When you notice unusual noises on your Volkswagen Transporter 5 you usually tend to worry. Especially when you encounter a noise coming from the release bearing of your Volkswagen Transporter 5. It is instantly assimilated to an engine issue and can therefore be serious. As we know that you do not take these problems lightly, we have chosen to write this content to help you locate the causes and free yourself from this concern as quickly as possible. To do this, we will first focus 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 Volkswagen Transporter 5 and their sources.release-bearing-noise-volkswagen-transporter-5

What is the task and operation of the release bearing on Volkswagen Transporter 5?

Purpose of the release bearing on Volkswagen Transporter 5

The release bearing of your Volkswagen Transporter 5 has a essential function in the operation of your entire gearbox system. In fact, 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 Volkswagen Transporter 5.

Action of release bearing Volkswagen Transporter 5

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 (according to 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 kind of release bearing Volkswagen Transporter 5 :

  • Pulled release bearing
  • It is the most unconventional of the two kind of release bearing . This one, unlike the hydraulic version, 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 technical, is the version most used in modern vehicles. It is however more elaborate 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 Volkswagen Transporter 5 and their sources

I encounter a release bearing noise on Volkswagen Transporter 5 each time 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 ends when you press your clutch pedal, this noise often sounds like a bell noise, it is highly possible that your release bearing is the reason. Make sure that this noise stops when you disengage, in which case it is time to swap the release bearing of your Volkswagen Transporter 5.

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. In fact, 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 Volkswagen Transporter 5 when I try to shift gears and they do not shift

This concern 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 situation and you feel a grinding or cracking noise coming from the release bearing of your Volkswagen Transporter 5, 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 Volkswagen Transporter 5 and it’s not from your release bearing, check this article to have more informations.