Mazda 3 2010 – Clutch issue

[Cosmin Dinca]

Hi to all!

I own a Mazda 3 1.6i petrol engine and it’s clutch kit (disc, pressure plate, release bearing) was replaced 3 months ago with OEM parts.

Now (after 3000 miles with the new clutch) when I change gears (1st to 2nd and 3rd) the car feels really jerky. I have to release the clutch pedal very very gently for it not to buck/jerk.

Also, last month it developed some kind of squeak coming out from the hood. Later, I’ve found that the squeak was coming from the clutch fork contact point with the pivot ball. Moved the rubber from where the clutch fork exits the gearbox and sprayed a little WD-40 on the contact between the fork and the pivot ball.

After that, the squeak stopped for a while and so the jerking and bucking. The clutch feel became soft again and no more jerking when shifting.

Still, after a few hundred miles, the symptoms came back. Then I went to my mechanic and he grassed the clutch fork contact point with high performance grease. Squeak stopped, never heard it again since then, but jerking/bucking when shifting remained.

My question is, why did the jerking/bucking stopped when I sprayed a little WD-40 in there ?

Thanks!

Topic

[college man]

Is the clutch hydraulic or cable operated? see if this link helps.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-transmission-problems

[Lorrin Barth]

I can’t see the pivot ball, dry and squeaking or well lubricated making a difference in how the clutch works. However, if not lubricated, the pivot ball will wear out. So, I’d suggest the spray got onto where the throwout bearing moves.

Throwout bearings are usually lined with a soft substance that acts as a lubricant. But, there are some around that are just metal. These can dig into the journal on the transmission. Even, a lined throwout bearing may hang up if the journal is grooved from previous use.

[Mike]

It’s possible that when the clutch was done, the nosing that the release bearing slides on was not cleaned and lubricated properly. It’s also possible that the same neglect happened with the clutch disc/input shaft interaction. Few techs bother do that part properly, and I’ve seen this kind of complaint before because of it. It’s also possible that the flywheel needed to be replaced or resurfaced and that wasn’t done.

You can see what I’m talking about here, jump to 13:40 (It’s the same setup as your Mazda)

[Cosmin Dinca]

Hi!

Thanks for answering, i really apreciate.

The clutch is hydraulic. As I remember, the dealer shop resurfaced the flywheel and replaced the slave cylinder and bleed it. However, i am not aware of the type and amount of grease that was used for the part where the release bearing slides nor for the input shaft. This may be the problem…..

PS: If the clutch switch sensor is stuck, can it cause this kind of behaviour ? Jerkiness when shifting ?

[Mike]

The clutch switch is purely electrical and exists only to require the pedal is pushed down for starting. It has no effect on actual clutch operation.

[Cosmin Dinca]

Thanks.

Yeah, I was worried because I thought some WD-40 that I’ve sprayed could have gotten on the clutch disk and pressure plate and i know that’s something you don’t want since it will destroy the clutch.

Some mechanic told me to be patient until the clutch kit breaks in and put some miles on it. In my opinion it should have worked fine since the day it was replaced. I have already put 3000 miles on it and still no improvement. I have to baby it especially on heavy traffic conditions.

[Mike]

You’re damn right it should have worked from the beginning. I’ve watched other guys in multiple shops I’ve been working in do a clutch job and produce the mediocre result you’re feeling, but I don’t do that. But then again, I’ve always been the “slow guy” who doesn’t bang the work out like a machine. I’ve been taking flak for almost a decade because I take whatever time it takes to turn out a proper repair, but I don’t make as many hours as the next guy who will pull that tranny, change that clutch, get that tranny back in and boom out the door.

My point is that there are few shops that will enforce or demand any standard of workmanship from their techs, or have a “this is how you do job X in this shop” policy. Maybe if you count the moron managers that require every tech to tighten lug nuts with “torque sticks”…

If you bring your car into my shop for your clutch job this morning, it is completely random whether that release bearing mechanism will get cleaned up because the job could be given to me or the guy next to me. One of us will take the time to do it and one of us won’t, and this is not a unique situation in this business.

You pretty much have to know your tech to know you are getting good work, but there’s no way to know who does good work. There are guys like me here and there who publicly post videos of the kind of work we do on YouTube, but you can’t really go shopping for a mechanic based on that unless you’re willing to move because if internet repair videos.

I feel empathy for your situation. It’s the same as me trying to find a good dentist. Dentist/mechanic/contractor X could be a butcher or an artist and you have almost no way to know ahead of time, but at least if somebody butchers your car you can just junk it and get another one.

[Cosmin Dinca]

Yeah. I’m from Europe, Romania. There are few mechanics/dealers here that can repair Mazdas.

At the moment, they don’t want to admitt that the clutch has a problem. In their view, this behaviour is normal since the clutch is new.

They blame me because i’m releaseing the clutch pedal to damn fast.

I had the car since it was new…….and i know how the original clutch should work.

[Author]

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