When you notice unusual noises on your Lexus IS you tend to be anxious. Especially when you encounter a noise coming from the release bearing of your Lexus IS. It is instantly assimilated to an engine problem and can therefore be serious. As we know that you do not take these trouble lightly, we have chosen to make this document to support you locate the causes 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 Lexus IS and their origins.release-bearing-noise-lexus-is

What is the function and operation of the release bearing on Lexus IS?

Function of the release bearing on Lexus IS

The release bearing of your Lexus IS 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 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 Lexus IS.

Action of release bearing Lexus IS

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 (depending 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 types of release bearing Lexus IS :

  • Pulled release bearing
  • It is the most unconventional of the two types of release bearing . This one, compared with the hydraulic type, 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 kind most used in modern vehicles. It is however more complex than the pulled release bearing. Indeed, it will be composed of a hydraulic tube that will receive the pressure immediately from the clutch pedal.
    More conventional clutch stop

Release bearing noises Lexus IS and their origins

I encounter a release bearing noise on Lexus IS in cases where 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 stops when you press your clutch pedal, this noise often sounds like a bell noise, it is highly plausible 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 Lexus IS.

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 degraded. Indeed, this noise often comes from the broken fork that no longer allows the system to operate normally.

I encounter a grinding noise coming from the release bearing of my Lexus IS when I try to shift gears and they do not shift

This concern 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 circumstance and you feel a grinding or cracking noise coming from the release bearing of your Lexus IS, 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 Lexus IS and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.