When you identify unusual noises on your BMW 4 Series you commonly tend to be troubled. Especially when you encounter a noise coming from the release bearing of your BMW 4 Series. It is directly assimilated to an engine issue and can therefore be serious. As we know that you do not take these concerns lightly, we have chosen to make this document to help you find the causes and free yourself from this matter as quickly as possible. To do this, we will first concentrate on the function 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 BMW 4 Series and their origins.
What is the purpose and operation of the release bearing on BMW 4 Series?
Purpose of the release bearing on BMW 4 Series
The release bearing of your BMW 4 Series has a major function in the operation of your entire gearbox system. In fact, its mission is to liberate the gearbox from the rotation of the engine block via its action. This will allow you to shift gears. It is controlled 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 BMW 4 Series.
Objective of release bearing BMW 4 Series
Let’s now look at the technical side, the release bearing is composed of two parts, a first fixed part that slides only when the stop is pulled, or pushed (determined by 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 distinct variants of release bearing BMW 4 Series :
- Pulled release bearing
- Hydraulic release bearing
It is the most unconventional of the two variants of release bearing . This one, in contrast to the hydraulic version, is operated by a mechanical pulling system that will release the clutch disc. In this situation, the release bearing must be mechanically fixed to the mechanism.
The hydraulic release bearing, although more complex, is the version most used in modern cars. It is however more sophisticated than the pulled release bearing. In fact, it will be composed of a hydraulic tube that will receive the pressure straight from the clutch pedal.
More conventional clutch stop
Release bearing noises BMW 4 Series and their origins
I encounter a release bearing noise on BMW 4 Series when I drive and it stops when I depress my clutch pedal
If you encounter a noise from your gearbox, release bearing or clutch itself when your engine is running, but it ends when you press your clutch pedal, this noise often sounds like a bell noise, it is highly conceivable that your release bearing is the cause. Make sure that this noise stops when you disengage, in which situation it is time to change the release bearing of your BMW 4 Series.
I encounter a release bearing noise when my pedal is up and I encounter jolts in my foot
If you encounter too much or too little resistance when you press your clutch pedal, and it is associated with jolts that you can encounter 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 system to run normally.
I encounter a grinding noise coming from the release bearing of my BMW 4 Series when I try to shift gears and they do not shift
This matter arises most often on models equipped with hydraulic release bearing. It is often connected 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 BMW 4 Series, then you probably have a leak coming from your release bearing. It must therefore be changed as soon as possible or risk damaging your gearbox in addition to the clutch. If you have a noise coming from the gearbox of your BMW 4 Series and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.
