HELP PLEASE! Clutch making HISSING SOUND!!! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

justaddlove · 06-21-2008, 08:19 PM

My 07 SE 4 cyl has about 40,000 K on it, I do not drive it aggressively, nor do I ride the clutch at all. Recently it has started making hissing sounds when I press the clutch down..this only happens when I press the clutch down (a half a second hissing sound like when air is released from a pump), It only hisses on the down motion of the clutch and not up,

It happens mostly in the morning when I start the car up, and then goes away after about an hour or so, but lately I have been noticing the hissing on the down clutch motion is persisting longer. I've been reading that it's sign of a worn clutch or some component thereof. Is any one else experiencing this at all?, Like I've said, I do not drive the S*** out of the car at all, so I don't see why I would have a worn clutch already.......any ideas you have for me is so appreciated!!!

Frodo65 · 06-21-2008, 08:30 PM

Sounds like a release (throw-out) bearing on its way out. Should be covered in 5/60 powertrain warranty.

Follow-on symptoms will be a 'roughness' with the clutch in, followed by squeal, and finally failure. All are worse with higher revs.

justaddlove · 06-21-2008, 08:40 PM

is this normal for a car with only 40,000 K on it to have the throwback failing???
Is the process involved going to be crazy for the techies at the toyota dealership or this sort of a normal routine?

thanks a lot...

Should I be worried about this sort of thing happening this early in the life of the car????

Frodo65 · 06-21-2008, 09:08 PM

Normal - no, the expected lifespan is that of the clutch. I'd expect 150K+ miles, depending on driving style. As with everything mechanical, early failures,although rare, are possible.

The repair involved is the same as servicing the clutch, i.e. remove the trans, as the bearing is on the input shaft. The tech should verify the condition of pressure plate fingers and the actuator. If the tech does the checks and looks for cause of failure, the lifespan of the replacement part should be same 150K+

justaddlove · 06-24-2008, 11:07 AM

The tech people at the Toyota dealership are not the nicest folk in the world. I say this because even though I had the TSB numbers for the dash rattles, they continued to deny they had ever heard of a problem until I had to call toyota and complain about the service I was getting, even then the car still has rattles in the dash, after the fix!

Is this repair costly and time consuming? I do NOT want to get the run around from Toyota again, if it's a big job, I want it done right, and will consider driving to another city to get it done properly. Can you guys give me some ideas on the cost and the hours they would have to spend on this clutch issue? Thanks a million.

JSM1284 · 06-24-2008, 11:49 AM

Book time calls for 9.5 hours to Remove and replace Throw out bearing.

marc780 · 06-24-2008, 04:22 PM

the other people are spot on, heres a picture of the parts in question. (It might help you to visualize that the flywheel is driven by the engine and bolted to the end of the crankshaft...the pressure plate is in turn bolted to the flywheel with the clutch disc sandwiched in between. When you push down the pedal, the fork pushes on the pressure plate, which lifts the clutch disk firction surface off the flywheel - so you can change gears. The transmission bell housing covers up all these parts.)

40,000 miles is a little soon to replace a clutch but not very unusual as the clutch is basically just a normal wear item. I've had clutches last over 150,000 miles and when i took the trans out for something else the disc was still good, i've also had clutches that went out at 50,000 when the pressure plate springs wore out. (by the way i always specify a NEW pressure plate, not rebuilt, for this reason).

The hissing sound is either the throwout bearing liken they said or the lining material could be worn or damaged. The transmission has to come apart from the engine to replace all the parts, which is what a good mechanic would do to fix this sound. If its covered under your warranty, then of course youd want it done under warranty because this is not a cheap repair (cost in the range of $500 and up). If i didnt trust my regular dealership i'd find another one elsewhere to do this work.

MrSmitty · 06-25-2008, 07:50 PM

Oh, do not feel too bad. I have 29K miles and my throw out bearing is shot. It started to hiss a few weeks ago, so I took it to the dealer today. The old fart tech that went for a ride with me in the truck could not hear the hiss. So I drove it right into the service shoppe and made another tech and service manager come over and they agreed it was the throw out bearing.
1 new clutch and assembly at 29K miles and now the throw out bearing.

workerant · 06-25-2008, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSmitty

Oh, do not feel too bad. I have 29K miles and my throw out bearing is shot. It started to hiss a few weeks ago, so I took it to the dealer today. The old fart tech that went for a ride with me in the truck could not hear the hiss. So I drove it right into the service shoppe and made another tech and service manager come over and they agreed it was the throw out bearing.
1 new clutch and assembly at 29K miles and now the throw out bearing.

They r not the brightest. Need to find the right guy. But at least they will listen and keep with U on your complain instead of ignore you.. and of cause finally meet the right guy to get the job done.

I'm curious, with automatic transmission it doesn't have clutch so... is that better or worse? From what I understand, it doesn't have clutch so the trans take the full hit and take longer to damage the transmission. The clutch which design to wear out and save the trans. Is that right?

njerald · 06-25-2008, 08:48 PM

Wow............

Jean Guy Rubber · 06-26-2008, 07:29 PM

Jean Guy has a 1996 Corolla that has 255 000 km, I bouht it with 107 000 km I'm de third owner and has far as I know it's stilll the original clutch cause my sister had the car for 2 years and didn't replace anything.

Frodo65 · 06-27-2008, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TTM77

They r not the brightest. Need to find the right guy. But at least they will listen and keep with U on your complain instead of ignore you.. and of cause finally meet the right guy to get the job done.

I'm curious, with automatic transmission it doesn't have clutch so... is that better or worse? From what I understand, it doesn't have clutch so the trans take the full hit and take longer to damage the transmission. The clutch which design to wear out and save the trans. Is that right?

Take a look at http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automa...ansmission.htm
A typical automatic transmission has multiple clutch packs, under control of the trans ECU (computer). Notable exceptions to this are Toyota's HSD (on the hybrids), which use a planetary gearset but use the electric motors to vary the ratios, and the CVT, which uses a belt between pulleys.

There is a fundamental difference between a typical MT clutch and the clutch packs in automatics: the MT clutch is typically 'dry' (not immersed in oil), while automatic clutches are oil-bathed and oil-cooled. In all cases, a clutch is used to control power input to the gear set. Wet clutches control the temps of the friction surface better and as such tend to live longer. Also, the MT clutch takes care of the inherent difference in speed between engine input and trans input, while automatics use a torque converter (hydraulic coupling) for that purpose. Both automatic and manual clutches will wear out because they do provide 'slip' as a part of their function. Depending on design and materials, both can have comparable lives, which depend on driver demands and operating conditions.