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I own an H reg 318i and whenever I do any serious mileage (100miles+) if I get stuck in traffic at my destination I find that the clutch judders quite considerably.This happens in all weather conditions. The problem always goes away when the car has cooled down and I haven't had any problems with the clutch slipping. Is it time for a new clutch or could it be oil getting on to the plates? Anyone else had the same problem?
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Just out of interest, what sort of mileage has your vehicle covered ??
Diagnosis is impossible without knowing more facts and main driving conditions (i.e. motorway or city stop/start).
Obviously with a sensible driving technique, a clutch can well last up to 150k and beyond.
If the vehicle has covered very high mileage, oil may be leaking from the rear main bearing down onto the clutch plate, which would cause quite a severe judder.
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Years ago, I had similar symptoms with a 944.
Crawling along in traffic and slipping the clutch to edge forward would result in horrible judder. Gearchanges while on the move or pulling away cleanly from junctions etc. were OK.
The only cure was to change the clutch and pressure plate.
The old clutch wasn't badly worn but the friction surface had areas that had 'glazed', ie. shiny flat spots. There was no obvious cause for them but I suspect that it was contamination by coolant leaking from a faulty heater control valve I'd had replaced a few months previously.
Kevin...
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This is not a particularly unusual problem. The clutch is contaminated - unless you can live with it you'll have no option but to replace it.
Check for any source of contamination (eg oil leaking from rear main seal or g/box seal).
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The car has a relatively low mileage for the age (100K). Will probably try and live with it since it only happens after longer journeys. Will try and see if there is any oil leakage under the car. If there is oil in the places described by Aprilia should I be concerned or is it something to be expected with a car of this age? Thanks for your advice.
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I had exactly the same problem with my 1988 318i. The local BMW independent specialist told me that it was a common problem. He advised a possible fix which was to "burn" the clutch surface by slipping the clutch. I did this and it fixed the problem. The amount of slipping required is a matter of judgement but I did as much as I dared until I could smell the friction lining burning. I sold the car 4 years later at 120K miles with the original clutch still working well. I hope this works for you too.
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Hmm, yes, the 'burning' trick may well work. I have done this in the past - but be careful, you don't want the heat to warp the pressure or centre plates - or worst of all put a crack in the flywheel!
If you are intending to keep the car a new clutch is the best option - not really that expensive because its a fairly easy job on the BMW.
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I had the same problem on my 93 318iS. Local indipendent specialist advised that this is a recognised problem on cars of this period. 2hours crawling/juddering along on the M25 in 90 degrees convinced me to have the clutch replaced. New clutch has been in for 3 years with no further problems.
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