6MT Clutch "pops" as end of disengaging.

[JLed79]

08 E90 M3 6MT. The majority of the time when I'm driving the car I feel a "pop", somewhat subtle but sometimes not. It's always at the end of disengaging the clutch right when I'm taking my foot off of it. Has anyone else experiences this or know what it is?

[atopa2002]

Yes I have ,you are letting of the clutch too quickly,get a feel for the engagement point or the clutch take up point .clutch in slowing ,then faster after the engagement point.

Use the level of the rest foot to know you are fully disengage so you don't have a lot of dead space below the engagement point .

Hope I'm making sense.

[JLed79]

You do make sense and this was my first thought as well. So I did what you described and slowed my clutch release as well. Still there. My wife even noted it and she shifts anything but quickly lol.
It happens well beyond the clutch actually disengaging. Probably the last 1"-1/2" of pedal movement.

[jaehshim]

I've experienced it as well

This is my second manual car, so I just think of it as "I need to get used to it more".
I've had the M3 for a year.

Our M3 clutch travel is quite long (longer than normal manual cars), when compared to other vehicles.
Other vehicles (i'm referring to some of my relatives' cars I occasionally drive: S2000, GTI, BRZ), their clutches have quite short travel and your hardly get into this "pop" mode because the clutch is short

[roddyc]

Have you tried removing your clutch spring? Was one of the best 'mods' I've done...makes for a considerably smoother disengagement point for me anyways. You can search around, general concensus is pretty positive.

[happos2]

Originally Posted by roddyc

Have you tried removing your clutch spring? Was one of the best 'mods' I've done...makes for a considerably smoother disengagement point for me anyways. You can search around, general concensus is pretty positive.

Done this. If the pop you are describing is the "hard to easy feel" that is caused by the spring...then the DIY to remove the spring is worth it. I removed mine and love it - Constant feel to the floor.

If the pop is not that...then I am of no help, sorry.

[N1COM3]

Ditto in removing the spring.

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by JLed79

You do make sense and this was my first thought as well. So I did what you described and slowed my clutch release as well. Still there. My wife even noted it and she shifts anything but quickly lol.
It happens well beyond the clutch actually disengaging. Probably the last 1"-1/2" of pedal movement.

Do you notice any clutch noise when the clutch pedal is engaged (depressed)? I only ask as when a clutch release bearing aka TO bearing is wearing, you can feel a hesitation/click/pop in the release (depressing), and you can hear some grinding noises when the pedal is depressed.

I was confused at first, some people state the clutch "disengaging", as the pedal returning (foot off), others say it is fully depressed and the clutch is disengaged.

[happos2]

Originally Posted by thekurgan

Do you notice any clutch noise when the clutch pedal is engaged (depressed)? I only ask as when a clutch release bearing aka TO bearing is wearing, you can feel a hesitation/click/pop in the release (depressing), and you can hear some grinding noises when the pedal is depressed.

I was confused at first, some people state the clutch "disengaging", as the pedal returning (foot off), others say it is fully depressed and the clutch is disengaged.

I was curious if this is what we he was describing! I am not sure if he is describing mechanical pop versus just a feeling of the "Hard-to-wasy" feel due to the spring. Great suggestion.

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by happos2

I was curious if this is what we he was describing! I am not sure if he is describing mechanical pop versus just a feeling of the "Hard-to-wasy" feel due to the spring. Great suggestion.

I'd be surprised if it's the TO bearing, actually, but I have seen them go early, especially if folks leave the pedal depressed at traffic lights or other extended periods. Return spring(s) could use some lube perhaps?

[JLed79]

Thanks for the replies guys. No there is no sound whatsoever. It is all a feeling. Almost like it is getting stuck to the bottom of my shoe, but it's not. It feels the same when I'm barefooted.
This is definitely not my first manual car or my first high performance manual car. But I've never felt anything like this before.

[roddyc]

Pretty sure its the clutch spring...takes 30 min to do it, less if you are small/a contortionist. Read this:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195777

[happos2]

Might sound silly, but remove your floor mat and then go for a drive. Make sure the floor mat is not getting stuck... After that, remove spring.

[dngo]

Originally Posted by happos2

Might sound silly, but remove your floor mat and then go for a drive. Make sure the floor mat is not getting stuck... After that, remove spring.

Agreed. Floor mat is almost certainly the root cause here. If it's too far forwards, the clutch pedal can catch it when you depress it.

Dave

[W///]

Originally Posted by roddyc

Pretty sure its the clutch spring...takes 30 min to do it, less if you are small/a contortionist. Read this:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195777

Mine does it too and I figured it was the clutch spring. Haven't had a chance to take it off yet. Not sure I 100% want to as I can shift in my M3 pretty smoothly with the spring, never had a complaint with the clutch pedal itself.

[JLed79]

Thanks again for the suggestions. I will remove the spring. It is not the floor mat.

[JLed79]

Originally Posted by roddyc

Pretty sure its the clutch spring...takes 30 min to do it, less if you are small/a contortionist. Read this:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195777

Thanks for the link. That sounds like its exactly what I need to do.

[lsmkr01]

Originally Posted by W///

Mine does it too and I figured it was the clutch spring. Haven't had a chance to take it off yet. Not sure I 100% want to as I can shift in my M3 pretty smoothly with the spring, never had a complaint with the clutch pedal itself.

We can do it on my car to try it out as I already know I don't care for the spring. If you like it we can do yours next. Let me know when your available.

Edit: I'll just do this tonight myself and you can sit in my car and try it on Saturday.