When you locate unusual noises on your Opel Insignia you tend to be troubled. Especially when you encounter a noise coming from the release bearing of your Opel Insignia. 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 decided to write this content page to help you find the triggers and free yourself from this matter as quickly as possible. To do this, we will first focus 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 Opel Insignia and their sources.release-bearing-noise-opel-insignia

What is the function and operation of the release bearing on Opel Insignia?

Function of the release bearing on Opel Insignia

The release bearing of your Opel Insignia has a crucial role 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 Opel Insignia.

Function of release bearing Opel Insignia

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 (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 different variants of release bearing Opel Insignia :

  • Pulled release bearing
  • It is the most unconventional of the two variants of release bearing . This one, in contrast 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 complicated, is the form most used in contemporary cars. It is however more elaborate than the pulled release bearing. Indeed, it will be composed of a hydraulic tube that will receive the pressure directly from the clutch pedal.
    More conventional clutch stop

Release bearing noises Opel Insignia and their sources

I encounter a release bearing noise on Opel Insignia 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 reason. Make sure that this noise stops when you disengage, in which situation it is time to replace the release bearing of your Opel Insignia.

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 linked with jolts that you can encounter in your clutch pedal, then the stop/fork release/blades grouping is deteriorated. Indeed, this noise often comes from the broken fork that no longer allows the device to operate normally.

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

This matter shows up 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 Opel Insignia, then you probably have a leak coming from your release bearing. It must therefore be changed almost instantly or risk damaging your gearbox in addition to the clutch. If you have a noise coming from the gearbox of your Opel Insignia and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.