When you discover unusual noises on your Bmw 1 series you have a tendency to be anxious. Specifically when you feel a noise coming from the release bearing of your Bmw 1 series. It is immediately assimilated to an engine trouble and can therefore be serious. As we know that you do not take these concerns lightly, we have chosen to create this document to help you find the causes and free yourself from this issues as quickly as possible. To do this, we will first concentrate on the role 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 1 series and their origins.release-bearing-noise-bmw-1-series

What is the function and operation of the release bearing on Bmw 1 series?

Role of the release bearing on Bmw 1 series

The release bearing of your Bmw 1 series has a fundamental role 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 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 Bmw 1 series.

Action of release bearing Bmw 1 series

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 (based on 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 kind of release bearing Bmw 1 series :

  • Pulled release bearing
  • It is the most unconventional of the two kind of release bearing . This one, contrary to the hydraulic form, 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.

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

Release bearing noises Bmw 1 series and their origins

I feel a release bearing noise on Bmw 1 series when 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 stops when you press your clutch pedal, this noise often sounds like a bell noise, it is highly possible that your release bearing is the cause. Make sure that this noise stops when you disengage, in which circumstance it is time to swap the release bearing of your Bmw 1 series.

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 connected 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 system to operate normally.

I feel a grinding noise coming from the release bearing of my Bmw 1 series when I try to shift gears and they do not shift

This issues appears most often on models equipped with hydraulic release bearing. It is often associated with 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 1 series, then you probably have a leak coming from your release bearing. It must therefore be swapped 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 1 series and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.