Yet ANOTHER "Clutch Rattle" Thread, With a Difference

[FlamingRectumSyndrome]

I bought a 6MT FR-S back in May. Since Day 1 I have noticed a rattling sound in 1st gear at low rpms. This occurs once the clutch is fully engaged, and is more apparent once the car is warmed up.

I dug through a bunch of threads that show up when you search for "rattle". This gets blamed on all sorts of stuff-- everything from "It's normal clutch engagement noise, stupid" to "learn how to downshift or give it more gas so it doesn't knock, stupid" to "it's pressure plate spring rattle" or "it's the 'triple cone synchros'" or any of a large number of other dubious possible causes.

So today I took my car in for its initial 7500 mile service. And I mentioned the rattling. An hour later I'm sitting in the very comfortable customer lounge at Livermore Toyota, sipping on a complimentary beverage, and watching my FR-S being repeatedly driven around the parking lot, returned to the service bay, and then taken for another spin around the parking lot. Some 2 1/2 hours later the service rep approaches me with the news that there is an issue with my transmission, they're opening a claim with Toyota, and can I come back Monday morning and drop my car off so they can install A NEW TRANSMISSION (!). She explains that they'll just uncrate a new unit, install it, and "Black box the original unit back to Japan".

So apparently there's a little more to this than "operator error" or "normal clutch noise".

More details as they emerge.

[wrxgoose]

transmissions in these cars are very easy to do, took us maybe 4 hours (total) for removal and re-installation when i did my clutch.

[Teseo]

Good to know the dealer will do something for you. Can you explain when was rattle? Shifting 1st→2nd?
At what rpms? 1st gear cruising parking lot? Cold or normal operating temp.? Etc. Thanks

[LXXXV1]

Get video if possible! This might get pretty big if dealer is completely replacing the transmission...

[tYtEn86]

This rattle is annoying as hell especially driving through the parking lot, I will mention this on my 7500 check up also.

[tyrantcf]

Or your dealer just wanted to get paid, scion pays the dealers labor to do warranty work.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by FlamingRectumSyndrome

So apparently there's a little more to this than "operator error" or "normal clutch noise".

I don't believe it. I think it's just techs who don't know what this car is supposed to sound like.

Please keep us updated with what they think is the actual "issue" with the transmission. My prediction is that they'll never be able to give you an exact diagnosis. I also think there's a good chance the sound will continue after the new transmission is in it.

[axelo]

In my car, the rattle is like a metal rattling against metal that goes away with a depressed clutch pedal... toyota tech heard the rattle and said is charasteristic for frs since every frs that he has seen did the same rattle, he explained the rattle being that the clutch assembly that comes in contact with the drive shaft in a benign matter. He also mentioned that other modified frs(tuning, fi, ect) more horsepower mods have the rattle but more louder. In his opinion, its a sport car thing. The guy was very humble and did truly believed in his own words...I'll get another impression from another mechanic in the future...he insisted that if something fails, it will be covered ..that's my experience up to date.... the car works great really, love it, so I'll keep enjoying the whole frs experience ...
I'll also will be looking foward to what the op will be writing in the future.
Thanks to everyone in the forum for past and future threads...

[campy]

Clutch rattle is normal for these cars. No need to rebuild your transmission. My FRS has made that noise since the day I bought it, and 22k miles later, it's still fine. My Porsche does it too and it's at 100k miles with the stock clutch. It still grabs and holds like new.

[Ozzman]

No, it's not normal mine currently does not rattle with 15000 miles on it.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Ozzman

No, it's not normal mine currently does not rattle with 15000 miles on it.

There's something wrong with yours. You need a new transmission and a clutch that makes the appropriate noise.

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by FlamingRectumSyndrome

I bought a 6MT FR-S back in May. Since Day 1 I have noticed a rattling sound in 1st gear at low rpms. This occurs once the clutch is fully engaged, and is more apparent once the car is warmed up.

Are you certain this rattle isn't being caused by lugging the engine at low RPM? Because the exact scenario you describe would certainly cause it.

Originally Posted by axelo

In my car, the rattle is like a metal rattling against metal that goes away with a depressed clutch pedal... toyota tech heard the rattle and said is charasteristic for frs since every frs that he has seen did the same rattle, he explained the rattle being that the clutch assembly that comes in contact with the drive shaft in a benign matter.

The clutch assembly doesn't touch the drive shaft at all, they are on opposite ends of the transmission. The clutch housing is bolted to the flywheel, which sits on the back end of the engine. The clutch disk rides on a splined stub shaft that sticks out from the transmission, this stub shaft is inserted into the clutch assembly, specifically into the disk. This is the shaft he may be referring to, but in no way should the clutch disk ever be able to "rattle" on the input shaft, ever. The sound may be normal, but the mechanic's understanding of it is a little concerning.

[FlamingRectumSyndrome]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

Are you certain this rattle isn't being caused by lugging the engine at low RPM? Because the exact scenario you describe would certainly cause it.

Hmmm... let's see. Driving clutch since 1973, rebuilt my first engine (a 200 cubic inch six cylinder that wound up in my dad's '66 Mustang) when I was 13, 4 decades of experience rebuilding and riding / driving motorcycles and cars... Nah, I'm pretty sure I'm not lugging it. That, and the fact that the Dealership Mechanics concluded that I need a new transmission, well, that tells me that it isn't just me.

[swpbrz]

Bummer