[MrsBeetle]

Greetings

Mrs Beetle makes a noise like a whirring spinning sound I can hear when I am driving and press in the clutch pedal. She's a manual transmission 5 speed. Seems like this sound is steadily getting louder. Is there a fly wheel--is this what I'm hearing? Is her clutch going out? She's got 91k miles on her.

--Mistress to Mrs Beetle

 

[jfoj]

Hard to tell over the Internet on these types of issues. Given the mileage and not knowing how the car had previously been driven, likely the car is due for a clutch soon?

The through out bearing could be what is making noise, could also be something else like a belt idler pulley as well?

Likely you will need to have someone listen to the noise.

Call Aamco Transmission and see if they will give a free estimate. Not sure I would get them to do the work, but many times they will evaluate and give estimates for both automatic and manual transmissions for free.

Good luck, hope it is not a clutch or through out bearing as this would likely be costly.

 

[turboturbo]

A couple of tests for you:
1. with the car running, in neutral, not moving, push the clutch to the floor. Do this somewhere quiet, with your windows down. Does the noise get worse/louder/different? If yes, suspect throw out bearing.
2. With the car in fourth or fifth, going above 25mph, go up a hill. Watch your tach. Put your gas pedal to the floor. Does the engine RPM increase rapidly/fluctuate without the car accelerating? If yes, suspect worn clutch.

 

[MrsBeetle]

A couple of tests for you:
1. with the car running, in neutral, not moving, push the clutch to the floor. Do this somewhere quiet, with your windows down. Does the noise get worse/louder/different? If yes, suspect throw out bearing.
2. With the car in fourth or fifth, going above 25mph, go up a hill. Watch your tach. Put your gas pedal to the floor. Does the engine RPM increase rapidly/fluctuate without the car accelerating? If yes, suspect worn clutch.

Ah! I will test and get back on this! Thank you thank you!

 

[MrsBeetle]

A couple of tests for you:
1. with the car running, in neutral, not moving, push the clutch to the floor. Do this somewhere quiet, with your windows down. Does the noise get worse/louder/different? If yes, suspect throw out bearing.
2. With the car in fourth or fifth, going above 25mph, go up a hill. Watch your tach. Put your gas pedal to the floor. Does the engine RPM increase rapidly/fluctuate without the car accelerating? If yes, suspect worn clutch.

Test 1. No. So on to test 2!

 

[MrsBeetle]

Hard to tell over the Internet on these types of issues. Given the mileage and not knowing how the car had previously been driven, likely the car is due for a clutch soon?

The through out bearing could be what is making noise, could also be something else like a belt idler pulley as well?

Likely you will need to have someone listen to the noise.

Call Aamco Transmission and see if they will give a free estimate. Not sure I would get them to do the work, but many times they will evaluate and give estimates for both automatic and manual transmissions for free.

Good luck, hope it is not a clutch or through out bearing as this would likely be costly.

OMG if at 91k miles it needs a new clutch, talking around $1000 for the part alone, this car is a lemon! Arg! I'll be getting rid of her lickety split! ::wails and gnashes her teeth:::wave2:

 

[jfoj]

Unfortunately a clutch is a wear/maintenance item. Kind of like brakes, wear out and need to be replaced.

At least this is cheaper than an automatic trans overhaul!

Clutches typically last between 75-150k miles depending on how the car is driven and if someone actually knows how to drive a clutch. If the car was a highway cruiser and not a town car, likely get far more mileage out of it.

Maybe some other owners can chime in on how long their clutches lasted so you can get an idea of how many miles you should expect to get on the original clutch.

Hopefully your clutch is not the issue and you have some more miles left on it.

 

[nighttrain1974]

1000 dollar clutch? That must be some clutch.

In the UK they are about £150 depending on where you shop and then labour on that. I think mine cost about £300 or so to change when it crapped out just over 12 months ago.

 

[doc32469]

1000 dollar clutch? That must be some clutch.

In the UK they are about £150 depending on where you shop and then labour on that. I think mine cost about £300 or so to change when it crapped out just over 12 months ago.

Made out of gold lol

sent from DROID. 2001 NB 2.0 manual Cyber Green

 

[jfoj]

Looks like these cars may have a dual mass flywheel?

These dual mass flywheels can and do go bad and can also become noisy, so this my be part of your issue, but you really need someone locally to listen the the car and give you feedback.

If in fact you need a clutch with a dual mass flywheel, Luk is used often in the BMW community with good results.

A Luk clutch kit with dual mass flywheel from ECS is around $500. This depends on if you need to purchase hardware.

Look toward the bottom of this link for the OE Clutch Kit

Volkswagen New Beetle 1.8T > Drivetrain > Clutch

 

[MrsBeetle]

1000 dollar clutch? That must be some clutch.

In the UK they are about £150 depending on where you shop and then labour on that. I think mine cost about £300 or so to change when it crapped out just over 12 months ago.

Indeed, kits are hovering around $1000 and less:
OEM / Performance Parts for Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Porsche & Volkswagen - ECS Tuning

I hope you didn't get ripped off where you bought yours!

 

[Smileybug]

I would do the first one here: GermanAutoParts.com : Volkswagen New Beetle Clutch

$350 and you can switch over to a single mass flywheel, which are less problematic than the dual mass. Spending $1k on a clutch kit is for tuned cars.

 

[jfoj]

One thing you or whom ever is buying the parts/doing the repair needs to be VERY careful about is getting the proper clutch.

If for some reason you replace the flywheel with a single mass fly wheel, DO NOT use an OE style clutch without the hub damper springs.

If you replace the flywheel with a single mass unit, YOU MUST install a clutch with hub damper springs.

I see this get screwed up often and it leads to gearbox rattle and jerky take off and shifting.

Need to pay attention on this issue!

 

[MrsBeetle]

A couple of tests for you:
1. with the car running, in neutral, not moving, push the clutch to the floor. Do this somewhere quiet, with your windows down. Does the noise get worse/louder/different? If yes, suspect throw out bearing.
2. With the car in fourth or fifth, going above 25mph, go up a hill. Watch your tach. Put your gas pedal to the floor. Does the engine RPM increase rapidly/fluctuate without the car accelerating? If yes, suspect worn clutch.

Hi Turboturbo, I did both of these tests. Test 1, no noise at all, silence from Mrs Beetle. Test 2, no fluctuation in RPM and acceleration was fabulous as usual (yay turbo!). I did this test at many different speeds, varying from 40 MPH to 80 MPH on really good hills, some pretty steep (I live in the Eastern Sierra Mountains) in both 4th and 5th gears.

Are there any tests to determine if this is her flywheel(s) I am hearing? It's a whirring sound like something is spinning, and only occurs when I press in the clutch pedal while driving her.

It's not very loud, but since I got her in November, I've gotten to know this car and only just noticed the sound about two weeks ago. I don't recall hearing it before then. Is it my imagination--Could I just be paranoid something is going wrong with her?

Should I hear something when I press in the clutch while driving, or should there be silence? It's not a "grinding" sound; yet I hear something distinctly that sounds like a spinning or whirring that only occurs when I press in the clutch for about 2 seconds, then the sound ceases even while keeping the clutch pedal depressed all the way down.

 

[turboturbo]

Your clutch is fine. I suspect your noise is simply the throw out bearing, and if it isn't constant, I wouldn't worry about it. Just my 2c, of course. You might want to get a garage to have a listen, but remember, garages are in the business of making money from fixing cars. If it were a car in my care, I would leave it until it was clutch time.

 

[MrsBeetle]

Your clutch is fine. I suspect your noise is simply the throw out bearing, and if it isn't constant, I wouldn't worry about it. Just my 2c, of course. You might want to get a garage to have a listen, but remember, garages are in the business of making money from fixing cars. If it were a car in my care, I would leave it until it was clutch time.

Indeed, and I do not trust them as far as I could throw one of their mechanics....I swear they have little devil horns under their hats....

 

[esse10]

original clutch

Unfortunately a clutch is a wear/maintenance item. Kind of like brakes, wear out and need to be replaced.

At least this is cheaper than an automatic trans overhaul!

Clutches typically last between 75-150k miles depending on how the car is driven and if someone actually knows how to drive a clutch. If the car was a highway cruiser and not a town car, likely get far more mileage out of it.

Maybe some other owners can chime in on how long their clutches lasted so you can get an idea of how many miles you should expect to get on the original clutch.

Hopefully your clutch is not the issue and you have some more miles left on it.

189k miles and still on the original clutch, knock on wood three times.....LOL still drives good with no problems and have not replaced the original tranny fluid either...HHMM

 

[MrsBeetle]

189k miles and still on the original clutch, knock on wood three times.....LOL still drives good with no problems and have not replaced the original tranny fluid either...HHMM

That's probably because you know how to drive a clutch

 

[MrsBeetle]

One thing you or whom ever is buying the parts/doing the repair needs to be VERY careful about is getting the proper clutch.

If for some reason you replace the flywheel with a single mass fly wheel, DO NOT use an OE style clutch without the hub damper springs.

If you replace the flywheel with a single mass unit, YOU MUST install a clutch with hub damper springs.

I see this get screwed up often and it leads to gearbox rattle and jerky take off and shifting.

Need to pay attention on this issue!

I wonder what a gear box rattle sounds like. Does the rattle occur when depressing the clutch pedal? She has a jerky take off and shifting...now I'm suspicious....If some bonehead did what you're describing in replacing her flywheel at one point in her (shady) past....

 

[AngryBeetle]

My 1.8T's DMF went out at about 78k while I was on vacation once. Thank Jebus I was on vacay with my parents...

Test 1 yielded positive (currently at 88k), time to call up the family backyard mechanic. 90's Civics these things ain't.