Rattle/knocking noise with clutch depresed

**bobmoss** · 12th April 2010, 11:32

I've got a 55 facelift 1.9 150 Vectra. It has started making a rattling knocking noise when idling with the clutch depressed. If I lift the clutch up to biting point it stops doing it.

At first I assumed it was the flywheel problem but most of the posts I've read on here say the noise usually STOPS when you press the clutch down rather than in my case starting to make the noise.

So, is it the DMF or something else?

Thanks.

**macdad** · 12th April 2010, 17:21

??Release Bearing

**DaveW555** · 13th April 2010, 20:17

I'd go for the release bearing, its part of the concentric slave cylinder and its gearbox out to change it I'm afraid, the slave cylinder is about £80 from euro car parts but you could be lucky and find one on the bay. Might be an idea to change the clutch and dmf while the box is out save paying again when the dmf fails and it will, they all do.

**bobmoss** · 15th April 2010, 19:04

Thanks both.

I've still got some warranty left on the car from when I bought it so it's going into the dealers on Monday for them to have a look at it. Hopefully it will be covered by the warranty and I won't have to pay anything.

**bobmoss** · 9th May 2010, 00:47

Thought I would post an update on this.

I bought my car (2nd hand) from a Honda Dealer and it has a Honda "Happiness Warranty" on it so I took it to my local Honda dealer. They had a look at it and said the noise was coming from the gearbox and so didn't want to touch it but would organise for a VX dealer to look at it.

The VX dealer agreed that it sounded like a DMF issue and quoted for the repair.

However the warranty company wanted me to get everything taken apart and photos sent to them showing "Sudden mechanical failure". If the photo's didn't show this then they wouldn't pay out (and they wouldn't pay for the labour for stripping the car down).

I called the original Honda dealer that I bought it from (who are 60 miles away) and they were great. They offered to take the car, strip it down and take all the photos free of charge (and put it all back together again if the warranty company wouldn't pay out).

The warranty company at first said that they couldn't see anything wrong on the photo's but after a bit of persuasion they agreed to pay out and I now have a new DMF and clutch.

So my car is now rattle free!

If anyone is interested in what the DMF rattle sounds like let me know as I took a short video of my car while it had the rattle.

**DaveW555** · 9th May 2010, 09:11

Nice one Bob, great stuff getting that lot done for free lol you should be trouble free for another 80-100k now (well from DMF trouble anyway). Sounds like we should buy our vauxhalls from a honda dealer they obviously look after customers better than vx do lol.

**bobmoss** · 9th May 2010, 15:51

And I've just uploaded the video to YouTube if anyone wants to have a listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIfiHkUAgWc

**bobmoss** · 9th May 2010, 15:56

Originally Posted by DaveW555

Nice one Bob, great stuff getting that lot done for free lol you should be trouble free for another 80-100k now (well from DMF trouble anyway). Sounds like we should buy our vauxhalls from a honda dealer they obviously look after customers better than vx do lol.

I've had 2 cars now from Honda dealers and their customer service has been excellent on both occasions.

I've also had stuff repaired under warranty on both cars without a problem. I didn't think they were going to pay out for this warranty claim but credit to the dealer who pursued it for me and sorted it all out. And credit to the warranty company who took less than a day to give the go-ahead.