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Known as the E39 , the 4th generation of the BMW 5 Series mid size sedan.

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Clutch squeaks when depressed; is it depressed?

Hi! My car's clutch makes a high-pitched squeaking noise when depressed. I don't know if it's a coincidence or not that it started about a month ago when it got cold (I live in Chicago). I've been compensating for this annoying sound by cranking up the stereo, but it's probably time I dealt with it.

Does anyone know the cause of this? And if I were to lubricate it (assuming I could even find the area in need of lubrication) is there a certain lubricant I should use? I'm tempted to go at it with WD-40, but I have a suspicion there are better substances out there.

Thanks!

John

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Hi John, Merry Christmas :-) anyhow, I am not sure what the mileage is on your BMW, but my first thought is that it is your release bearing that is going out. Cold temperatures will increase the noise and further wear on the bearing. You should not hear that noise unless you push your clutch.....so the WD40 is probably not going to work on this one. Of course, I could be wrong....:-)

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4 Comments:

Wow, thanks for the diagram! Looks like a lot more is going on than I realized. The car just passed 100K. It squeaks as I push in the clutch, not as I release. If the bearing is going out, is that generally a big deal, i.e. do I need a new clutch, or is it a simpler (hopefully) solution than that?

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If it is your bearing, it's a bit of a PITA especially in the wintertime in Chicago:-) I know you are an Ace on the Mac's but how mechanically inclined are you :-) and I do not mean this in a sarcastic or bad way. The reason why you get the noise when you push on the clutch is, that this is the time the bearing engages. It is pretty much the face of the bearing the pushes against the springs of your pressure plate. Again, this is a simplified description. Take a look on here and see if this is something you could tackle.

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Oh don't worry about insulting my abilities -- I'm horrible with cars! :-) I think I'll let my mechanic deal with it. Do you think it's something that has any urgency to it, or could I let it go for 6 months? Thanks again!

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Worst case scenario, your clutch will fail and you wont shift gears. The noise may just drive you crazy way before that. In reality, you will probably change the complete clutch assembly anyhow, keep on truckin' Either it'll last or you'll have to get it done sooner :-) Good Luck and thanks for accepting my answer.

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