M3 Clutch Question

[///S50 M3]

Hey guys,

I test drove an E36 M3 the other day, and the clutch felt very different than my E36 318I. Can you explain the differences between the two, because the M3 felt like you had to push it all the way to the floor to be able to shift, and then when you released it, it barely came back up. My 318I has a very "cushy" clutch, and comes right back up to the spot it rests at after you push it down. Is this for a sportier feel, or is it a bad clutch?

[M3/4 LIFE]

i think there is something wrong with the clutch in the m3 you drove. the clutch shouldn't be as you described it. :confused

[///S50 M3]

i think there is something wrong with the clutch in the m3 you drove. the clutch shouldn't be as you described it. :confused

That was definitly my first impression, that the clutch needed to be replaced. The seller does not have records prior to 2001, however from then to now, they have never replaced the clutch. The car has 130K miles on it, and by now, don't you think the clutch should have been replaced 1, or even 2 times?

[earthwormjim]

That was definitly my first impression, that the clutch needed to be replaced. The seller does not have records prior to 2001, however from then to now, they have never replaced the clutch. The car has 130K miles on it, and by now, don't you think the clutch should have been replaced 1, or even 2 times?

Not necessarily. If taken care of a clutch can last a long time. So it could very well be the original clutch on its last legs. Mine has 140k miles on and is still going strong. Engages high up, not mushy etc...

Bad clutch could also be part of the reason why the seller may have decided to sell it? Not a cheap repair if you can't diy.

[///S50 M3]

Not necessarily. If taken care of a clutch can last a long time. So it could very well be the original clutch on its last legs. Mine has 140k miles on and is still going strong. Engages high up, not mushy etc...

Bad clutch could also be part of the reason why the seller may have decided to sell it? Not a cheap repair if you can't diy.

Well I know it isn't the reason for selling, because he is taking it to the BMW dealer next weekend to get it all checked out to see if it needs to be replaced. But shouldn't the clutch "engage" back up after you press it down to shift? It barely came up at all, and felt very stiff, not "cushy" at all like my 318I feels. Maybe just a difference in cars, or has any experienced exactally what I am talking about?

[erobinson]

Are you saying once the clutch is depressed, it won't return to the original height? Or do you think it just has a shorter "throw" in general? If it goes down more than it comes up then that's definitely a problem. Maybe the clutch wasn't bled properly? Bad throwout bearing? Not sure.

[///S50 M3]

Are you saying once the clutch is depressed, it won't return to the original height? Or do you think it just has a shorter "throw" in general? If it goes down more than it comes up then that's definitely a problem. Maybe the clutch wasn't bled properly? Bad throwout bearing? Not sure.

Essentially yes, I was having a real hard time shifting (it looked like this was the first time I had ever driven a stick) because I thought the car was in gear, and I would release the clutch but it hadn't been pressed in far enough to shift. So I would press the clutch all the way down to shift, and when it came back it it wasn't nearly as high up or as "springy" as my clutch. Again, maybe this is the "sportier" way the M3 clutch is designed, I have never driven one before. But with my 318, the clutch is as high up as the brake pedel, and when you press it down, it springs right back in place. The M3 did not seem to do that.

[///S50 M3]

bump

[earthwormjim]

Well seems to me like either the clutch has seen better days, or it needs to be properly bled.

While it's being inspected see if you can get the dealer to bleed it.

A sporty clutch should return to position, moderate to high pressure required to depress, and have a consistant engagement point. Not the symptoms you described

[art@rmeuropean]

It should feel pretty stiff, grab early and return to the original position very fast.

[///S50 M3]

Thanks for the help guys. The best way I can seem to describe it, was there is a very small engagment point when the car would shift. The clutch seemed to be very low to the ground, about half the distance mine is from the floor, and would not retract quickly to it's original position after being pressed.

I think with the info you guys gave me, the clutch is not in it's prime. I will let the seller know to ask the dealer specifically about the clutch when he takes it in.

Thanks again

[ffchun]

My clutch has lasted me for greater than 100k, pending if there are a lot of hills will it wear down

[TLK]

There is something wrong with the clutch in the car you drove. It may be bad master or slave cylinder or possibly an air leak.

If it had come back up to the original point OK, a lot of people (including me) experienced this and that may be due to aged pressure plate springs or dry (no lube) shaft on the transmission and the release bearing is binding up on it.

But since it didn't come back, that sound like the hydraulics are bad somewhere (master, slave, hoses).