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I have a 2008 Passion with 75K miles on the clock. For about two years the actuator has made a slight clatter sound when driving less than 5 mph (parking, looking for a spot, etc). Every 6 months I removed the actuator and lubed it well inside, it would go quiet for about 1K miles and start making the noise again. Then about the beginning of this year it started engaging the clutch VERY hard as soon as I let off the brake; it was the same as if I had “side-stepped” the clutch pedal. This led to almost rear-ending a few cars in traffic. I made several adjustments without success. This hard engagement would last a day or two then everything was fine for a couple of weeks and the cycle would repeat.
I felt the problem could be one of 4 things, (pressure plate sticking, clutch fork sticking, throw-out bearing sticking, or actuator sticking). Then I thought of motor mounts (alignment of eng & trans) and sure enough they were bad. I replaced them and had the dealer put the car on their Star machine to look for patches and actuator/clutch settings. Settings were good and a patch was added. All was good for about 2 months and then I had another hard engagement event which lasted two days.
In thinking through the next steps I felt if the problem was in the pressure plate, clutch fork, or throw-out bearing it would happen almost consistently due to their mechanical nature. So I chose to replace the actuator. I found a guy on e-Bay that has several actuators that are brand new, in the box from SACHS (MB’s supplier) for $319; significantly less than MB or non-china parts houses. When the part came it was still sealed in the original SACHS box, and was clearly brand new.
I installed the new actuator and adjusted it per the FSM, which says to push the actuator up to the clutch fork, then push in 3 index lines more and tighten. The clutch engagement is smooth and crisp and drives like a new car. I did not see any need to return to the Star machine for fine tuning (as the FSM says to do) because everything works fine.
It has been two weeks and several hundred miles since I installed it, so it is too soon to say the phantom engagement is gone for good, but there is no more clatter when creeping in gear.
I write this in case any of the information is of help to others.
I felt the problem could be one of 4 things, (pressure plate sticking, clutch fork sticking, throw-out bearing sticking, or actuator sticking). Then I thought of motor mounts (alignment of eng & trans) and sure enough they were bad. I replaced them and had the dealer put the car on their Star machine to look for patches and actuator/clutch settings. Settings were good and a patch was added. All was good for about 2 months and then I had another hard engagement event which lasted two days.
In thinking through the next steps I felt if the problem was in the pressure plate, clutch fork, or throw-out bearing it would happen almost consistently due to their mechanical nature. So I chose to replace the actuator. I found a guy on e-Bay that has several actuators that are brand new, in the box from SACHS (MB’s supplier) for $319; significantly less than MB or non-china parts houses. When the part came it was still sealed in the original SACHS box, and was clearly brand new.
I installed the new actuator and adjusted it per the FSM, which says to push the actuator up to the clutch fork, then push in 3 index lines more and tighten. The clutch engagement is smooth and crisp and drives like a new car. I did not see any need to return to the Star machine for fine tuning (as the FSM says to do) because everything works fine.
It has been two weeks and several hundred miles since I installed it, so it is too soon to say the phantom engagement is gone for good, but there is no more clatter when creeping in gear.
I write this in case any of the information is of help to others.
