searching this and other forums, but the sheer number of ways to describe a shudder makes searching somewhat hopeless without doing ten different searches with different phrasings, all saying the same basic thing.

I've got a '99 323 and I'm getting a vibration/shudder, mostly through the clutch pedal. Only when actively engaging or disengaging the clutch do I get any vibration. Any gear, but the higher I go, the less pronounced. If I'm clipping along at any speed, I can usually feel it if I slip the clutch slightly. Nothing felt in neutral when depressing the pedal either. It usually, not always, goes away after a few miles. The more I have to shift, the quicker it seems to go away.

I'm seeing many say it could be the early signs of a warn clutch, before it loses it's ability to self-adjust. That the right direction?

Regardless of what it is in the end, if it is clutch, pressure plate, or bearing related, they all get replaced at once. Any troubleshooting I can try to narrow it down? I'm not afraid to tear into it, I've changed enough clutches in my time. I could tear an E30 to pieces and throw it all back together, but am still relatively new to E46s.

I appreciate any insight.
J Twaletta (ABAA#00001)

[twaletta]

Apparently my good friend Bentley seems to think the only troubleshooting for drive-train vibrations are in the drive-shaft.

Go figure, Bentley is usually my first choice for advice.
J Twaletta (ABAA#00001)

[jayb]

Bentley is very smart, but sometimes he is wrong. He may need to talk to some experts from time to time to compare notes.

[JKidd]

Pressure plate could be worn, could be some "hot spots" on the flywheel.

See if the clutch is slipping: find a decent hill and get into a numerically higher gear (4th or 5th) and floor it. This would be the time when it slips. Then you'll definitely know you are going to need a new clutch.

How many miles on the current one? Any "hard launches" or recent "new drivers" that could result in some incidental spots on the flywheel?

[HBWT]

you'll be needing a clutch overhaul very soon. Figure on a new clutch, p/plate, release bearing, and flywheel. If yur lucky you can get by without the flywheel


2008 335i Coupe Alpine PP SP CWP Saddle Heated Seats Comfort Access Sirius iPod PS2s(non-RF!)

[Stinger9]

mileage and any other possible related history. In this instance, do you know the history of this car, the driving style of any previous owners, and your driving style?

[Twaletta]

~135k and is likely due for a clutch. Been at least 50k on the current clutch. Gonna just order a clutch, pressure plate, throw in a guibo and CSB and some other details and call it a weekend project.

The only thing that worries me is "BMW special tools". I'm seeing something in the Bentley about a tool for the pressure plate. Are there workarounds for these things?

[cgdR]

I have had clutch chatter on my 323i almost since the start and I am in the process of changing the clutch. Surprisingly, I have found that the clutch and pressure plate were in reasonably good shape (now 135k miles). However, the flywheel, which is of a dual-mass design, has lots of angular play and must be replaced. Other drivetrain issues that may be related to the chatter include a cracked guibo coupling disk and a busted rear differential mount. We'll see in a few days if all this takes care of the problem.
Note that the flywheel lists for nearly $1,000. Several online places have it for about $600. Fortunately, I found an eBay seller that has them new for $460 shipped. Search for LuK DMF019.