[max_330i]

Hey everyone,

Drove my car to work this morning and noticed that the clutch seems to catch a lot higher than it used to. When I am releasing it to pull away in first or shift gears, it seems like I have to let it almost all the way out before I feel the friction point. With this symptom aside, it does not seem to be slipping at all-- it catches fine and accelerates without hesitation.

I have been reading about BMW Self-Adjusting Clutch and my research seems to contradict my experience. It sounds like the SAC is designed to keep the engagement point approximately the same, but mine has changed pretty drastically (from when I bought the car in April until today). 120K miles on the clock and there were several owners before me. Should I be ordering a new clutch kit?

Thanks in advance.
Max

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by max_330i

...Drove my car to work this morning and noticed that the clutch seems to catch a lot higher than it used to. When I am releasing it to pull away in first or shift gears, it seems like I have to let it almost all the way out before I feel the friction point. With this symptom aside, it does not seem to be slipping at all-- it catches fine and accelerates without hesitation.

I have been reading about BMW Self-Adjusting Clutch and my research seems to contradict my experience. It sounds like the SAC is designed to keep the engagement point approximately the same, but mine has changed pretty drastically (from when I bought the car in April until today). 120K miles on the clock and there were several owners before me. Should I be ordering a new clutch kit?

First, bleed the system via the nub at the slave cylinder.

If problem persists, replace the slave cylinder.

If still a problem, then you're probably due for a clutch. Clutches generally last over 150K miles for most people and conditions.

[Three_thirty_I]

I actually have the same problem with my E46 330i 6MT. Since I bought the car the clutch had always been biting at a higher point than it should, and I can only go according to what it feels like compared to my E90 and ex-E46 320i that we had until still quite recently. The previous owner had also been aware of this and had actually sold the car to me with a new Sachs clutch kit (would also probably replace the DMF when the time comes), but I am also aware of the self-adjusting and find it strange that it is doing this. The clutch doesn't slip, but if you are not careful on harder gear changes it can slip a bit if you are a bit too generous on the power. It sometimes tends to be a bit 'grabby' or prone to shudder, but mostly when the car is still cold which I can forgive (both the E90 and other E46 have always been the same when cold). I will have to try bleeding or possibly look into replacing the slave cylinder if that's causing the problem.