Is this the sound of my clutch dying? (Mediocre vid inside)

fouillard13

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Location
Pincher Creek, AB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI Standard
03 alh. Standard. 233,000km.

Is this the sound of my clutch dying? Happens around 2200rpm or when taking off in 1st from a dead stop. Also seems to make the sound when I hit dips in the road. What’s going on under there?? Also has a hum at highway speeds too. Sure seems like my clutch all of a sudden died. It’s not slipping horribly. Maybe a tiny bit, but that sound is painful.
https://youtu.be/2SzncEyHmTM
 

eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
I don't know what that noise is. Does it do it consistently at the same rpm in all gears? That would denote a great/trans issue.

It almost sounds like a bracket or shield. Hard to say without riding in it and hearing where it's coming from

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
 

FLASH1970

Active member
Joined
Mar 2, 2017
Location
Lake Geneva Wisconsin
TDI
2001 GOLF GLS
From my experience, a clutch dying happens when you press the accelerator down, the RPM goes up but the car doesnt accelerate accordingly or at all. Or the car will accelerate and at some point the RPM might slip a few hundred revs (without any changes in how hard the pedal is pushed) then come back down once the clutch fully catches. I'd check to see if something is loose as mentioned above.
 

csstevej

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Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
I’d check you heat shields ......particular the ones above the cat area.......maybe the star washers let loose.
 

fouillard13

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Location
Pincher Creek, AB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI Standard
yeah its hard to tell in the video. it sure sounds and feels like its something rotating AND grinding. it does it around 2200 rpm and when taking off from a dead stop.


its not consistent and seems to come and go as I mash on the pedal. its not slipping though, I know that feeling and it still pulls decently hard.

I will drive up on stand tomorrow and see if I can see anything there. I do have a beefy metal skid plate but it doesnt sound like somethings loose. its something rotating for sure.

someone else told me its my DMF?
 

csstevej

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
That usually sounds like a can with marbles in it when it starts to go...
 

fouillard13

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Location
Pincher Creek, AB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI Standard
damnit. I hope its not something impossible to find and diagnose. ill crawl under there tomorrow and see what I can find I guess. not sure what im looking at/for though.
 

eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
Definitely could be a dual mass flywheel going out.
Mine just got more difficult to shift and then impossible to get into first at a stop. I had to start it in first while pushing in the clutch and then let out. All gears got more difficult and I knew the flywheel was coming apart.

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fouillard13

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Location
Pincher Creek, AB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI Standard
thats good to know, I cant fix it right away so will have to limp it around until I can get the parts and up to my mechanic. I will keep an eye out for it being harder to shift.
 

csstevej

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
Up on ramps, crawl under to the cat area an on top of the cat you will see tin above the exhaust.......just tap around and wiggle it.
On mine the star washers that hold it up were rotted out, got some new ones and all is fine.
 

fouillard13

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Location
Pincher Creek, AB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI Standard
didnt get a chance to get under it today, we got like 120 kmh winds today.




I did drive it... tried to slip the clutch and it doesnt slip. it DOES make the sound when I hit dips and speed bumps so its making me think its not the clutch.

I used to hear a "bzzzt" sound when going fast and hitting dips... but it seems its gotten worse. its now this. I wonder if its a wheel bearing or something? will try to jack it up too and see what I can find but I really have no idea what im doing or looking for.
 

fouillard13

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Location
Pincher Creek, AB
TDI
03 Jetta TDI Standard
well. I figured it out. took skid plate off to take a look... couldnt see anything other than a serious oil leak coming from somewhere. put the skid place back on and took for a drive... and the sound is gone. so I must have hit a deep rut or a big mud chunk last weekend while driving a gravel road and it dented my skid plate or something and made it rattle.
 

miningman

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Location
alberta
TDI
2003 Golf
So you found a serious oil leak and chose to reinstall the skid pan and hope the oil leak fixes itself??? Doesn't sound like you do much preventative maintenance.
 
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