stuttering clutch- when cold
 

I consider myself a skilled manual transmission driver, easy on clutches. On my 240D, no matter how hard I try, I cannot engage the clutch from a standstill (when the engine/cluch is cold) without stuttering. Once it warms up, the stutter/chatter stops.

What do you think is causing this?
Is it possible to inspect the clutch w/o pulling the engine/tranny?

Answer:
 

Bad clutch disc/pressure plate. :(

How many miles on your current disc?

It's the 240D in my sig which currently has 220,000 miles on it. I bought it at 219,000. Per PO's maintenance records, there was a "transmission exchange" at 175,000 but no mention if a new clutch was installed. So worse case the clutch has 220,000 miles.

When you say bad clutch disc, can you be more specific what is bad based on the symptoms? Is it worn unevenly? glazed? weak/broken springs? I'm trying to understand why it only chatters when cold. Thx!

I have a 1983 240D and I have the same problem. However, my clutch disk is BRAND NEW. In my old clutch, one of the clutch springs popped loose and it got the clutch stuck in the "always engaged" position. So I dropped the tranny and replaced the clutch disk with a new one. Everything was dry inside the bell ousing too - no oil or anything.

My new clutch disk has less than 2,000 miles on it and it shutters when it's cold also, but works normally when warmed up.

For now I just ignore it.

China also kind of does that when cold/not warmed up. Are you referring to the clutch disc itself, and not the pressure plate, right?
Only 136K on the car.....

Chatter
 

Mine does it, too, and has since I bought the car (50,000 miles ago).

I DO have a slow leak from the front seal .... thought the chatter was oil on the disc, until it burned off. Perchance I am wrong.

Mine does it too. I have to slip it slightly more than normal until it's warm or it will grab too quickly and make the engine stutter.

Maybe you are just trying to release the clutch too soon. A cold engine also produces less torque from idle than a warm one.

I had this trouble with my 240/300na car. I had installed a cheapo cisc from autozone along with a new pp from the factory. I also had a loose motor mount on that car for a long time before we found a broken allen on the bottom of one motor mount.

I think the mm bolt may have contributed.

Also some clutch disc friction material might draw moisture after sitting a while....my 72 bmw drum brakes did this and woud be grabby until warmed up.

I would just change my taking off habits until it quits....maybe giving a bit more gas and slipping it a bit, until the clutch disc wears down a bit...

oh and always buy a factory clutch disc too.

Tom W

Ha, interesting! Seems like the clutch chattering when cold is more common than I thought.

It didn't chatter this morning when I drove it, but it was last driven less than 12 hours ago. When it did chatter, it was last driven 5 or more days ago. So, it may be due to moisture on the disc or oil drip onto the disc? I do not think I have an oil drip since the engine/tranny bottom looks dry but I need to take a closer look.

I have to back up a pretty good incline to get out of the driveway. I never really thought about it being an issue only until warmed up, but now that I think of it it is always fine after I get out of the driveway.
I know it isn't driving habits as the Squash is rock solid up and out.
I think next time I come home with it all warmed up I'll back back up the driveway and see what it does....

I'd like to ask: Who does NOT have clutch chatter problem when cold???

Reading the replies I again I see the member Gauge has a new clutch with the same problem, and he has no oil leaks. Could the problem be elsewhere such as in the linkages? Master/slave clutch cylinder? Should I try bleeding the system? I should do that anyway since it hasn't been done. Maybe lube the linkages while I'm at it.

Replace the pressure plate when replacing the disc also its a good idea to replace the release and pilot bearings.

funola, my three road vehicles all have hydraulic clutch actuators - no stutter unless by me. I usually give the pedal a few strokes before starting the engine.

If it's not an air bubble in the hydraulic system then it's may just be condensation/rust that gets scrubbed off every time. Where do you live? Frequency of driving the car?

I miss the manual clutch actuators and the ability to adjust the linkage - the last for me was a 1970 pickup.

interesting thread
 

My NA 300 sedan has exactly the same symptoms as funola's. If it hasn't been driven in a few days, it will judder something awful until the clutch has had time to get hot; then it smoothes out. If it was driven within the last 24 hours, not much juddering, then none, once it's hot again. It has done this since I got the car (July) and I had just assumed the clutch was worn out.

My 300GD, which has a 617A and the same 4-speed tranny, has no clutch judder, at any time.

Usually, studdering from the clutch is caused by either worn flywheel surface or damaged pressure plate or both. usually if it's the plate, the studdering will not smooth out. sometimes the springs on the disc will break causing too much movement in the high load first gear engagement...