6MT clutch issues from a start

therealm3 · 10-16-2019, 04:00 PM

Hello,

I am having an issue with my new to me 2016 340 with a manual. This is my second manual F30, previous was a 2014 335, and have had a long line of manual bmws prior to this. Been driving with three pedals for 20+ Years. So with that said please save the learn to drive comments. Hahahha

My problem is the clutch will shudder/chatter as I take off from a stop in first gear, but only after it has been driven for awhile. When it is cold it is smooth and I barley have to give it any gas to get going. After awhile though it starts to shudder with the same input and I have to add more rpm or start to slip it a tiny bit so the car rolls and then push the clutch in all the way and let it out like normal. If I have been in traffic for a long time it's brutal. To get it not to chatter I have to slip it a ton with 1500+ rpm and I don't like doing that cause it's causing unnecessary wear and heating the clutch up that much more. Shifts into higher gears once moving are fine. It doesn't slip and is smooth.

Anyone else have similar characteristics? My last f30 didn't do this so I am wondering if maybe the previous owner wasn't so nice to the car. It is a CPO so I can take it to the dealer but I know this is going to be an uphill battle because it is fine when cold. And they don't tend to spend a lot of time looking into issues.

SteveInfante · 10-16-2019, 06:01 PM

If it's not mounts then maybe bleed the clutch line. You may have an air bubble.

upsidedownfunnel · 10-16-2019, 06:39 PM

I also have a 2014 335i and I get that too. I've found that avoiding unnecessarily heating up the clutch helps a lot. Other than that, just revving it to about 2k, releasing the throttle, then releasing the clutch while engine revs seems to avoid this problem.

eluded · 10-17-2019, 12:30 AM

My car has been driven so gently. I hear a slight chatter hear and there. Isn't it a dual mass fly wheel ?

rak299 · 10-17-2019, 01:41 AM

My first thought is throw-out bearing

therealm3 · 10-17-2019, 09:44 AM

Interesting points about the throw out bearing. Hadn't thought about that. Maybe as it heats up it it sticking a bit. My thoughts were the friction material on the clutch grabs more as it is hotter like a high temp brake pad. I dunno. It's super annoying though and I am not excited about dealing with the "can't replicate the issue" back and forth with the dealer.

Beek · 10-17-2019, 09:58 AM

Call service dept, explain problem and ask if when you bring it in they could go for a ride while it’s hot?

Finn Germai-Yaz · 10-17-2019, 12:09 PM

My car does that after its been driven for over an hour and going up the drive way.

Solidjake · 10-17-2019, 01:45 PM

Mine does the same. It's a lot better in comfort over sport mode. Just need to add a little more gas and try to remember the bite point to reduce the chatter

azuritschwarz · 10-17-2019, 05:00 PM

I've had this on my car since I got it new & I always just attributed it to being the normal operation of the clutch. The car is at 42,000 kilometres now. I'm going to try & get around to deleting my clutch delay valve before winter & see if that helps anything, a lot of people have said it improves the driving experience quite a bit.

pc83 · 10-17-2019, 06:38 PM

Have this on my 328i and 135i before that. Typically after a long drive and especially after a lot of start and stop traffic. I suspect the clutch gets too hot with hotspots and causes the judder.

therealm3 · 10-17-2019, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pc83

Have this on my 328i and 135i before that. Typically after a long drive and especially after a lot of start and stop traffic. I suspect the clutch gets too hot with hotspots and causes the judder.

Hmmm. This is the first clutch I have had that behaved this way. Had other issues in the past, but not this. I feel a little better that others struggle with it too, but bums me out cause it's less likely I will get a fix out of the dealer. It sucks cause the engagement when it's cold is so smooth and requires very little throttle.

celsdogg · 10-18-2019, 08:31 AM

I have this same exact issue on my m235i. but not at all on my wife's 335i (currently 55k). my m235i has been like this since I got it at 14k, currently at 34k.

apascutia · 10-18-2019, 02:40 PM

My 2012 328i does this too. It's very strange. It doesn't happen on every drive, but I'd say it happens a few times a week when I daily drive it. It was much more noticeable when the weather was hot and humid. I took a trip to SC back in May with it, and it would do it right when I started driving it in the morning. I'm at the point where I'm blaming it on the clutch getting warm, however, it doesn't happen that often when I'm in rush hour traffic. As you can tell, it's confusing

Bimmerguy1987 · 10-20-2019, 08:50 AM

I have a 2016 340i and my car does this mainly in sport mode after about an hour of driving as well. I've driven cars with a 6 puck kevlar clutch and the only thing I can say is it's reminiscent of that, so maybe it just means when the clutch material gets hot it just becomes super sticky. It is rather annoying tho when it first starts because then u need to recalibrate and add some gas on takeoff.

Bmwman325 · 10-21-2019, 03:26 PM

I experience the same after a lot of stop and go driving. Like others have stated, just revving up to 2000 rpms and slowly rolling out is how I get past the issue.

SpecialK · 10-22-2019, 02:30 PM

Same issue here. My research says that the dual mass flywheel is most likely out of spec. My 335 is at 98,000 miles, and and the clutch still holds strong, so I see no need to change it.

If the chatter gets to the point where the car is undrivable, then I'll look at changing the whole assembly. For now, I'm focusing on suspension noise and catching up on maintenance.

lynch66 · 11-21-2020, 05:14 PM

Hi guys, I also have this issue. I have 316d f31 with manual transmission. When I start cold or hot the car vibrates as I release the clutch and lever is almost at top. I tried to locate the vibrations and you feel it at passenger seat in the floor. This happens sometimes not every time I use the car. I really don't know what is the issue. Did somebody solve this problem?

halcyon_waves · 03-30-2024, 05:07 PM

Gonna have to revive this thread as I'm experiencing the same issue and it's been going on for years. F30 335i here, and for me this typically happens when the car is warmed up/has been driven for quite a bit. It is also worse in sport mode. Only happens in 1st gear from a stand still. Sometimes the judder is so bad it feels like the car is constantly stalling out with all that banging/knocking.

I also had this issue on my first car, a 2005 Mazda 6, and noticed the same issue in my friend's Lexus IS from around that same time period. Once I changed the clutch in my Mazda, the issue completely went away.

Wondering if there is another fix as I believe my clutch is still good and I don't want to spend excessive money. I've seen this issue being referred to as "clutch chatter," and another forum mentioned that it is a clutch disc to flywheel issue. Even though these two components may be fine, loose/worn/broken mounts can cause the problem, and even engine mounts according to one person. Then there are other cases where the clutch/flywheel are contaminated or warped and need to be replaced entirely.

I also have another manual trans problem where it seems like my shifter is hitting a brick wall when shifting into third. It completely stops in the neutral position, and I typically wait a split second and then I'm able to successfully shift into third. I wonder if these two issues are somehow related.

Has anyone successfully resolved the problem without replacing the clutch/flywheel? Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and upgrade to the 550i clutch while I'm at it.

10-16-2019, 04:00 PM	#1
therealm3 Lieutenant Colonel 630 Rep 1,649 Posts Drives: F30 340 MSport Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: CA, USA iTrader: (7)	6MT clutch issues from a start Hello, I am having an issue with my new to me 2016 340 with a manual. This is my second manual F30, previous was a 2014 335, and have had a long line of manual bmws prior to this. Been driving with three pedals for 20+ Years. So with that said please save the learn to drive comments. Hahahha My problem is the clutch will shudder/chatter as I take off from a stop in first gear, but only after it has been driven for awhile. When it is cold it is smooth and I barley have to give it any gas to get going. After awhile though it starts to shudder with the same input and I have to add more rpm or start to slip it a tiny bit so the car rolls and then push the clutch in all the way and let it out like normal. If I have been in traffic for a long time it's brutal. To get it not to chatter I have to slip it a ton with 1500+ rpm and I don't like doing that cause it's causing unnecessary wear and heating the clutch up that much more. Shifts into higher gears once moving are fine. It doesn't slip and is smooth. Anyone else have similar characteristics? My last f30 didn't do this so I am wondering if maybe the previous owner wasn't so nice to the car. It is a CPO so I can take it to the dealer but I know this is going to be an uphill battle because it is fine when cold. And they don't tend to spend a lot of time looking into issues.
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10-16-2019, 06:01 PM	#2
SteveInfante NewFinishColumbia/detailer 604 Rep 2,096 Posts Drives: 2015 F31 xDrive Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Columbia, SC iTrader: (0)	If it's not mounts then maybe bleed the clutch line. You may have an air bubble. __________________ 328 F31 xDrive/OSM/Venetian Luxury Line/Cold Weather/Premium/Driving Assist/Nav/Tech "Golden Goose" 78' Honda CB400A project http://www.instagram.com/steve_inf31
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10-16-2019, 06:39 PM	#3
upsidedownfunnel Colonel 1996 Rep 2,499 Posts Drives: 2014 335i Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: SoCal iTrader: (4) Garage List 2014 BMW 335i [0.00]	I also have a 2014 335i and I get that too. I've found that avoiding unnecessarily heating up the clutch helps a lot. Other than that, just revving it to about 2k, releasing the throttle, then releasing the clutch while engine revs seems to avoid this problem.
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10-17-2019, 12:30 AM	#4
eluded 2JZ-GTE 3005 Rep 3,986 Posts Drives: 340 6MT, 50e, others Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Sofia iTrader: (0)	My car has been driven so gently. I hear a slight chatter hear and there. Isn't it a dual mass fly wheel ? __________________ A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
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10-17-2019, 01:41 AM	#5
rak299 Major 601 Rep 1,046 Posts Drives: 2021 M3 6MT Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: san francisco iTrader: (0)	My first thought is throw-out bearing
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10-17-2019, 09:44 AM	#6
therealm3 Lieutenant Colonel 630 Rep 1,649 Posts Drives: F30 340 MSport Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: CA, USA iTrader: (7)	Interesting points about the throw out bearing. Hadn't thought about that. Maybe as it heats up it it sticking a bit. My thoughts were the friction material on the clutch grabs more as it is hotter like a high temp brake pad. I dunno. It's super annoying though and I am not excited about dealing with the "can't replicate the issue" back and forth with the dealer.
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10-17-2019, 09:58 AM	#7
Beek Major 707 Rep 1,170 Posts Drives: Most folks crazy. Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: The Twin Cities iTrader: (0)	Call service dept, explain problem and ask if when you bring it in they could go for a ride while it’s hot? __________________ '16 340xi Mineral Grey/Black Leather, MPSS on 18" 398 Orbit Grey wheels, ZF 8HP50, MPPSK+CF Tips, ZTR, ZMP, ZTP, ZCW, ZDA, ZDB, Black Kidney Grilles. '09 Outback for a beater and grocery getter.
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10-17-2019, 12:09 PM	#8
Finn Germai-Yaz Private First Class 218 Rep 148 Posts Drives: 2017 M240i Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (0)	My car does that after its been driven for over an hour and going up the drive way.
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10-17-2019, 01:45 PM	#9
Solidjake ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 945 Rep 1,762 Posts Drives: '13 328i Msport 6MT Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NYC/SNJ iTrader: (2)	Mine does the same. It's a lot better in comfort over sport mode. Just need to add a little more gas and try to remember the bite point to reduce the chatter __________________ Tensioner/belt DIY \| Side skirt extension DIY Apex SM-10/DWS06+ \| 400m/X-ice Xi3 \| Injen Exhaust \| Stoptech SS Lines \| 335 Front Brakes Hawk HPS 5.0 \| RBF600 \| ER Charge Pipes \| Wagner Evo Comp 2 FMIC
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10-17-2019, 05:00 PM	#10
azuritschwarz First Lieutenant 348 Rep 352 Posts Drives: 2007 E90 335i, 2016 F80 M3 Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Edmonton, AB iTrader: (0) Garage List 2017 BMW 440i Coupe [0.00] 2006 BMW 330i [0.00] 2007 BMW 335i [0.00] 2016 BMW M3 [0.00]	I've had this on my car since I got it new & I always just attributed it to being the normal operation of the clutch. The car is at 42,000 kilometres now. I'm going to try & get around to deleting my clutch delay valve before winter & see if that helps anything, a lot of people have said it improves the driving experience quite a bit. __________________ 2016 F80 M3 6MT Azurite Black/Sakhir Orange Full Leather 2007 E90 335i 6MT Black Sapphire Metallic/Terra Brown Leather 2017 F32 440i xDrive 6MT Alpine White/Coral Red Leather (SOLD) 2006 E90 330i 6MT Arctic Metallic/Lemon White Leather (SOLD)
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10-17-2019, 06:38 PM	#11
pc83 Private 32 Rep 79 Posts Drives: 328i M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Apex, NC iTrader: (0)	Have this on my 328i and 135i before that. Typically after a long drive and especially after a lot of start and stop traffic. I suspect the clutch gets too hot with hotspots and causes the judder.
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10-18-2019, 08:31 AM	#13
celsdogg E4 Mafia 323 Rep 412 Posts Drives: E30, E36/5, E46, F22, F30 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: MD iTrader: (0) Garage List 1990 BMW 325i [0.00] 1998 BMW 318ti [0.00] 2003 BMW 325i [0.00] 2015 BMW 335i [0.00] 2015 BMW M235i [0.00]	I have this same exact issue on my m235i. but not at all on my wife's 335i (currently 55k). my m235i has been like this since I got it at 14k, currently at 34k. __________________ Squad - '90 E30 325i MT (225k) \| '98 E36/5 318ti MT (153k) \| '03 E46 325i MT (152k)\| '15 F22 M235i MT (60k) \| '15 F30 335i MT (80k) KIA - '91 E30 325i AT (146k) \| '02 E46 325i MT (212k) Bring back the purple M stripe
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10-18-2019, 02:40 PM	#14
apascutia Private First Class 173 Rep 182 Posts Drives: E90 330xi MT Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Midwest iTrader: (0)	My 2012 328i does this too. It's very strange. It doesn't happen on every drive, but I'd say it happens a few times a week when I daily drive it. It was much more noticeable when the weather was hot and humid. I took a trip to SC back in May with it, and it would do it right when I started driving it in the morning. I'm at the point where I'm blaming it on the clutch getting warm, however, it doesn't happen that often when I'm in rush hour traffic. As you can tell, it's confusing
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10-20-2019, 08:50 AM	#15
Bimmerguy1987 Private 25 Rep 77 Posts Drives: 1992 Chevy CK1500 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Dover NJ iTrader: (0)	I have a 2016 340i and my car does this mainly in sport mode after about an hour of driving as well. I've driven cars with a 6 puck kevlar clutch and the only thing I can say is it's reminiscent of that, so maybe it just means when the clutch material gets hot it just becomes super sticky. It is rather annoying tho when it first starts because then u need to recalibrate and add some gas on takeoff.
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10-21-2019, 03:26 PM	#16
Bmwman325 Private First Class 38 Rep 172 Posts Drives: 2015 MG CR 335 XI 6SP Join Date: May 2014 Location: Missouri iTrader: (0)	I experience the same after a lot of stop and go driving. Like others have stated, just revving up to 2000 rpms and slowly rolling out is how I get past the issue. __________________ Wagner Competition Intercooler, ER Chargepipe, Fabspeed Catted Downpipe, Bootmod3 OTS Stage 2 93 oct
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10-22-2019, 02:30 PM	#17
SpecialK Enlisted Member 8 Rep 38 Posts Drives: 2012 335i Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Dallas iTrader: (0)	Same issue here. My research says that the dual mass flywheel is most likely out of spec. My 335 is at 98,000 miles, and and the clutch still holds strong, so I see no need to change it. If the chatter gets to the point where the car is undrivable, then I'll look at changing the whole assembly. For now, I'm focusing on suspension noise and catching up on maintenance.
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11-21-2020, 05:14 PM	#18
lynch66 Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: BMW f31 316d LCI 6MT Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Croatia iTrader: (0)	Hi guys, I also have this issue. I have 316d f31 with manual transmission. When I start cold or hot the car vibrates as I release the clutch and lever is almost at top. I tried to locate the vibrations and you feel it at passenger seat in the floor. This happens sometimes not every time I use the car. I really don't know what is the issue. Did somebody solve this problem?
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03-30-2024, 05:07 PM	#19
halcyon_waves Private First Class 49 Rep 135 Posts Drives: 2013 F30 335i M Sport 6MT Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	Gonna have to revive this thread as I'm experiencing the same issue and it's been going on for years. F30 335i here, and for me this typically happens when the car is warmed up/has been driven for quite a bit. It is also worse in sport mode. Only happens in 1st gear from a stand still. Sometimes the judder is so bad it feels like the car is constantly stalling out with all that banging/knocking. I also had this issue on my first car, a 2005 Mazda 6, and noticed the same issue in my friend's Lexus IS from around that same time period. Once I changed the clutch in my Mazda, the issue completely went away. Wondering if there is another fix as I believe my clutch is still good and I don't want to spend excessive money. I've seen this issue being referred to as "clutch chatter," and another forum mentioned that it is a clutch disc to flywheel issue. Even though these two components may be fine, loose/worn/broken mounts can cause the problem, and even engine mounts according to one person. Then there are other cases where the clutch/flywheel are contaminated or warped and need to be replaced entirely. I also have another manual trans problem where it seems like my shifter is hitting a brick wall when shifting into third. It completely stops in the neutral position, and I typically wait a split second and then I'm able to successfully shift into third. I wonder if these two issues are somehow related. Has anyone successfully resolved the problem without replacing the clutch/flywheel? Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and upgrade to the 550i clutch while I'm at it.
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