Clutch Shudder/Judder on Manny Tranny
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: Massachusetts
2007 BMW 328xi sedan
Clutch Shudder/Judder on Manny Tranny
I have 2200 miles so far and I have noticed only on first gear take-off that the car is shuddering or I think the term is judder or jutter. The feeling is that the whole car will rumble for a second or 2 until you fully let out the clutch. I wonder if this will go away after the clutch gets a little more broken in. I remember that my BMW 318ti had to have the clutch disc replaced at around 25k miles because the material would cause shudder/judder once the disc reached a high enough temperature. This is the same feeling as that, except the the problem happens in typical winter temps for the northeastern part of the USA. Anyone else have this problem?
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 402
Likes: 0
From: Croton, NY
1991 mr2 turbo, 2002 coupe
I've noticed a little clutch shuttering on a few occaisions. My old Supra used to do it as well only worse. From what I can tell, it happens when more than ample revs are applied and the clutch is taken up slowly. I don't think it means you have a bad clutch, but can't say I'm an expert in this dept.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,377
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
2005 smart cabrio; 2008 Mercedes-Benz B 200
Judder
Could be any number of things. Firstly, the clutch linings may be a bit oily due to a leaking rear main seal. Secondly, there could be a hydraulic fault in the linkage, with excessive play. Thirdly, the clutch disc or pressure plate could be faulty (bad springs, etc). There are other possibilities too. My advice is to get it checked out by the dealer ASAP.
There is a less common but still real possibility: where you park (outdoors), if it is humid and cool at night (but above freezing) condensation is possible on the pressure plate and flywheel. This too can cause light juddering, but it should go away after a few clutch engagements, as the water is vapourised. My car does this (for this reason) occasionally, but it has 160,000 miles on the original clutch...still going strong...
There is a less common but still real possibility: where you park (outdoors), if it is humid and cool at night (but above freezing) condensation is possible on the pressure plate and flywheel. This too can cause light juddering, but it should go away after a few clutch engagements, as the water is vapourised. My car does this (for this reason) occasionally, but it has 160,000 miles on the original clutch...still going strong...
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: Massachusetts
2007 BMW 328xi sedan
I agree with you about the humidity and condensation as I used to experience this in my BMW. But this car is always garaged. The feeling is the same as the humidity induced judder. I will have to montior the situation since it does not happen all the time. I may have to wait for it to get more persistant to bring it in for service.
