When you observe unusual noises on your Chevrolet Sonic you usually tend to get worried. Specifically when you feel a noise coming from the release bearing of your Chevrolet Sonic. It is immediately assimilated to an engine issue and can therefore be serious. As we know that you do not take these trouble lightly, we have decided to create this content page to support you find the triggers and free yourself from this concern as quickly as possible. To do this, we will first focus on the purpose and operation of the release bearing of your clutch, and in a second step we will look in detail at the different release bearing noises on Chevrolet Sonic and their sources.release-bearing-noise-chevrolet-sonic

What is the purpose and operation of the release bearing on Chevrolet Sonic?

Task of the release bearing on Chevrolet Sonic

The release bearing of your Chevrolet Sonic has a major purpose in the operation of your entire gearbox system. In fact, its task is to liberate the gearbox from the rotation of the engine block via its action. This will allow you to shift gears. It is operated by the clutch pedal and then by the release fork, which, when it is activated, will press on the clutch and release the gearbox from engine rotation for you allow you to shift gears on your Chevrolet Sonic.

Action of release bearing Chevrolet Sonic

Let’s now look at the technical side, the release bearing is composed of two units, a first fixed part that slides only when the stop is pulled, or pushed (according to its type) and finally a rotating part that is composed of a bearing that will allow it to stay in contact with the mechanism and follow its rotation.
There are two different kind of release bearing Chevrolet Sonic :

  • Pulled release bearing
  • It is the most unconventional of the two kind of release bearing . This one, compared with the hydraulic version, is operated by a mechanical pulling system that will release the clutch disc. In this case, the release bearing must be mechanically fixed to the mechanism.

  • Hydraulic release bearing
  • The hydraulic release bearing, although more complex, is the type most used in modern vehicles. It is however more complex than the pulled release bearing. In fact, it will be composed of a hydraulic tube that will receive the pressure directly from the clutch pedal.
    More conventional clutch stop

Release bearing noises Chevrolet Sonic and their sources

I feel a release bearing noise on Chevrolet Sonic each time I drive and it stops when I release my clutch pedal

If you feel a noise from your gearbox, release bearing or clutch itself when your engine is running, but it ceases when you press your clutch pedal, this noise often sounds like a bell noise, it is highly plausible that your release bearing is the reason. Make sure that this noise stops when you disengage, in which situation it is time to replace the release bearing of your Chevrolet Sonic.

I feel a release bearing noise when my pedal is up and I feel jolts in my foot

If you feel too much or too little resistance when you press your clutch pedal, and it is linked with jolts that you can feel in your clutch pedal, then the stop/fork release/blades grouping is damaged. In fact, this noise often comes from the broken fork that no longer allows the device to run normally.

I feel a grinding noise coming from the release bearing of my Chevrolet Sonic when I try to shift gears and they do not shift

This concern shows up most often on models equipped with hydraulic release bearing. It is often related to a clutch pedal that has little or no resistance. If you are in this situation and you feel a grinding or cracking noise coming from the release bearing of your Chevrolet Sonic, then you probably have a leak coming from your release bearing. It must therefore be changed quickly or risk damaging your gearbox in addition to the clutch. If you have a noise coming from the gearbox of your Chevrolet Sonic and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.