Clutch Pressure Plate Squeak: What Would You Do?

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gathermewool

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-'08 Subaru WRX STI, 42k miles

-Stock clutch, no slippage at all.

-Squeak/creak with clutch movement - sometimes while clutching in, always while clutching out.

-Dealer says it's most probably the pressure plate finger(s), which won't be covered under extended warranty and would cost me > $1200.

-Noise seems to get worse after a lot of around-town driving where I'm using the clutch a lot.

-Live with it? Buy new OEM-style clutch? Possibly something else, which would be covered under warranty, and is worth risking the deal tearing open the tranny?

The problem began a few thousand miles ago (just out of warranty, conveniently enough
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) as an occasional squeak that I really had to listen for in order to notice it. Now, the noise is always there and audible enough to easily hear with the music turned off and the windows up. It seems to get worse as I use the clutch, though it's not horribly loud, and is easily drown out by music and road noise at speeds > 30 mph.

The dealer says that, of all the parts covered by the extended warranty - throw-out bearing, thrust bearing, pivots and dingles and dangles - that the pressure plate finger(s), which is what they are relatively certain is causing the noise, is NOT covered. More
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I'm pretty easy on my clutch, even at auto-x and while driving aggressively, and was honestly expecting to get > 100k miles out of the stocker. It seems a shame to ditch a clutch that may have a lot of life left because of an annoying squeak. So, my question to all of you, is what would you do? Since this doesn't affect clutch operation and doesn't seem to be detrimental (just an annoyance) I'm leaning toward living with it. If not, I'd go for an OEM-style replacement (screw paying what Subaru wants) like the relatively low cost Exedy clutch, since I don't plan on making more than Stage 2 power levels ever.

Thanks for any and all advice, guys.
 
how convenient they think its something not covered by the warranty

convenient for them of course

I had a really bad clutch squeak with my focus in the winter when cold..
it eventually went away permanently
 
More likely the bushing in the pedal. IDK how the clutch plates could make a squeak you could hear through the bell housing and hood/firewall.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
More likely the bushing in the pedal. IDK how the clutch plates could make a squeak you could hear through the bell housing and hood/firewall.


My first guess too.

Second would be any external pivot points if applicable.
 
My Altima had a squeaky pedal assembly, I ended up replacing it and it was fine after, but if it were a bigger deal, I would've just lived with it barring no driveability problems.
My Maxima had the famous clutch "howl" that 02/03 6 speed Maximas had. Also did not effect the clutch otherwise.
 
This just doesn't sound right (no pun intended...).

I have never heard of, nor experienced, squeaky fingers. I think this thing is mechanical (not hydraulic...) right? So, the squeak is likely the pivot for the clutch fork on the transmission. There's a lot of load on that pivot...

Go back and ask him to disassemble that part and lube it.
 
If I listen with my head out the window while operating the cluthc, it's obvious that it's coming from the engine compartment area. The service department counter guy said they lubed all pivot points, but I don't think they removed the intercooler - they only charged me $22 (I have a $100 deductible for my extended warranty) for the time spend trouble-shooting, and at $88/hr, that would be one helluva speedy tech!

To be honest, I was busy at work when he called, and running errands afterward(including having my battery replaced by Sears under warranty
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) and didn't even think about the relation between time charged and how long it would actually take to lube the clutch lever in the engine bay, if that's even something that might be a cause.

Regardless of how thorough or accurate their trouble-shooting was, I believe the service department counter guy called to let me know what the tech thought was the most likely cause prior to approving the work in good faith, because he knew it wouldn't be covered under the extended warranty. I understand that he'd probably be inviting major headaches if he hadn't had me authorize the work, but that's not to say it doesn't happen. He didn't make it seems as if he was trying to mislead me either, but warn me that it MAY cost substantially more than my $100 deductible should it not be an item covered by the warranty.

As far as I know, the clutch is hydro-mechanically actuated, just like most manuals, right? Clutch pedal/lever actuates clutch master cylinder, which operates the clutch. I'm going to ask tomorrow whether they removed the intercooler and lubed the clutch return spring and lever (I guess they can be lubed.)
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If not, I'll just do it myself when I flush the clutch and brake fluids this weekend.

I agree that it seems odd that something like the pivot points on the pressure plate fingers could cause so much noise, but I have zero experience with this, other than a quick confirmation via an M5 forum where a guy had a similar issue. Hopefully I'll find that it is something I can easily do myself after removing the intercooler.

Thanks again for the advice, and please, keep it coming!
 
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Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Back in the old high school road rat car days, the fix would have been to install a louder sound system.


Or a catback exhaust. To heck with my condo-mates, I need to drown out this darned creaking noise!
 
I'd leave it until it starts slipping or grinding. As already mentioned the noise "might" go away. Funny how the dealer knows exactly what's wrong and the part isn't covered.

Check the pedal bushing yourself, it might need to be lubed or could be broken or worn out.

Slightly OT. I was recently told I need a clutch in my E-150, chattering and a grind going into reverse. My brother and I were talking about it and he reminded me of my 85 E-150 and floor the floor flexing when pressing down on the clutch. How I forgot is beyond me.
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I even wrote about it here once or twice. Well the floor was flexing. We installed a plate to beef up the floor and the clutch is back to normal. The moral of the story is don't believe everything a mechanic tells you.
 
My G35 makes a creaking noise when I press the clutch in and release. I tracked it down to where the clutch slave cylinder rod pushes on the pivot arm. I put a drop (literally) of grease on that point and the noise has been gone for about 40K so far. My only concern was since it is exposed, it is now sticky and could collect sand, etc.

In my car the slave cylinder and pivot arm are visible from the bottom of the car, you could have someone press/release while you looked for the sound.
 
Thanks guys. I'm going to pull the intercooler off this weekend and, with the help of my gf, narrow down where the noise is coming from. I'm really hoping it's something easy like CBR.worm's problem. Even if it's a bracket, it'll be covered by warranty.
 
I walked up to my car with a coworker during lunch to take turns operating the clutch and listening in the engine bay for the noise, and we're both nearly certain that it's NOT coming from the pressure plate. Beneath the intercooler, you can just make out with a flashlight the movement of the return lever and spring, but not anything forward of that. Based on how loud and creaky the sound is, it appears that it's coming from right in that area.

My plan is to pull the intercooler off tomorrow and hope that I have a similar issue to CBR.worm's, and a small bit of grease will fix it.
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
I walked up to my car with a coworker during lunch to take turns operating the clutch and listening in the engine bay for the noise, and we're both nearly certain that it's NOT coming from the pressure plate. Beneath the intercooler, you can just make out with a flashlight the movement of the return lever and spring, but not anything forward of that. Based on how loud and creaky the sound is, it appears that it's coming from right in that area.

My plan is to pull the intercooler off tomorrow and hope that I have a similar issue to CBR.worm's, and a small bit of grease will fix it.


Good luck! It sure beats a clutch job. If the dealer changed the clutch and failed to grease that area there is a good chance you'll have a lighter wallet, and the same noise.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
I walked up to my car with a coworker during lunch to take turns operating the clutch and listening in the engine bay for the noise, and we're both nearly certain that it's NOT coming from the pressure plate. Beneath the intercooler, you can just make out with a flashlight the movement of the return lever and spring, but not anything forward of that. Based on how loud and creaky the sound is, it appears that it's coming from right in that area.

My plan is to pull the intercooler off tomorrow and hope that I have a similar issue to CBR.worm's, and a small bit of grease will fix it.


Good luck! It sure beats a clutch job. If the dealer changed the clutch and failed to grease that area there is a good chance you'll have a lighter wallet, and the same noise.


I would hope they would check for the noise step-wise, with the point they could not get to yesterday as their first check. However, this would have cost me the whole $100 deductible had they taken the intercooler off and greased some pivot point.

Doing it myself, I'll hopefully kill two birds with one stone - clutch fluid flush and creak fix - while I have the intercooler off.

I'll make sure the gf takes lots of pics (if we remember) and post up what I find. Hopefully it'll prevent some one else from having to pay out the hooha for something that's isn't necessary.
 
I assume you can tell this noise is not coming from under the dash.
That leaves out the linkage.
But a throw out bearing is probable.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I assume you can tell this noise is not coming from under the dash.
That leaves out the linkage.
But a throw out bearing is probable.


The noise seems to be coming from the engine compartment, just beneath the intercooler.

The noise is also only while the clutch pedal is in motion, not while held steady or clutched in fully. If I clutch in or out faster, the creak changes as well. It's perfectly reminiscent of a creaking door with respect to changing clutch velocity's effect on the noise.
 
It may mean nothing, but I tried spraying a light mist under the intercooler to see if the water might provide enough lubrication to change the squeak even a little bit, but nothing. It did not change at all after a few sprays from either side of the intercooler.

I'm still going to pull it off tomorrow and see whether I can pinpoint a little more exactly where the the noise is coming from.

Happy Friday everyone. I'm off to see Captain Amrrrrica (note: "America" pronounced as "Uh-Mer-Ica" is way manlier sounding.) haha
 
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I have a possible fix for yens.

Springs will sometimes make noise when they are made to change dimensions. It is more common with new springs. I think it has something to do with the surface plated metals, but I am not sure.

Any hoo, for a living room recliner the fix is to go to the hardware store and get a new bees wax seal normally used under a toilet, and smear the bees wax all over the spring.

For a hot area like your clutch, I would try some of the paint on compounds used to quiet noisy brakes. Most auto part stores should have it. If it is the springs by the inside of the clutch, you might have to take the clutch apart to get them coated without getting the coating on the working friction surfaces.

Of course if you system has an external return spring check that first.
 
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