6MT Clutch Life

[Macky112]

I hope I am not hi-jacking this thread...

but is it more clutch wear to "smooth out" the clutch movement, or dumping it?

is smoothing out the clutch a very mild form of slipping the clutch?

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by Macky112

I hope I am not hi-jacking this thread...

but is it more clutch wear to "smooth out" the clutch movement, or dumping it?

is smoothing out the clutch a very mild form of slipping the clutch?

Never dump the clutch. Some "slipping" is required for smooth engagement. Excessive slipping or riding the clutch will cause additional wear.

[exmowner]

i have an 09 and i found the FW to rattle a bit when in neutral and off the pedal, when i brought it up to my dealer they brought me out to hear a COP 08 model and I'd say it was 75% louder than mine so I'm guessing the design change in 09's helped but didn't eliminate the sound(rattle).

Alex

[Longbow64]

64k on mine. Going strong.

[Vic311]

Good thread..I assume if I dont beat on mine I could easily get a 100K out of it..thoughts?

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by Vic311

Good thread..I assume if I dont beat on mine I could easily get a 100K out of it..thoughts?

Definitely possible.

[Vic311]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

Definitely possible.

Doesnt sound too reassuring..lol

I realize there are no guarantees but we are at 6 yrs now with this car so I would think there is some meaningful data out there now?

[gatorfast]

There is no 100% answer as the clutch is a wear and tear item but I think most people would agree that with no abuse under normal driving conditions a stock clutch should last you to 100k miles and beyond. There are members on here with 70k+ miles that are still on stock clutch and running strong.

[Vic311]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

There is no 100% answer as the clutch is a wear and tear item but I think most people would agree that with no abuse under normal driving conditions a stock clutch should last you to 100k miles and beyond. There are members on here with 70k+ miles that are still on stock clutch and running strong.

Good to know..thanks

[Nuklball]

If I could ask a question to all..Not trying to jack this thread.
I have recently picked up a vibration at the bottom end of the clutch. It feels like the controller of a video game on vibration mode. Only between gear changes up shift or downshift (not if the car is in neutral and depressing the clutch). More noticeable between 3000-4500 rpm's and only at the last quarter of the clutch throw. Dealer says he can't feel it!!! I mean come on...really...or you just don't want to roll up your sleeves. Thank you all.

[CeeBoogie]

I have an E46 M3, and my car has 180k+. I ride the clutch all the time, and it still feels new like. Then again, I don't drive very hard either. I've had the car since 08 and the car is an 01...

[lookitsma]

This is actually pretty reassuring.

[M3PO]

I just did a track day and it was fine, even on the drive home. The next morning, I pushed the clutch to the floor, started the car and it didn't come back up. I had to pull it up with my foot. It has been fine since. I have 57K miles on it now, I hope it's not the beginning of the end for the master or slave. It probably needs some new/better fluid.

[m3an]

Originally Posted by M3PO

I just did a track day and it was fine, even on the drive home. The next morning, I pushed the clutch to the floor, started the car and it didn't come back up. I had to pull it up with my foot. It has been fine since. I have 57K miles on it now, I hope it's not the beginning of the end for the master or slave. It probably needs some new/better fluid.

while that def sounds like a slave issue, search here as a few people have actually had issues with the spring assisted pedal assembly itself failing and not coming back up after pressed. This sounds more like it to esp. if your clutch was working normally after. IMO a track day or not, as long as you're driving "correctly" it shouldn't make an issue. Cars are meant to be driven.

[M3PO]

Originally Posted by m3an

while that def sounds like a slave issue, search here as a few people have actually had issues with the spring assisted pedal assembly itself failing and not coming back up after pressed. This sounds more like it to esp. if your clutch was working normally after. IMO a track day or not, as long as you're driving "correctly" it shouldn't make an issue. Cars are meant to be driven.

Yeah, I thought the same. I wasn't hard on the clutch during the event. It has been absolutely perfect except that one instance. I'm not worried until it starts to happen regularly.

[MTROIS]

Just hit 72k miles and am due for a clutch job. Needless to say that the 40 track days on the car did not help me attain the 100k mark...

[AdonM3]

Originally Posted by W///

Hey at least I learned something new about there not being 08 clutches being superseded. I think it's a perfectly legitimate thread. It's just nice to get a general idea of what kind of mileage people get or if people have had issues (not synchro issues).

No need to reply "Search" as that brings nothing to the people that actually want to read this. It's better than reading "Can I afford an M3 straight out of college?" threads

I agree, this is a great thread. It will be interesting to see how far people go before changing their clutch.

[Jaymax85]

I am having to replace my pressure plate in my 2008 because the internals of the pressure plate collapsed. I am at 32k miles and the car left me stranded with no clutch pressure. My dealer looked at the pressure plate and clutch and said it was worn.. wanted 4300 bucks...

I had it towed to an Indy who pulled down the transmission.... They saw a clutch disk that had almost no wear on it... and a pressure that had fallen apart from the inside despite no signs of abuse. The indy stated in his 30 years of experience he has only seen this in defective parts.

There is clearly an issue with the 2008 pressure plates because, as some people have mentioned, bmw superseded the part in 2009, leaving us 2008 guys to pay 1700 dollars for a new flywheel when the clutch only costs 6xx. I do not believe that it was "just a sound issue". BMW refused to even partially good-will compensate me for a part of the flywheel cost. Poor customer service making 2008 owners pay to replace parts that were obviously defective from the factory.

The good new in all this is at 32k of babying the car, there was no actual clutch disk wear... so all us stock guys can ride our clutches to 150k+

[calicolorado]

Fwiw, an enthusiastically driven clutch can last a long time if not abused. My '08 328i has the original clutch and performs perfectly at 118k miles. I wind her up through the top of third gear daily (at WOT) and there is no perceptible wear. I never have abused or beaten on the car, just enjoyed it responsibly.

Yes, a 328i has less power than an m3, but the clutch is sized differently, according to the lower power output. Take care of the car and it'll last.

[bigjae1976]

I've seen such a wide variance. I think 100k miles is reasonable. There are some who drive their cars in a manner that accelerates clutch wear...to be expected.

But remember this. There are some 6MT lovers that really can't drive a manual for shit. They probably won't e-admit they love something they have no understanding of. Weed those cases out.

IMO, someone who can rev match on downshifts or just uses the brakes and drives a normal mix of city and highway miles...the clutch will probably last longer than the engine.

Someone who is on the same brake pads for 50k miles is probably engine braking...that will accelerate wear.

Most replacements are people upgrading.

[REP1KRR]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Someone who is on the same brake pads for 50k miles is probably engine braking...that will accelerate wear.

80k mikes on original clutch, and original brakes. And, I don't believe I baby my car. Just a couple trackdays, but usually pretty spirited driving.

[schnell325]

Here's the stock one: