When you identify unusual noises on your Mini Cooper you tend to be troubled. Especially when you feel a noise coming from the release bearing of your Mini Cooper. It is instantly 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 write this content to help you find the triggers and free yourself from this issues 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 Mini Cooper and their sources.
What is the task and operation of the release bearing on Mini Cooper?
Role of the release bearing on Mini Cooper
The release bearing of your Mini Cooper has a crucial function in the operation of your entire gearbox system. Indeed, 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 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 Mini Cooper.
Objective of release bearing Mini Cooper
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 (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 variants of release bearing Mini Cooper :
- Pulled release bearing
- Hydraulic release bearing
It is the most unconventional of the two variants of release bearing . This one, as opposed to 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.
The hydraulic release bearing, although more complex, is the kind most used in contemporary cars. It is however more complicated 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 Mini Cooper and their sources
I feel a release bearing noise on Mini Cooper when I drive and it stops when I depress my clutch pedal
If you feel 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 reason. Make sure that this noise stops when you disengage, in which case it is time to replace the release bearing of your Mini Cooper.
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 degraded. Indeed, this noise often comes from the broken fork that no longer allows the system to work normally.
I feel a grinding noise coming from the release bearing of my Mini Cooper when I try to shift gears and they do not shift
This issues arises 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 Mini Cooper, 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 Mini Cooper and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.
