When you detect unusual noises on your Fiat 500 you have a tendency to be anxious. Especially when you encounter a noise coming from the release bearing of your Fiat 500. It is immediately assimilated to an engine problem 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 locate the causes and free yourself from this matter 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 Fiat 500 and their sources.
What is the purpose and operation of the release bearing on Fiat 500?
Function of the release bearing on Fiat 500
The release bearing of your Fiat 500 has a essential purpose in the operation of your entire gearbox system. Indeed, 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 Fiat 500.
Function of release bearing Fiat 500
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 different variants of release bearing Fiat 500 :
- Pulled release bearing
- Hydraulic release bearing
It is the most unconventional of the two variants of release bearing . This one, unlike 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 kind most used in modern cars. It is however more complex than the pulled release bearing. Indeed, 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 Fiat 500 and their sources
I encounter a release bearing noise on Fiat 500 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 ceases 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 case it is time to change the release bearing of your Fiat 500.
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 connected with jolts that you can encounter in your clutch pedal, then the stop/fork release/blades grouping is damaged. Indeed, this noise often comes from the broken fork that no longer allows the system to function normally.
I encounter a grinding noise coming from the release bearing of my Fiat 500 when I try to shift gears and they do not shift
This matter happens 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 circumstance and you feel a grinding or cracking noise coming from the release bearing of your Fiat 500, then you probably have a leak coming from your release bearing. It must therefore be swapped almost instantly or risk damaging your gearbox in addition to the clutch. If you have a noise coming from the gearbox of your Fiat 500 and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.