C5 Noise - Clutch Bearing And Dmf

[chuckie]

hi can anyone help me my c5 has started to make a whinning noise when I change gear. I thought it was the clutch bairing but I have had it to 2 garages now and they say its not the clutch. its also not the turbo ive been told, it comes and goes when I am pulling away and driving along.

[wayne.wep@gmail.com]

Hey there,

 

Is it specific to any gear or only lower gears?  Trying to establish if it is a gearbox noise or an engine whine.  Does it seem to increase with load, speed, engine revs?  Is your car an auto or manual?

 

Let me know and I'll see what I can help with!

[psicobra]

I had the same problem with the rover turned out the diff in the gear box had gone. Hopefully yours is a easier and cheaper fix

[chuckie]

hello everyone ,the noise goes up and down with the revs ,it sounds much louder in lower gears .iv'e had it to a clutch expert and he thinks it could be the dmf or throw out bearing.

 

 

,so its booked in for Tuesday .Its a 53reg 2.0hdi 110 and has got 86k on the clock so it seems a bit early for this.he's  said 240 pound for fitting dmf + clutch kit + parts which comes to 520 approx. so I'm  a bit shocked since it was fine a week ago

 

ps  iv'e been reading this blog for about 8 years as this is my second c5 and found it helpful in the past but I don't think I could do a clutch on my drive ,but iv'e done loads of smaller jobs with  advice gleaned from here so thanks

[paul.h]

From above I am not quite clear on when the noise occurs - it seems it has suddenly recently started, when you change gear there is a whining noise - is this only whilst the pedal is pressed, it occurs in all gears, the noise level varies with engine speed and not roadspeed and is loudest in low gears.

 

You can get an idea of the price of parts on the eurocarparts site, about £220 for a dmf and about £80 for a clutch kit - if these are at fault. An internet search of dmf failure signs gave this - The metallic banging noise will rise and fall in speed with engine revs, and will also sound different when the clutch pedal is depressed or released. Another sign to look for is a feeling of the clutch/DMF banging or 'jumping' as you change down through the gears (as it is failing to compensate for the increase in revs). Also see this new post from C 5 Estate who has recently replaced a dmf http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21193-c-5-estate/

and the symptoms were - When I bought the car it was a bit noisy at tick over and was slightly rough through the drive train at low revs. I have no previous experience of DMF’ however in hind sight I think these symptoms can be taken as a probable indication of impending Clutch/DMF failure and worth looking out for when trying out a potential purchase.

 

When I have had whining related to gearbox revs it has been worn bearings in the gearbox on the input/output shafts. It has been a gradual increase over thousands of miles and not something that suddenly happened. It would sound worse when accelerating. On one car the wear on one bearing was that bad it allowed the shaft to move about 6mm and it would jump out of gear. If it was the differential then that increases with roadspeed not revs in any gear. But if you are going to take the gearbox apart you may as well replace all the bearings in it or get one from a scrap yard. You could drain the gearbox oil or try the level plug to see if it contains metal filings. If it was the clutch release bearing the noise would change as the pedal is pressed.

 

Before commiting to a dmf and clutch also try a gearbox expert for an opinion since the clutch expert may be wanting to sell you a clutch - or at least get some sort of guarantee that they are at fault and if not what happens financially.

 

When was the timing belt, pulleys, water pump and auxiliary belt and pulleys last changed and have you checked for any air leaks in hoses or one that may have collapsed internally ?

[chuckie]

I've not had it to a gearbox man as the gears seem fine, the noise which does change slightly when the pedal is pressed is on all the time similar to a loud wheel bearing noise but more metallic started making a grinding noise and then went off completely and the clutch pedal dropped close to the floor when I was stationary in traffic on Friday night ,  the clutch still worked but I haven't chanced driving it since.it is still the original timing belt ect 86k i have the full history ,there is  a slight oil leak from the intercooler which my last c5 had for 4 years which didn't affect the turbo, i think i read on here it was quite common  .i had an auxiliary pulley go on my last c5 which rattle all the time and got worse so i don't think its that i'm thinking it may not be the dmf since the noise went which will save me 200 pound i hope to find out on Tuesday

[paul.h]

It is always difficult doing a diagnosis over the internet but first thoughts are as your original one of a failed clutch release bearing. Please let us know how you get on on Tuesday.

[chuckie]

Hello, just got the car back and It feels like a new car,the clutch plate had some life left in it but the throw bearing or what ever it is called had collapsed ,the dmf had quite a lot of play in both directions and the bush in the centre had a lot of movement on it , (i asked for the old to my wifes amusement )which I had seen on worn ones on you tube so I decided to replace it after much deliberation at grand cost of £530 the pedal is now level with brake which is much lower than pre disaster and is so light so I hope thats all the drama over until timing belt time at 100k I hope this is a help for someone in the future so thanks again.

[paul.h]

Thankyou for getting back. A quick google search indicates the throw bearing is another name for the release bearing - so your original thought for the noise was correct. £530 all in does not seem too bad. If you had not replaced the dmf chances are the new clutch would not last long. A colleague with a 1.9 diesel Polo had a clutch replaced at a VW dealer without a new dmf and about 5000 miles later had to have the new clutch and dmf replaced but this time used a clutch specialist who diagnosed the dmf at fault.

 

I hope you do not mind but I have edited the title to help when searching.

[chuckie]

thank for the edit it makes more sense ,the engine is bog standard 8v 110 so I wondered how remaps or chipping affects the life of dmf and clutch as I had considered those in the past but bottled it ,the car has a factory fitted tow bar so this must of had an impact on these parts .on another topic a lot of people seem to replace the dmf with a solid flywheel but Isn't that like putting silver foil around a fuse to stop it blowing . 

[paul.h]

I have read things for and against replacing the dmf with a solid flywheel and clutch kit. The cost on replacement seems about the same for either looking at prices on the eurocarparts site and it is likely to only replace the clutch/dmf once unless you are going to do a very high mileage. So if I had to replace it I would stick with the dmf and keep the car standard.