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Clutch Pedal Click/pop Sound and Other Clutch Noises

19K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  fredmg1995 
#1 ·
I've noticed that I often hear a click/pop coming from my clutch pedal when I initially press my foot on the pedal before I even start to move the pedal towards the floor. This happens with little resistance at the top of the pedal travel. I then don't hear the sound again until I take my foot completely off the clutch pedal and press it again. I get the sound when pressing the pedal with the engine off as well. It seems the problem lies in the clutch pedal assembly since the clutch itself appears to be fine.

Any ideas?
 
#2 ·
Re: Clutch Pedal Click/pop Sound

jumping in on this one...I've got the same problem, the sensation feels like the spring on the clutch pedal is rubbing against something, kinda like when you open a screen door that has a simple spring. It's definitely audible from outside the car and doesn't change when warm vs. cold. I really don't know much about the linkage, but I assume there is some form of lubrication. I'll probably take it into mazda sometime before christmas (still got some warranty left), will update if i learn anything
 
#3 ·
Re: Clutch Pedal Click/pop Sound

For me the problem is intermittent. I actually have not had it in a few days and it seems to just come and go. I'm at 28K miles so I need to take it to the dealer soon too before my warranty expires. My bigger problem is my car now is hesitation, lack of power, and jerkiness in the engine. I've been trying to get that fixed for months.

[quote author=Blindside link=topic=161396.msg3431904#msg3431904 date=1259193032]
jumping in on this one...I've got the same problem, the sensation feels like the spring on the clutch pedal is rubbing against something, kinda like when you open a screen door that has a simple spring. It's definitely audible from outside the car and doesn't change when warm vs. cold. I really don't know much about the linkage, but I assume there is some form of lubrication. I'll probably take it into mazda sometime before christmas (still got some warranty left), will update if i learn anything
[/quote]
 
#4 ·
Re: Clutch Pedal Click/pop Sound

I'm at 30k and had similar problems, it even got so bad that the engine went into safe mode and wouldn't hardly rev, every CEL in the book went off...turns out it was a bad throttle position sensor, so try suggesting that to your stealership.
 
#5 ·
Re: Clutch Pedal Click/pop Sound

Thanks I will consider that a potential cause. I don't think my problem is as severe as yours though. I'm not getting any CEL's and the problem is not totally obvious, at least not to Mazda techs.

[quote author=Blindside link=topic=161396.msg3432699#msg3432699 date=1259265238]
I'm at 30k and had similar problems, it even got so bad that the engine went into safe mode and wouldn't hardly rev, every CEL in the book went off...turns out it was a bad throttle position sensor, so try suggesting that to your stealership.
[/quote]
 
#6 ·
I still have not found a solution to this problem and I've noticed other interesting clutch sounds... It seems to be happening most of the time now. I found that I also hear the click/pop sound just before taking my foot off the clutch pedal as well. I can also make the click/pop by pressing the clutch pedal slightly with my hand and releasing it; there's no need to even press it further to disengage the clutch.

I noticed a couple new clutch noises now too...

Sometimes when my car is cold and I press and release the clutch pedal I can hear a chatter noise outside of the car coming from the engine area. In addition, sometimes when my car is warmed up and the clutch is engaged and I'm either idle or rolling, I can hear a chirping sound. When pressing the gas the sound gets a little louder and faster. When pressing the clutch pedal, the sound goes away. It only happens when the clutch is disengaged.

Any ideas?
 
#7 ·
Re: Clutch Pedal Click/pop Sound

Check the clutch switch on the clutch pedal, they have been known to make a click/snap/crunch noise when being released(which is what they do every time you push in the clutch pedal)
 
#8 ·
Re: Clutch Pedal Click/pop Sound

I've noticed a lot of people on here have had problems with the clutch switch and noise while pressing the clutch pedal. Could it also be creating the noises heard outside the car? In addition to the click/pop sound heard in the car, I sometimes hear a squeak outside the car when pressing the clutch pedal when my car is cold. I'm also hearing a chirping sound sometimes when my car is warmed up and it gets a little louder when the gas pedal is pressed and the clutch is disengaged. It then goes away when the clutch is engaged(pedal pressed).

[quote author=ekanddsm link=topic=161396.msg3473230#msg3473230 date=1261980382]
Check the clutch switch on the clutch pedal, they have been known to make a click/snap/crunch noise when being released(which is what they do every time you push in the clutch pedal)
[/quote]
 
#10 ·
So now the click/pop sound has mostly gone away. I'm sure it will be back again though. My other problem with the chirping and squeak sound still remains though, and I was able to capture a recording of them this morning. It doesn't make these noises all the time just intermittently. I can hear the chirping sound while I'm driving sometimes as well, just along as the clutch is engaged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY8HRlRkubA#

I'm gonna be heading back to the dealer again next week.
 
#11 ·
So the problems have been resolved! I still have the click/pop sound intermittently in the clutch pedal, but Mazda says its a normal sound the clutch switch makes and it happens on all cars. I still don't know why it does it intermittently though, oh well.

The clutch squeak and chirping noises were due to rust and dirt in the clutch fork and fork ball, and lack of lubrication. All parts were removed cleaned and lubricated. I asked the tech why this happened since my new clutch has only 6K miles on it. It was apparently Mazda's fault for not properly cleaning the area around the old clutch and lubricating the new clutch. There's a guy at the dealer who loves to rave about how their techs are so highly trained and skilled, hmm... :???:

Anyways the clutch doesn't make the noise anymore and the clutch disengagement and engagement feel very smooth. :grin:

Here's some good info. I found about clutch noise diagnosis:

CLUTCH NOISE PROBLEMS
Squeals and growls usually are caused by worn or seized bearings. Chirping noises are most often caused by vibration somewhere in the clutch actuator mechanism.

Causes of internal clutch noise include:

* Worn or defective input shaft bearing;
* Defective or misaligned release bearing;
* Worn, misaligned or improperly lubricated pilot bearing/bushing;
* Worn, bent or improperly lubricated release fork;
* Worn input shaft;
* Improper disc installation;
* Misalignment;
* Damaged bearing retainer;
* Loose flywheel bolts; or
* Damaged disc splines, worn stop pins or a broken damper.

Possible external causes of clutch noise include:

* Incorrect release system adjustment;
* Worn driveshaft or halfshaft components;
* Worn engine or transmission mounts;
* Broken cable self-adjuster; or

* Worn or improperly lubricated clutch pedal components.

To find out what is causing the noise, set the parking brake, place the vehicle in neutral and start the engine.

If you hear growling or grinding noises when the clutch is engaged, the cause is the transmission input shaft bearing.

A squealing sound that occurs when the clutch pedal is depressed and held is usually caused by a bad pilot bearing or bushing.

A chirping noise that intensifies when the pedal is slowly depressed would indicate a bad release bearing.

If you hear chirping while idling in neutral and the noise goes away when the pedal is slowly depressed, the fork/pivot ball contact point is making the noise.
 
#12 ·
Oh man, Finally someone else with my problems too.

I've been trying to get noises like this fixed for almost a year now. So far i've had the clutch pedal assembly replaces(did nothing) and the other week i just had the clutch Pin(i think) replaced.,....i don't think it did anything, the clutch feels the same and i think i hear the noises coming back. It drives me crazy and i just went over 80000km so now my warrantee is done. But i might go back in if i hear the noises again and make my case for fixing it again, since i brought the car in for the same noise and it's still there......
The fight is on i guess...... But man this noise and the clutch feeling SUCKS
 
#13 ·
So I went on a test drive for another problem and the tech heard the clutch click/pop sound and said it was not normal. Mazda wants to replace the clutch pedal assembly now. Today I noticed the chirping sound is back, and the lack of power and jerkiness in the engine came back the other week. I think I'm giving up on this car and using the lemon law since I've been to the dealer over 20 times for various problems.
 
#14 ·
[quote author=tt15d link=topic=161396.msg3535284#msg3535284 date=1265587363]
So I went on a test drive for another problem and the tech heard the clutch click/pop sound and said it was not normal. Mazda wants to replace the clutch pedal assembly now. Today I noticed the chirping sound is back, and the lack of power and jerkiness in the engine came back the other week. I think I'm giving up on this car and using the lemon law since I've been to the dealer over 20 times for various problems.
[/quote]

sounds like what i had.... i had my assembly replaced twice, and both times it did nothing. Just a waste of time....
I dont know if it's related but just last week my master cylinder went. It's been replaced and i haven't had the noise again. But i wouldn't be surprised if the noise came back.
I remember i met a tech a long time ago who heard the sound, he said it was the clutch fork assembly, not the pedal assembly. I haven't been able to find him again, and everytime i bring up the clutch fork assembly i get looked at like im an idiot....i think it's because of the extensive labor involved to replace it.. just my 2 cents
 
#15 ·
there are two clutch pedal position switches, one on the bottum when clutch is all the way in. the other is on the top of the stroke, when the pedal is released.

its the one that commonly fails since it is dpressed 99% of the time.

take the switch out and press it in by hand, you can feel quite a bit of resistance.
 
#16 ·
I just had the clutch pedal assembly replaced and now the sound is gone. I was getting a click/pop sound at when the top of the travel when pressing or releasing the clutch intermittently. The pedal feels much smoother as well.

[quote author=ekanddsm link=topic=161396.msg3538729#msg3538729 date=1265736301]
there are two clutch pedal position switches, one on the bottum when clutch is all the way in. the other is on the top of the stroke, when the pedal is released.

its the one that commonly fails since it is dpressed 99% of the time.

take the switch out and press it in by hand, you can feel quite a bit of resistance.
[/quote]
 
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