Life of a clutch in a Z3?

[LadyZ3Roadster]

My 1996 Z3 had the clutch replaced in 2009. Paid $900. Just had the clutch go out and my uncle replaced the slave cylinder this morning. Still not working like it should. He thinks if he bleeds the clutch properly again, it should be fine. I have my doubts. Shouldn't a full clutch last longer than 9 years? I have barely put any miles on the car since 2009, as I work from home and the furthest I drive is 10 city blocks away.

[zellamay]

I am curious about this also. I have 108k on my Z3M and clutch seems okay. I doubt it's been replaced. If I will need a clutch in the next couple of years, I'd rather do it now, because I have a lightweight flywheel I'd like to install. How many miles is "barely"?

[328 Power 04]

There is a special bleeding procedure for the slave cylinder. It's very easy to mess up.

[Vintage42]

The slave apparently can trap air unless removed and inverted. Here posts all giving that tip:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...80&postcount=5
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...4#post26602674
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...2#post16538542
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d-clutch-fluid

[Vintage42]

My 1996 Z3 had the clutch replaced in 2009. Paid $900. Just had the clutch go out and my uncle replaced the slave cylinder this morning. Still not working like it should. He thinks if he bleeds the clutch properly again, it should be fine. I have my doubts. Shouldn't a full clutch last longer than 9 years? I have barely put any miles on the car since 2009, as I work from home and the furthest I drive is 10 city blocks away.

Did the 2009 clutch wear out? What were the symptoms? Was the clutch then removed and replaced? What did the clutch look like then -- truly worn? Z3 clutches last well over 100,000 miles in normal driving.

Or are you saying the clutch began to not disengage, and your uncle diagnosed and replaced its slave cylinder? And that repair has been the problem, not the clutch itself?

When replacing the clutch slave cylinder, it is a good idea to replace the line to it. The old rubber line becomes soft with age, and swells when the clutch is depressed, reducing the fluid available to work the slave cylinder, which causes clutch drag and hard shifting. The UUC stainless steel clutch line is a popular replacement.
http://store.uucmotorwerks.com/stain...t-z3-p318.aspx

[LadyZ3Roadster]

I am curious about this also. I have 108k on my Z3M and clutch seems okay. I doubt it's been replaced. If I will need a clutch in the next couple of years, I'd rather do it now, because I have a lightweight flywheel I'd like to install. How many miles is "barely"?

I've owned the car since 2006. It already had over 100+ on it when I got it. It was actually around 115 or 120. Now it's at 133.

[Wertles]

If you go to the trouble of pulling the transmission at 100,000+ miles to change the flywheel, it’s a no brainer to replace the clutch and related parts at the same time. This is not the time to save a few bucks.

[zellamay]

Right. That was my point. If I take it apart, I'll do everything, but I don't want to if this clutch will last another 30 or 40k miles. On the other hand, if it's inevitable in the next 10 to 20k miles, I might as well do it now and enjoy the lighter flywheel sooner. I know, it's all speculation.

- - - Updated - - -

My 1996 Z3 had the clutch replaced in 2009. Paid $900. Just had the clutch go out and my uncle replaced the slave cylinder this morning. Still not working like it should. He thinks if he bleeds the clutch properly again, it should be fine. I have my doubts. Shouldn't a full clutch last longer than 9 years? I have barely put any miles on the car since 2009, as I work from home and the furthest I drive is 10 city blocks away.

And, what does "not working like it should" mean? It is doing what (not engaging/disengaging fully), under what conditions (hot/cold? high speed/idling?) It's not reasonable that your clutch wore out in 15k miles, unless it was improperly adjusted and slipping all the time. You would notice that.

[Wertles]

Your clutch could last another 100,000 miles. Clutches are a wear item and some people can roast a clutch in 10,000 miles and others can make them last 250,000 miles. Having done plenty of clutch jobs, I’d rather spend the money on a new clutch and waste 40,000 miles than go back in 40,000 miles and replace the clutch. Plus, I’d really want a new clutch on a new flywheel so they mate together correctly.

[zellamay]

Your clutch could last another 100,000 miles. Clutches are a wear item and some people can roast a clutch in 10,000 miles and others can make them last 250,000 miles. Having done plenty of clutch jobs, I’d rather spend the money on a new clutch and waste 40,000 miles than go back in 40,000 miles and replace the clutch. Plus, I’d really want a new clutch on a new flywheel so they mate together correctly.

I guess I wasn't clear. I would NEVER change out the flywheel without putting in a new clutch. That makes no sense. So the options are: put in a new clutch/flywheel/other parts now, or do nothing and wait. I am gentle on my clutches, so if it can last another 100k miles, I'll do nothing and wait.

[Vintage42]

My 1996 Z3 had the clutch replaced in 2009... Just had the clutch go out and my uncle replaced the slave cylinder this morning...

Some of the responses seem premature. I have not seen information confirming that the clutch itself was the problem.

[bubbafett]

The Bavarain bleeding tool (currently out of stock) and Motive power bleeder go a loooooong way. https://www.bavauto.com/bmw-clutch-s...d-tool-cbttool

[ZGator]

I have got 18 years, and about 156k on my original clutch, who's got more?

I don't think the clutch slave on Non-M's are as difficult to bleed as the Ms? - I don't use any special tools - and bleeding does help clutch feel/engagement.

[me77]

How do you determine the clutch is bad? Does it slip? You can't go by "at what point of pedal travel does it grab" on those clutches, they re-adjust continously (LuK SAC). There is a special tool that is supposed to be put into the slave cylinder hole that measures clutch disk wear.

I can tell you that a new E36 clutch has (what feels like) the same pickup point as a worn clutch. They grab high all the time, part of that is due to the clutch delay valve.

[Tim95M3]

I have got 18 years, and about 156k on my original clutch, who's got more?

I don't think the clutch slave on Non-M's are as difficult to bleed as the Ms? - I don't use any special tools - and bleeding does help clutch feel/engagement.

I replaced the clutch on my roadster at 205k miles because I wanted a light flywheel. The clutch still had a ton of life in it. There were still machining marks in the flywheel. All depends on how bad the driver is.

[zellamay]

I replaced the clutch on my roadster at 205k miles because I wanted a light flywheel. The clutch still had a ton of life in it. There were still machining marks in the flywheel. All depends on how bad the driver is.

And did you like the flywheel?

[325bob]

I'm at 135k,autocrossing since 84K, she's starting to slip in 2nd at full chat, and is very hard to get in 1st after racing all morning, but is fine the next day
until the next AX.

[bubbafett]

I just changed my clutch, I has 147K and I had 1mm left on top of the rivets, which is the minimum for normal, below that and the clutch should be changed. There is a specialty tool (probe) that tells you the clutch pad thickness, but not worth the money for me.

[jclausen]

I have a customer that had 170 k on his 2002 m5 when it was replaced. Now the car has 260k it has the original engine never been apart, other than coolant work, valve cover gaskets. .its all about how you drive the car and maintain it.