Clutch Bearing problems.. I think !

[pilotb777_300]

Hey guys,

I've been having a problem with my clutch in my 2003 CL9 euro. When I came to take off in first gear up a hill I get this funny whooopp noise coming outta the clutch. I've had the car for close to 4 years now and it always did it, just a lot more now. back when I got the car it used to be maybe once or twice a year I'd hear it, where as now its more like opn a daily basis ! I've leanred that when u take off with slightly higher RPM and slip the clutch a bit, it tend not to do it, but that cant be all that good for it. I did a search and found a few threads indicating it may be the spigot bearing ??? now I'm not a rev head so I dont really know what that is or if its true or not. I've taken it to honda and with my luck the car performed flawlessly and for the life of me I couldnt replicate the noise. so I guess these r the questions I have which I havent been able to find answers for on previous threads

1- Can anyone shed light on what really is causing the problem ?
2- Is it the start of clutch failure or just noise that can be left alone?
3- How much approx would it cost to fix?
4- IS it worth changing the whole clutch at the same time if it needs to be fixed ?
5- Should I do it at a honda dealer or find a local mechanic to do it to try and save on labour costs ?

The car has 75K on it and is very well looked after. no clutch dumps or tracked etc... hardely ever redline.

Any help would be greatly appreciated !

Thanks

[simonnowis]

when i had a bearing problem it made a squeek noise everytime i stepped on the clutch.
so the only problem your having is just some noise and no actual changes in the performance of the clutch?

[pilotb777_300]

when i had a bearing problem it made a squeek noise everytime i stepped on the clutch.
so the only problem your having is just some noise and no actual changes in the performance of the clutch?

Thats correct. Clutch seems to be working normally. Its just like a loud noise when I come to let go of the clutch the take off on a hill in first. When I press the clutch in theres no noise. When I'm holding the clutch in theres no noise. When I'm coming to raise my foot off the clutch... that initial clutch slip b4 the car takes off seems to be causing that particular noise. Its quite loud too. So much so that ppl sometimes turn around and look. Its a weird one cause clutch seems to be working normally.

[beje]

iv been having the exact same problem. it has always been there as you have explained but only in the last 2 months has occurred on a more frequent basis.
I have no idea what it is, i assumed that it is the clutch. It would be greatly appreciated if any one could provide some more info, and/or how much it cost to repair

[aaronng]

It's the clutch release bearing. Cheap part, expensive labour. I changed mine when I changed my clutch. It will last the life of the clutch if you don't hold the clutch pedal down at the lights or rev your engine with the clutch pressed down (like what ppl do before they drag).

[BeLowZeRo]

Heyy... finally i found people with the same problem as mine. I had exactly the same problem and its been going for almost a year now. Sometimes its so annoying and there's a point where I couldn't take it anymore (point where i started to hate the car because of the stupid noise) and i want to fix it but don't know how. The first time i asked the John Blair service they said "since i can't replicate the sound, they can not diagnose what the problem was" so i tried to find a way to replicate the noise for my next visit to John Blair.

The second time there.. i said now i can replicate the noise. It usually happen when u about to take off around 1,200rpm and maintain that rev and slowly release the clutch, eventually that whoop (sort of grinding noise) will be audible (so loud that people would turn their heads and laugh at ur car) BUT this time John Blair service said i don't have to replicate the noise cause they already know whats wrong. They said the same thing happen with some integra, and apparently there's a hot spot on the flywheel. THAT'S THE BEST EXPLANATION THEY CAN GIVE ME!!! i said i want to claim a warranty and they said its not cover by warranty...

I'm not really 100% sure with honda since they didn't hear the noise, some mechanic who heard the noise said maybe some of the spring housing on the clutch is broken, as it already happen with a lot of hondas, and again that spring housing should be covered under warranty.

So aaronng.. can u give us some more info about the fix? and where we can get the parts? are they OEM or aftermarket? I can't trust the OEM if its going to happen again after 40,000 Km

[aaronng]

Is it a loud screech when taking off using more rpm and uphill? Do you keep pressing the clutch down when at the traffic lights?

[EuroDude]

Its the clutch release bearing as aaron said.

Early in the morning, take it to your honda dealer and replicate the sound with a technician on a hill start.

[pilotb777_300]

Its the clutch release bearing as aaron said.

Early in the morning, take it to your honda dealer and replicate the sound with a technician on a hill start.

ok From the research I have done this is the most common answer I have found to the problem. so next question is, can you just keep driving it the way it is if its only noise ? or do I have to go get it fixed ? just about every friends euro I have been in has had this noise at some stage when taking off up a hill. So I think its a very common problem. can anyone give me a cost estimate to fix ? I'm guessing $1000 bucks plus for labour and like 100 bucks for the part as is always the case. ??

[aaronng]

ok From the research I have done this is the most common answer I have found to the problem. so next question is, can you just keep driving it the way it is if its only noise ? or do I have to go get it fixed ? just about every friends euro I have been in has had this noise at some stage when taking off up a hill. So I think its a very common problem. can anyone give me a cost estimate to fix ? I'm guessing $1000 bucks plus for labour and like 100 bucks for the part as is always the case. ??

It will work fine until the day the bearing siezes, then all hell breaks loose.
It will involve taking the subframe off so that you can get the gearbox out. Therefore, change your clutch at the same time. Call up workshops for quotes. Try Hannys if you are in Sydney.

[pilotb777_300]

It will work fine until the day the bearing siezes, then all hell breaks loose.
It will involve taking the subframe off so that you can get the gearbox out. Therefore, change your clutch at the same time. Call up workshops for quotes. Try Hannys if you are in Sydney.

ahhh crap.... I'll call up some shops. But the problem is its very hard to replicate the noise on the spot. So no one really belives u ! or knows what ur talking about. Honda quotes me 1K for clutch replacement including labour. Which I gues aint too bad for honda. but I'll call around a few more places.

Thanks for the help guys. I better get right on this b4 my clutch and/or gear box self destructs !

[aaronng]

ahhh crap.... I'll call up some shops. But the problem is its very hard to replicate the noise on the spot. So no one really belives u ! or knows what ur talking about. Honda quotes me 1K for clutch replacement including labour. Which I gues aint too bad for honda. but I'll call around a few more places.

Thanks for the help guys. I better get right on this b4 my clutch and/or gear box self destructs !

The gearbox won't self destruct when the bearing siezes, but in the worst case, there will be friction on the input shaft since the bearing is not rotating.